Is Olive Tree natural or synthetic?

A fantasy or concept note, not a single material.

Olive Tree

AccordWOODS & MOSSESwoody · warm · green

BasePyramid

3/5Strength

—Tenacity

5Origins

Editorial noteWe own no rights to this material, its name or its trademark. This entry is independent editorial journalism, published under freedom of expression.

Specimen

Olea europaea

Fantasy/Concept

Definition

Silver-green leaves, dry wood, and the bitter dust of a Mediterranean hillside. Olive tree smells like the shade under a centenary Olea europaea -- herbal, mineral, faintly fruity.

GREEN HERBAL WARM FRESH

Olea europaea, Olive wood

Type: Accord
Olfactive family: Woods
Subfamily: Classic woods
Cluster: Earthy woods
Source: wood
Chemical class: olfactory accord (green-woody blend)

Instruments

Pyramid

TTop

HHeart

BBase

3/5Strength

Medium

odour strength

Producing countries

Greece Italy Spain Tunisia Turkey

Scent

Green-silver, dry-herbal, faintly bitter. The leaf character is more leathery than grassy. The wood is dry and angular, not creamy. A mineral-soil quality hovers underneath, warmed by the Mediterranean sun. Less sweet than fig, less resinous than pine. The impression is of shade and age -- a very old tree on a very dry hillside.

In PREMIEREPEAU

DISCOVERY SET7 × 2 ml →EXTRAIT DE PARFUMThe seven extraits →

The Full Story

Olive tree in perfumery is an atmospheric accord evoking the complete sensory impression of Olea europaea: the leathery, silver-green leaves, the dry and gnarled wood, the bitter-green unripe fruit, and the warm, mineral soil beneath. No single olive tree extract captures this -- the accord is a reconstruction of place.

Construction may combine olive leaf extract (green, slightly bitter, containing oleuropein), dry-wood notes (cedarwood, vetiver), herbal elements (thyme, rosemary -- the plants that typically grow around olive groves), and a faint fruity-green olive impression. The resulting accord is green-woody-mineral rather than fruity: the tree, not the oil.

Functionally, olive tree works as a green-woody heart note providing a specific Mediterranean reference. Less sweet than fig tree, less resinous than pine, with a particular mineral-herbal dryness. The note works in Mediterranean, herbaceous, and dry-woody compositions.

—

Related: Alder · Alpha Humulene · Amaranth · Amberever · Amburana Bark · Antillone · Apple Tree

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method

Olive leaf extract is available (by solvent or CO2 extraction) but rarely used in mainstream perfumery. No standardised olive wood oil exists. The atmospheric accord is typically reconstructed from herbal, green, and dry-wood materials.

Formula: Complex mixture (oleic acid C₁₈H₃₄O₂ predominant)
CAS: 8001-25-0 (olive oil)
Botanical: Olea europaea
Appearance: Pale yellow to greenish yellow liquid
Odour strength: Medium
Synonyms: Olea europaea, Olive wood

IFRA status

See note

Not subject to an IFRA Standard (51st Amendment)

Physical properties

Specific gravity: 0.910–0.916 @ 25 °C (olive oil)
Refractive index: 1.468–1.471 @ 20 °C
Note: Olea europaea leaf/fruit extract. Green, fruity, slightly bitter aroma.

In Perfumery

Olive tree is a green-woody atmospheric heart note providing a Mediterranean terroir reference. The accord combines olive leaf (green, bitter), dry wood (cedarwood, vetiver), Mediterranean herbs (thyme, rosemary), and mineral-soil elements. Less sweet than fig tree, less resinous than pine. Works in Mediterranean, herbaceous, and dry-woody compositions.

Role in the formula

01modifier

02signature note

03blender

04volume builder

05freshness

Available as

synthetic accord fantasy note