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Dry, leathery, and faintly smoky — teak smells like a sun-warmed boat deck crossed with old leather. The wood's natural oil gives it a distinctive slightly acrid, warm character unlike any other tropical hardwood.
Dry, warm, and subtly leathery with a smoky-spicy undertone. Less sweet than sandalwood, less green than cedarwood, less resinous than oud. Teak has a distinctive slightly acrid, oily quality — like handling old wood that has been oiled and sun-dried. The leather facet is clean and dry, not tarry. Compared to other tropical hardwood notes, teak reads as more masculine and austere, with a faintly mineral edge.
Evolution over time
Immediately
Immediately
After a few hours
After a few hours
After a few days
After a few days
Terroir & Maturity
Indicative 2025 wholesale prices.
The Full Story
Teak oil in perfumery derives from Tectona grandis, a tropical hardwood native to Southeast Asia — primarily Myanmar, India, Thailand, and Indonesia. The wood extract (CAS 93334-56-6) is obtained by steam distillation or solvent extraction of wood chips. The chemical composition is complex: pyrolysis-GC/MS studies have identified over 60 compounds in teak heartwood, including 2-methylanthraquinone (the molecule responsible for teak's resistance to biological degradation), various organic acids, and phenolic compounds.
Scent Character
Teak's scent is woody, warm, and slightly leathery with smoky accents. It is drier and more austere than sandalwood, less smoky than guaiac wood, and more exotic than cedarwood. The natural rubber-like oil content of teak gives it a distinctive slightly acrid quality — a sharpness that is uniquely teak. In perfumery, the note is sometimes partly reconstructed, as pure teak oil is not widely available at perfumery-grade quality.
The Wood
Tectona grandis produces a durable timbers on Earth. Its natural oil content makes it virtually impervious to water, termites, and fungal decay — qualities that made it the wood of choice for shipbuilding in Southeast Asia and later in European naval construction. Plantation teak is now grown widely across tropical regions, but old-growth Burmese teak remains the most valued grade.
Did You Know?
Did you know?
Teak's extraordinary durability comes from 2-methylanthraquinone, a naturally occurring compound in its heartwood that repels termites, fungi, and marine borers. This chemical defense is so effective that teak was the standard shipbuilding timber for both Southeast Asian and European navies — the British Royal Navy's warships were built with Burmese teak from the 18th century onward. Some teak structures in Myanmar are over 1,000 years old and still structurally sound.
Extraction & Chemistry
Extraction method: Steam distillation or solvent extraction of Tectona grandis wood chips. The heartwood is the aromatic source — sapwood is less fragrant. Oil yield is modest. The extract contains complex mixtures including 2-methylanthraquinone, organic acids, and phenolic compounds identified through pyrolysis analysis. Plantation teak from India, Indonesia, and Myanmar is the primary source. Pure perfumery-grade teak oil is relatively uncommon compared to other wood oils.
Complex mixture (wood extract); no single molecular formula
CAS Number
93334-56-6 (Tectona grandis wood extract)
Botanical Name
Tectona grandis
IFRA Status
No known restrictions
Synonyms
Teak
Physical Properties
Odor Strength
Medium
Lasting Power
> 200 hours
Appearance
Pale yellow to amber viscous liquid
In Perfumery
Teak wood functions as a base note in compositions, contributing warm, dry, leathery-woody depth. Its slightly acrid character and smoky undertones make it useful in masculine and unisex woody compositions where a drier, more austere wood note is needed — distinct from the creaminess of sandalwood or the sweetness of vanilla-woods. Teak pairs with leather accords, vetiver, tobacco, and dark spices. In modern perfumery the note is sometimes partly reconstructed from synthetic woody molecules blended with natural teak extract, as pure teak oil is not as widely available as other wood oils.
