Vetiver

Vetiver is a perfumery material distilled from the roots of Chrysopogon zizanioides, a tropical grass. It smells deep, sweet, woody, smoky and earthy [1].

This note in PREMIEREPEAU. Gravitas Capitale · Rose Monotone. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.

What does vetiver smell like?

Vetiver oil is usually described as deep, sweet, woody, smoky and earthy [1]. That is the material on its own, before a perfumer blends it with anything.

Vetiver the grass, vetiver the perfume material

The name covers a plant, a root and an oil. The grass, Chrysopogon zizanioides (formerly Vetiveria zizanioides), belongs to the grass family Poaceae [2], [3] and is native to India [1]. Perfumery uses the root, which is steam-distilled into an oil registered as CAS 8016-96-4 [4]. This page covers that oil and its smell, not the plant's other uses.

What is in vetiver oil

Vetiver oil is a complex mixture with more than 150 identified components, so it has no single molecular formula [1]. Named constituents include khusimone, vetivenyl vetivenate, valencene and delta-cadinene [1]. In 2021, a study in Angewandte Chemie International Edition identified (+)-2-epi-ziza-6(13)en-3-one as the smelling principle of the oil and measured its odor threshold at 29 picograms per litre of air [5].

From root to oil

The roots are chopped and soaked, then steam-distilled. A single run can last up to 24 hours [1].

Where vetiver comes from

Haiti, India and Indonesia are named as the main producers [6]. Another reference lists Indonesia, China and Haiti [1].

Vetiver scent in perfume

Vetiver is in the material list of two PREMIEREPEAU extraits. Gravitas Capitale is a neo-cologne of cédrat and Buddha's Hand with asphalt, styrax and frankincense, and vetiver is one of its materials. Rose Monotone is a crystalline rose with lychee and pink pepper.

Related notes: Patchouli · Cedarwood · Sandalwood · Bergamot · Ambroxan

Sources

1. Wikipedia, Chrysopogon zizanioides (odor, components, distillation, producers, name)
2. IPNI, Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty (accepted name and synonyms)
3. GBIF Backbone, Chrysopogon zizanioides, accepted name, key 5677150
4. PubChem substance records for CAS 8016-96-4 (Vetiver oil)
5. Ouyang J. et al., The Smelling Principle of Vetiver Oil, Unveiled by Chemical Synthesis, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2021, 60, 5666-5672
6. The Vetiver Network International, Vetiver oil production (main producing countries)