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Woody Notes in Perfumery | Premiere Peau

WOODS AND MOSSES  /  woody · warm · fresh
Woody Notes
Woody Notes perfume ingredient
CategoryWOODS AND MOSSES
Subcategorywoody · warm · fresh
Origin
VolatilityBase Note
BotanicalN/A — perfumery accord category
Odor StrengthMedium
Producing CountriesN/A — perfumery accord category
PyramidBase

The broadest olfactory family after florals. Woody notes span from pencil-sharpener cedar to creamy sandalwood to smoky oud.

  1. Scent
  2. The Full Story
  3. Fun Fact
  4. Extraction & Chemistry
  5. In Perfumery
  6. See Also

Scent

The category is too broad for a single description. Cedar: dry, pencil-sharp. Sandalwood: creamy, milky. Guaiac: smoky, slightly sweet. Oud: dark, animalic, fermented. Pine: resinous, fresh.

Evolution over time

Immediately

Immediately

After a few hours

After a few hours

After a few days

After a few days

The Full Story

Woody notes constitute one of the largest fragrance families. The category includes hardwoods (oak, teak), softwoods (cedar, pine), tropical woods (sandalwood, rosewood), resinated woods (oud, guaiac), and synthetic wood molecules (Iso E Super, Cashmeran, Javanol).

The chemistry comes from three sources: cellulose degradation products, terpene content, and resin deposits. Each wood has a unique ratio of these three.

Woody notes function primarily as base elements providing structural backbone, fixation, and warmth.

Did You Know?

Did you know?
Iso E Super, the most used woody molecule, was discovered accidentally at a major aroma-chemical supplier in the 1970s during cedarwood chemistry research. Some people are anosmic to it, while others find it overwhelming.

Extraction & Chemistry

Extraction method: Varies: steam distillation (cedarwood, sandalwood, pine), solvent extraction (guaiac, oud), CO2 extraction. Synthetics dominate commercial use.

Molecular FormulaN/A — key representatives: iso e super C₁₆H₂₆O, santalol C₁₅H₂₄O, cedrene C₁₅H₂₄
CAS NumberN/A — olfactory accord category
Botanical NameN/A — perfumery accord category
IFRA StatusNo known restrictions
SynonymsWOOD NOTES · TIMBER NOTES · BARK NOTES
Physical Properties
Odor StrengthMedium

In Perfumery

Foundational base-note family. Key naturals: cedarwood, sandalwood, vetiver, guaiac, oud. Key synthetics: Iso E Super, Cashmeran, Javanol, Sandalore. Essential across all fragrance families.

See Also

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