Vetiver is a perfumery material distilled from the roots of Chrysopogon zizanioides, a grass widely cultivated in tropical regions.
This note in PREMIEREPEAU. Gravitas Capitale · Rose Monotone. Sample all seven extraits in the Discovery Set.
What does vetiver smell like?
The oil is amber brown and viscous. Like patchouli and sandalwood essential oils, vetiver's odor develops and improves with aging. The oil's characteristics can vary significantly depending on where the grass is grown and the climate and soil conditions. The oil distilled in Haiti and Réunion has a more floral quality than the smokier oil from Java.
Vetiver the grass, vetiver the perfume material
The grass Chrysopogon zizanioides, also named Vetiveria zizanioides, is a perennial plant of the Poaceae family. It is native to India and widely found in Asia, Africa, Oceania, Central and South America. Vetiver is most closely related to sorghum and shares many morphological characteristics with other fragrant grasses, such as lemongrass, citronella and palmarosa. Unlike most grasses, which form horizontally spreading mat-like root systems, vetiver's roots grow downward 2-4 m in depth.
What is in vetiver oil
Vetiver oil, also called khus oil, is a complex oil containing over 150 identified components. Its components typically include khusimone, vetivenyl vetivenate, valencene and δ-cadinene. The oil contains some volatile compounds that have been reported to be mainly sesquiterpenes and their derivatives. Khusimone is present in about 2 % in the essential oil and was first proposed as a smelling principle in 1980. With a relatively high threshold of 4.7 ng per litre of air, khusimone cannot be the smelling principle of vetiver oil. In 2021 chemists proved by an eleven-step total synthesis that (+)-2-epi-ziza-6(13)en-3-one is the smelling principle of vetiver oil. Its odor threshold is 29 picograms per litre of air. That ketone is over 150 times more potent in odor threshold than khusimone, which was previously deemed the smelling principle of vetiver.
From root to oil
The best quality oil is obtained from 18- to 24-month-old roots. The essential oil is obtained in 0.2-0.3 % yield by hydrodistillation of the dried roots. In one analysis, an industrial oil sample made by direct steam distillation contained 25 components, among them cedr-8-en-13-ol at 9.74 %. Extraction with carbon dioxide expanded ethanol gave an extraction oil of 5.12% to 7.42%, higher than that of hydrodistillation or indirect vapor distillation. Methods of cultivation have significant effects on both the percentage yield and the volatile composition of root oil obtained by simultaneous steam distillation and solvent extraction.
Where vetiver comes from
Despite a price of 350-500 $/kg, worldwide consumption of the oil is estimated at 300-400 t/year, of which 60 % comes from the Les Cayes commune of Haiti. In Haiti, vetiver for oil is grown on poor hillsides no longer fit for food crops, and digging the roots can leave the soil bare and badly eroded. In north India, oil is distilled from wild-growing vetiver. This oil is known as khus or khas. It is rarely found in commerce outside of India, as most of it is consumed within the country.
Other uses of the plant
Vetiver has been used in traditional medicine in South Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka), Southeast Asia (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand), and West Africa. Vetiver makes excellent thatch that, well made, lasts up to 20 years. Khus syrup, made by adding khus essence to sugar, water and citric acid syrup, flavors milkshakes and yogurt drinks such as lassi.
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.
Vetiver is used widely in perfumes for its excellent fixative properties. It can be used to make a classic cologne more masculine or to ground lush feminine florals with a touch of earthiness.
