When it comes to perfume, anything goes! Perfumers get inspiration from the most unusual sources; for instance, most people wouldn’t imagine that a fabulous scent could be derived from the bark of common trees. But if you take time to really appreciate the subtle aroma of even the most common tree in your neighborhood, you’ll realize that bark actually can be a very important ingredient in perfume.

Bark has been used for hundreds of years in perfumes, incense, sachets and even candles because of its fresh and unique scents. In ages past, bark was used in the form of macerations, which is soaking or steeping the bark until its aromatic properties are drawn out of the wood and into the liquid. The resulting brew was then added to resin to make solid perfume or mixed with other agents to dry and add to candles or incense.

Today, perfumers have much more efficient ways to use bark in their creations. Although cinnamon bark is an ingredient in many perfumes and colognes, its relative Cassia is also used. Cassia is a bit more pungent than cinnamon but similarly aromatic and refreshing. Cinnamon and Cassia bark are common additions to popular formulas because of their sweet yet sharp and defined qualities that they contribute to the entire bouquet. Cinnamon and Cassia bark appear as far back as ancient Mesopotamia when people soaked them in oil and water and rubbed the liquid onto their bodies for a pleasant scent and refreshment. “Hugo” by Hugo boss is a well known men’s perfume and cologne that uses cinnamon bark blended with citrus and spicy leaves into a subtle but powerful bouquet that is both pleasant and stimulating.

Cascarilla, technically a plant and not a tree, nevertheless produces bark that is preferred by many creative perfumers. A native of the West Indies and other moderate tropical climates, its bark is used to flavor Campari and Vermouth as well as lend its grace our modern perfumes. Sassafras bark with its unique snap and lingering sweetness is another popular bark. Its fragrant oil is purified for its safrole, which has a candy-shop type aroma perfect for use in scents aimed towards young people. Safrole, believe it or not, is also used in some parts of the world in the manufacture of drugs used to treat epilepsy.

Other common barks used in perfumes include pine, cedar, juniper and birch. These barks are aromatic as well as reminiscent of the best scents associated with the outdoors and so they are very commonly used in masculine perfumes and colognes. A hint of these scents can bring such pleasant memories and impressions that bark-based colognes are a favorite among men and the women who love them.

Tim Walt

Spices were discovered long ago as an aid in food preservation and flavor. Naturally, people began to think that the aromas of spices could be used to provide scents for the air and their persons. Spices began to be used for perfumes in Egypt and the Middle and Far East first, as Europe had no source for them with few exceptions, before the era of the Crusades opened up routes for trading.

Cardamom, often called “The Queen of Spices”, is grown for the most part in southern India, a fruit of the ginger family. Its cool fragrance is slightly sweet and reminiscent of oranges with a touch of ginger. It compliments other scents very well, toning down the more aggressive ones while accentuating aromas that aren’t so strong. Omnia by Bulgari uses cardamom along with saffron, black pepper (“The King of Spices”), Indian wood, mandarin and white chocolate to create a rich, light perfume with Oriental overtones that women love to wear, much to the delight of the men around them. 

Thyme is another popular spice used in perfume, usually as a top note that creates a first impression or a middle note that evolves as the perfume mellows from the warmth of the skin. Thyme’s light, fresh aroma perfectly compliments the orange blossom, vanilla and citrus in Gucci by Gucci. If you wonder how essence of thyme smells, you can reach for your spice rack to get an idea; it’s probably there with others you use in everyday cooking. 

Spices are also widely used in men’s perfume products. For example, Lapidus by Ted Lapidus perfumers uses a blend of spices combined with woods, lavender and amber to convey a sense of strong sophistication and individuality backed by warm and earthy power undertones. 

Nutmeg, the seed of evergreen tree that grow in Southeast Asia and other tropical climates, is processed by steam distillation after it is ground up. It is said that in England a few centuries ago, it was such a valuable spice that being able to obtain and sell a few nutmeg nuts would assure lifetime financial independence! Nutmeg is a perfect compliment to perfume formulas that contain wood tones or florals and provides freshness to the blend as well as a faint rich sweetness. 

Spices each have such varied fragrances that they are used to convey emotions as well as mental landscapes. The aromas of the most frequently used spices are those that many of us have smelled all our lives in our everyday food or in sachets used to freshen our closet and even the household cleaners our mothers used! It’s no wonder that perfumes containing spices are invariably pleasant and makes us feel sentimental as well as intrigued.

Tim Walt