Earthy, woody, a little damp: patchouli divides as much as it fascinates. From the Indonesian shrub to the fragrances that made it famous, here is everything that lies behind this raw material, and the three ways we work with it.
Where does patchouli come from?
Patchouli is a shrub native to Indonesia and Malaysia, grown today in Indonesia, China and the Philippines. It stands around one metre tall, with a downy stem, white flowers tinged with violet, and large velvety leaves close to those of mint.
Its most surprising trait: on the plant, patchouli gives off almost no scent. The leaves have to be dried before the characteristic smell appears. Beyond perfumery, the plant has long been used for medicinal purposes, in cooking, and even in folk rituals meant to attract fortune or love.
From leaf to essential oil
Patchouli essence is one of the most widely used natural raw materials in the fragrance industry. Worldwide production of the essential oil comes to around 1,500 tonnes a year, and close to 90% of it comes straight from Indonesia.
The leaves are first dried in the shade for a few days, taking care that they do not ferment. They are then steam distilled for several hours, which yields an oil rich in facets.
To picture the whole chain, our article on how a perfume is made follows the raw material from field to bottle.
What does patchouli smell like?
Patchouli smells woody, earthy and slightly damp, with a resinous depth and a camphor edge. The oil drawn from the leaf is around 40% patchoulol, the odorant molecule that carries this signature.
Some noses also find shades of mustiness in it, close to an overripe apple or a wine cork. That is exactly where the perfumer's skill comes in: everything is a question of dosing and pairing, so that patchouli reveals its noble facets rather than its heavy ones.
How patchouli entered perfumery
The origin is unexpected. Thanks to their anti-moth properties, patchouli leaves reached Europe along the Silk Road. During the Second Empire, French demand for silk exploded and fabrics were imported from India and Indonesia. To protect the shawls from moths on the sea voyage, they were wrapped in patchouli leaves.
Displayed in the smart shops of Paris, some shawls sold faster than others. Women were not choosing them for their patterns, but for their smell: they went for the ones soaked in the scent of patchouli.
Patchouli quickly became associated with the demi-mondaines, the women kept by wealthy Parisians. Often overdosed and always daring, it left its mark on the French expression "ca cocotte", long used to mock a scent judged too loud, and above all the women who wore it.
Noses then began using it as a fixative for more volatile notes, thanks to its stability. It stayed discreet until 1917, when a chypre composition placed it alongside bergamot and oak moss and opened the way to a whole olfactory family.
From the seventies to today
In the sixties and seventies, patchouli became truly iconic. A whole generation carried small vials of patchouli essence, often of poor quality and always very powerful. It stood for a new spirituality from the East and for sexual liberation, and became the emblem of a youth that preached peace, freedom and travel.
Overdosed, it eventually wore thin. It nearly vanished from compositions in the eighties, giving way to fresh marine scents, then made a real comeback in the nineties alongside more gourmand notes. Since then it has inspired creators who made it the heart of beautiful fragrances, for women and for men alike. Our article on patchouli as a unisex fragrance looks at that shift, and its seventies story tells the rest.
Our patchouli fragrances
Patchouli has inspired us since Carrement Belle was founded. So much so that three of our fragrances are built around this addictive material.
The ippi patchouli eau de parfum is our first creation, and it has been our customers' favourite since 1988. The earthy, woody notes of patchouli essence light up a sweet tuberose, then blend into the warm, musky scent of labdanum. Also available as a perfume extract and as a diffuser.
kilim, our second patchouli, takes a more oriental turn. The sweet zest of an orange sets the resinous shades sparkling, warmed by the camphor and spice of clove leaves. Here patchouli turns more fruity than earthy. Also available as a perfume extract and as a diffuser.
ippi patchouli clair pays tribute to its elder. Its heart stays woody and raw, but its opening is fresher, brightened by citrus and solar accents, before melting into a praline base. Also available as a diffuser.
Hesitating between the three? The La Patchouli Addict gift set brings them together in one colourful wrap.
Patchouli as a perfume extract
ippi patchouli and kilim both exist as a perfume extract, the most concentrated form of a fragrance. The formula is identical to the eau de parfum: only the share of odorant raw materials changes, which makes the composition more intense and longer lasting.
On a raw material as deep as patchouli, that concentration is felt straight away. The earthy and resinous facets gain in presence, the woody base settles closer to the skin. Everything you need to know is in our guide to the perfume extract.
Your questions about patchouli
What does patchouli smell like?
Woody, earthy and slightly damp, with a resinous depth and a camphor edge. Some noses also find a musty shade close to an overripe apple or a wine cork.
Where does patchouli come from?
The plant is native to Indonesia and Malaysia. It is grown today in Indonesia, which supplies close to 90% of world production of the essential oil, as well as in China and the Philippines.
Is patchouli a fragrance for women or for men?
Both. Long worn by women, patchouli became a unisex material in the seventies and has stayed that way. Everything depends on the accord it is placed in: gourmand, oriental or woody.
Why does patchouli smell so strong?
Because its essence is very rich in patchoulol, a heavy, tenacious molecule. That is also what makes it an excellent fixative: it holds the more volatile notes of a composition in place.
Which Carrement Belle fragrances contain patchouli?
Three of them: ippi patchouli, kilim and ippi patchouli clair. The first two also exist as a perfume extract, and all three as a diffuser or in the gift set.
How do you wear a patchouli fragrance?
Sparingly, on the pulse points. Patchouli is a material with presence: a light hand lets its woody depth speak without weighing down the sillage.
Can patchouli be layered with another fragrance?
Yes, and it works beautifully with vanilla. Our little trick for a woody and gourmand sillage: mix the vanille and ippi patchouli eaux de parfum straight on the skin. More in our layering article.
Samples of all our eaux de parfum, to explore the collection on your own skin, at your own pace, and find the fragrance that suits you. Your first set is even refunded as a voucher towards your next order.
The Discovery Set
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