Learn more about the natural ingredients we use in all of our perfumes and colognes including their Latin name, origin, aroma, extraction method and plant part, as well as the Wit & West perfumes and colognes that feature each ingredient.
Fossilized Amber Oil (Oleum succini) is a unique natural ingredient with an aroma that is smoky, woody, leathery and resinous. This ingredient is not what we normally think of when we refer to "amber" in perfumery. Amber, is an olfactive family based on the amber accord that can be created using natural materials including benzoin, labdanum and vanilla (synthetic molecules can be added as well such as musk and other ambery materials). Fossilized amber on the other hand is an entirely different ingredient (both in its aroma and source) that is extracted from Himalayan fossilized tree resin.
You can find fossilized amber in the below Wit & West fragrances:
Ambreine absolute (Cistus ladaniferus) is an extract obtained exclusively from labdanum gum-resin which is extracted from the Rock Rose, a shrub native to the Mediterranean region. The large flowers are a bit rose-like and include 5 petals that come in white, pink, or rosy-purple, often with a yellowish or dark blotch at the base of the petals. The flowers themselves are not fragrant. Cistus ladaniferus has white petals, red-brown at the bases, and yields the resin used in perfumery. In comparison to labdanum absolute, ambreine is smoother and more honeyed.
You can find ambreine absolute in the following Wit & West fragrances:
Benzoin (Styrax benzoin dryand) is a resin gum from the trees of the Styracaeae family and the genus Styrax. Resin is obtained from the trees by farmers who cut an incision in the tree's bark, causing it to release (or "weep") the gum or resin. The aroma of benzoin is soft and powdery, a bit sweet, balsamic, slightly spicy and vanilla-like. We love benzoin because it is a subtle base note that works with a number of fragrance styles including the amber accord where it is a key component.
You can find benzoin in the following Wit & West fragrances:
Dynamone Extract (Cistus ladaniferus) is another extract obtained from labdanum gum-resin which is extracted from the Rock Rose, a shrub native to the Mediterranean region. Dyanmone is created via fresh stems and leaves of the Cistus ladaniferus plant that are solvent extracted to create a concrète which goes through an additional fractioning extraction process to produce dynamone. All Cistus extractions (including the essential oil, labdanum absolute, ambriene and dynamone extract) create a perfumery ingredient that is intense and powerful and very long lasting. Dynamone in comparison to the other cistus extractions is a bit smokier, more animalic and of course, resinous.
You can find dynamone in the following Wit & West fragrances:
Fir Balsam Absolute (Abies balsamea) is obtained via solvent extraction of the needles and branches of the conifer trees found in Canada. The aroma of this unique absolute is sweet, coumarin-like, fruity and jammy, warm and rich. This ingredient is a favorite of ours as it has a number of unique olfactory qualities that make it perfect in combination with rose, citrus and ambery scents.
You can find fir balsam absolute in the following Wit & West Perfumes:
Summit Rose Eau de Parfum
Rosé L.A. Eau de Parfum
Frankincense (Boswellia sacra) is a resin that is extracted from trees in the genus Boswellia and family Burseraceae. The oil used in perfumery can be distilled creating an essential oil, CO2 extracted creating a CO2 extracted, and solvent extracted creating an absolute oil. Typically, the trees must be at least 8-10 years old before they start producing the resin or sap that exudes from an incision cut in the tree's bark. Frankincense is also sometimes referred to as simply "incense" which comes from the French expression franc encens, which means "true incense". In Arabic frankincense is called olibanum, derived from al Luban, which means milk in reference to the sap or resin. Frankincense is one of the oldest aromatics in the world with references to its use dating back more than 5,000 years including by Greek writer Herodotus and Pliny the Elder who described its use in Naturalis Historia (AD 77–79).
The aroma of frankincense is a bit peppery, piney, citrusy, green, terpenic balsamic, warm and fresh. We love this ingredient for its versatility and ability to pair beautifully with citrus-forward fragrances as well as in richer fragrances including woody, spicy and amber scents.
You can find frankincense in the following Wit & West fragrances:
Gavitella Eau de Parfum
Jasmine Bae Saranae Eau de Parfum
Streetcar Magnolia Eau de Cologne
Yuzu Pop Eau de Cologne
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The mandarin (Citrus reticulata blanco) tree’s origin is China and was introduced to Europe in the early 1800s and the USA about 40 years after that. In Europe the fruit evolved into the smaller-sized mandarin while in the USA it remained similar in shape and size to the original Chinese mandarin but was later renamed tangerine. Mandarin oil (the European version) is produced via cold pressed expression, and the primary countries that produce mandarin oil include Italy (Calabria & Sicily), Brazil and Spain. There are three types of mandarin oils that are produced; green, red and yellow mandarin. While they all come from the same fruit, they are extracted at different stages in the fruit’s maturity (green is the first stage, yellow the second, and red the third). The aroma varies between the three types of mandarins with green being the most tart, yellow in the middle in terms of its sweet and floral aspects, and red being the sweetest and most floral. For use in perfumery, yellow is the most widely used in the industry (though red and green mandarins can produce interesting results in perfumery as well). When compared to sweet orange oil, the mandarin oils are less sweet and more floral. At Wit & West, we like the mandarin in all three of its forms and use each one depending on the effect we are going for in the fragrance. In Fleur du Riad, the focus is to bring forward the green and floral nuances of neroli, so we use green mandarin.
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Yuzu (Citrus junos) is a citrus fruit that is considered to be a hybrid between Ichang papeda and Satsuma mandarin. It originated in China and was later introduced to Korea and Japan during the Tang Dynasty, and it is still widely cultivated in Japan and Korea today. This unique citrus can grow in cooler climates, though it can take between 3 and 7 years (sometimes longer) to produce fruit. In addition to its use in perfumery, it is also grown for culinary purposes including tea, sauces (ponzu), as well as garnishes for drinks and desserts. But unlike other citrus fruits, it is not typically eaten by itself. The aroma of yuzu is similar to grapefruit but it is sweeter and more floral, a bit like yellow mandarin with some aspects of bergamot as well. Yuzu is one of the longer lasting citrus oils, making it a versatile and unique top note (though more expensive than the similar yellow mandarin). Yuzu is often paired with jasmine and other white florals such as orange blossom.
You can find yuzu in the following Wit & West fragrances:
Streetcar Magnolia Eau de Cologne
Yuzu Pop Eau de Cologne
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Agarwood (Aquilaria crassna) - also known as oud - essential oil is extracted via steam distillation from the heartwood of the agarwood tree. Interestingly, what makes this perfumery ingredient unique is that the tree must be infected with a parasitic fungus that after a number of years creates a highly aromatic oleoresin. This perfumery ingredient is highly prized (and expensive) due to its unique aroma that is animalic/musky, woody, and ambery. Agarwood is cultivated in several countries in Asia including India, China, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
The agarwood oil we use at Wit & West is CITES compliant (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna) and sustainably harvested in Vietnam with trees being replanted.
You can find agarwood oil in the below Wit & West fragrances:
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