Referring to patchouli, people will immediately imagine a dark, deep note bearing the taste of earth and appearing in perfume bottles belonging to the Oriental fragrance group. Besides, the scent of patchouli has always been associated with and tinged with the "hippie-dippy" style until now.
Patchouli was once dubbed the scent of the 60s because it was used a lot by music lovers, party lovers, and especially young people who like to use stimulants. This is also the reason why, when it comes to patchouli, many people immediately think that this scent is "dirty", wet,rebellious," and "unacceptable.
Although always reminiscent of the scent of the earth, patchouli is not a wood or root but rather a species of plant in the mint family, scientifically known as Pogostemon cablin. Miraculously, these delicate-looking leaves have scents that include sweet, spicy, a hint of smoke, and strong nuances of cedar. Patchouli is considered to be the essence with the strongest scent among plant-based materials.
Fragrance makers often favor patchouli thanks to the passion it brings. Not only suitable for the oriental incense group, patchouli also has the ability to combine with other ingredients and appear in products of the chypre fragrance group as well as the powder flavor. Patchouli is often paired with roses to balance the sweet taste of this flower, forming a passionate and deep fragrance.
Patchouli is made up quite simply from the Tamil language, with "patchai" (green) and "ellai" (leaf). This plant is native to India, Malaysia, and Indonesia, then to the Middle East via the Silk Road. You may not know that patchouli is an excellent insect repellent, capable of repelling flies and some other bugs. Started by Queen Eugenie, 19th-century French women used patchouli-scented Paisley scarves to cope with cold weather; that's when patchouli began to be valued and become a special raw material in the fragrance industry.
The most intense essence of patchouli is concentrated in the top pairs of leaves. Once cut, these leaves will undergo fermentation to release their aroma. Only skilled craftsmen and a few quality factories are capable of creating patchouli essence that can satisfy the noses of scent creators.
Until now, patchouli has been a frequently controversial scent ingredient; some people hate it, but some people still love it. So let yourself once again feel the special scent of this plant.
