Borneol

Note Profile

Molecule

About

A bicyclic terpene alcohol, the alcohol that oxidises to camphor. It smells camphoraceous first and drier than camphor, with a pine clarity and a faint old-wood, dried-herb undertone. Perfumery uses it in aromatic and fougere accords and in incense reconstructions.

Scent Profile

Cooling_mentholic is the whole opening and all three sources lead with it: camphoraceous, medicinal, apothecary-clean. Every source is also careful to say it is not camphor. Scentspiracy calls it drier and less penetrating, Premiere Peau calls it drier and sharper. Dry_woody is the pine-like clarity and the old-wood impression that two sources report independently. Aromatic_herbal is the dried-herb side of the same apothecary picture. Amber_resinous is the balsamic undertone Wikipedia and Scentspiracy both attach to the l- isomer. Green is the pine facet read as foliage rather than wood. Earthy is the faint earthy undertone Premiere Peau names. Fresh_spice is the peppery-minty coolness Scentspiracy places in the dry-down.

ScentWheel

Breadthmedium

EnvelopeHeart · ~4h lasting

Family Fresh & Citrus

Read off the wheel, not a label applied to the note.

What this is made of

borneol

Names this molecule

CAS 464-45-9

CAS 464-45-9, the stereochemically unspecified row. The note is generic - 'a bicyclic terpene alcohol' - so it must NOT take (+)-borneol 507-70-0, which is a distinct registry entity. Identity is (CAS, name) and the two are different materials.

How the layers join

Origin

Found in the essential oils of many plants, among them camphor laurel, rosemary, valerian and several conifers. Traditional Chinese and Southeast Asian trade extracted it from Dryobalanops aromatica, which is where the name comes from. Most commercial borneol today is made synthetically, usually as a racemic mix of the d- and l- forms, from alpha-pinene or from camphor reduction.

Usage in Perfumery

Attested on 16 Fragrantica note listings and none on Parfumo. Fragrantica files it under greens, herbs and fougeres. It is used at low levels for a cool, dry lift in fougere and aromatic structures, and at higher levels in incense and temple accords.