Elfwort
Note Profile
About
Soft rooty wood with a camphor-herbal edge
Scent Profile
Elfwort smells of a dried root: soft, woody and slightly fatty-sweet, with an oily richness. Over it sits a camphor-like, medicinal herbal note, like an old apothecary drawer, with a passing trace of ripe banana. Underneath is a dry violet and orris undertone and a warm, faintly honeyed balsamic sweetness. It lasts a very long time.
ScentWheel
Read off the wheel, not a label applied to the note.
ScentArt
Origin
Elfwort is an old English name for elecampane, Inula helenium. The perfumery material is made from the root, as an essential oil or as an absolute. Arctander says very little is made, probably less than 100 kilos a year worldwide.
Usage in Perfumery
Perfumers use it in small amounts for a soft, rooty, tenacious base and in bitter-aromatic herbal accords next to wormwood and sage. Arctander lists labdanum among the materials it blends with. IFRA restricts the oil because of skin sensitisation, and sources disagree on whether it is banned outright, so check the current IFRA standard before use.
Similar Notes
Perfumes featuring Elfwort
A selection of reviewed perfumes where Elfwort appears prominently.
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