Woody

Massoia

Note Profile

Botanical 15 perfumes

Also Known As

Massoia Wood

About

Massoia is made from the bark of Cryptocarya massoia, a tree of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The bark is steam distilled, though its main component, massoia lactone, is now often made synthetically. It smells creamy and milky, with thick coconut-meat sweetness and a waxy, fatty base, unlike clean synthetic coconut. It has a caramelised softness like condensed milk and a faint woody dryness.

Scent Profile

Massoia is creamy and milky, with a thick coconut-meat sweetness and a heavy waxy-fatty undertow beneath it - dairy fat and warm wax, not the clean transparent coconut of the synthetic lactones. Its aroma is smooth and lactonic, with a caramelised softness like condensed milk. A faint woody dryness from the bark grounds the whole thing, and over time it settles into a persistent coconut-wax warmth on skin and fabric.

ScentWheel

Breadthfocused

EnvelopeBase · ~48h lasting

Family Sweet & Gourmand, Fruity, Waxy & Fatty

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

What this is made of

massoia lactone

Principally this

CAS 54814-64-1

Massoia bark oil is prohibited by IFRA and we do not hold it. Massoia lactone is its characteristic constituent. A constituent is not the whole extract, so this is its main odorant rather than the oil.

Prohibited: An IFRA Standard limits how much of this a perfumer can use the limit applies to the perfumer, not the wearer

These are facts about the substance, not about any perfume with this note.

Why that matters

A perfume that names Massoia can use a different extract, a reformulated version, or a synthetic reconstruction. It can also hold less than the amount that requires a declaration. We cannot tell which applies. These rows cover only the substances we hold a link for.

How the layers join

Origin

Massoia is derived from the bark of the Cryptocarya massoia tree, native to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The essential oil is obtained through steam distillation of the bark, though today its main component, massoia lactone, is often produced synthetically due to sustainability concerns.

Usage in Perfumery

Perfumers use massoia primarily in the heart or base of compositions to impart creamy, woody depth and a coconut nuance. It blends well with sandalwood, vanilla, fig, and floral notes, and is valued for adding a soft, gourmand texture to both woody and oriental fragrances.