Fougère

Coumarin occurs naturally in tonka beans, sweet vernalgrass, deertongue leaves and cassia bark. It smells of hay, almond and sweet tobacco. In 1868 William Henry Perkin reported a synthesis of coumarin from salicylaldehyde, later known as the Perkin reaction. From then on coumarin could be produced in quantity without relying on tonka beans.

Paul Parquet, owner of Houbigant, used synthetic coumarin with lavender, bergamot, geranium and oakmoss to build Fougère Royale. Its year is usually given as 1882; some sources, including a review of the copy held at the Osmothèque, question whether it is 1882 or 1884. Houbigant re-released Fougère Royale in 2010 with a new formula.

In 1889 Aimé Guerlain released Jicky, using lavender, coumarin and synthetic vanillin over a resinous base. Jicky sits on the border between Fougère and the Amber family; classifications place it differently. During the twentieth century Fougère became the dominant structure of men's fragrance, from aftershaves to the herbal perfumes of the 1970s and 1980s.

Tonka bean extracts are legal in EU cosmetics; limits on coumarin in food in some countries are separate rules that do not apply to perfume.

The top of a Fougère is lavender and citrus. Lavender carries linalool and linalyl acetate, giving a dry floral, slightly fruity note. Bergamot, lemon and sometimes clary sage or rosemary make this layer brighter and sharper.

The heart is usually geranium, giving a rosy note with a minty leaf facet, with some flowers such as carnation or rose. In aromatic Fougères the heart adds basil, tarragon, sage or juniper.

The base is coumarin and oakmoss. Coumarin gives a dry sweetness; oakmoss gives bitterness and dampness. Vetiver, patchouli, woods and musks join them. The contrast between bright lavender above and sweet coumarin with dark oakmoss below is the identifying mark of the family.

From the late 1980s dihydromyrcenol, a molecule with a clean, metallic citrus odour, was used at high dose in many Fougères. Davidoff's Cool Water (1988, Pierre Bourdon) is the example usually cited. These Fougères reduce oakmoss and add marine and green fruity notes.

Coumarin is one of the 26 fragrance allergens that must be named on EU cosmetic labels above 0.001% in leave-on or 0.01% in rinse-off products. IFRA also has a Standard for coumarin setting limits by product category. Coumarin occurs in many natural materials, so the coumarin from tonka, cassia or deertongue all counts towards the total.

Oakmoss is under the same rules as in the Chypre family: Regulation (EU) 2017/1410 prohibits atranol and chloroatranol in cosmetics, applying to new products from 23 August 2019, and the IFRA Standard requires oakmoss extracts with each below 100 ppm. Many current Fougères replace oakmoss with synthetic woody and mossy molecules.

Lavender has changed status too. Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 added lavender oil and extracts, linalyl acetate and geranium oil to the expanded allergen list. Linalool was already listed; it oxidises in air to hydroperoxides that can sensitise skin, so linalool-rich materials need airtight storage and antioxidants.

The SFP divides the Fougère family into six subfamilies: C1 Fougère, C2 Floral Amber Fougère (Fougère Fleurie Ambrée), C3 Sweet Amber Fougère (Fougère Ambrée Douce), C4 Spicy Fougère (Fougère Épicée), C5 Aromatic Fougère (Fougère Aromatique) and C6 Fruity Fougère (Fougère Fruitée).

C5 is the branch tied to most men's fragrance of the 1970s and 1980s. C2 and C3 are sweeter, where coumarin meets vanilla, benzoin and balsams; this is the border zone with the Amber family. On Michael Edwards' wheel this whole area is called Aromatic Fougère. The SFP website does not list perfumes per subfamily; examples here are indicative.

Fougère was born from a synthetic molecule, but each of its roles has a natural counterpart. Lavender or lavandin forms the top axis. Geranium forms the heart. Coumarin comes from tonka, deertongue or sweet vernalgrass; these also bring tobacco, honey and hay notes, so the natural version is usually warmer and rounder than one built on pure coumarin.

Low-atranol oakmoss keeps the bitter, damp role. Where moss is limited, vetiver and patchouli can hold the dry, earthy part. Clary sage, rosemary, juniper or basil pull the structure towards aromatic Fougère; benzoin and vanilla pull it towards amber Fougère.

Total coumarin from all natural sources must be calculated and compared with IFRA limits, together with linalool and other allergens. This page gives no formula percentages.