Ivy leaf absolute

Dark green leaf, bitter, damp bark. Earthy with a light moss note. Little sweetness.

Ivy leaf absolute has no dedicated standard in the 51st Amendment of the IFRA Standards and is not named in the EU fragrance allergen list.

Falcarinol, a polyacetylene in ivy, is documented in dermatology as a cause of contact dermatitis in gardeners. Its level in the absolute is not published; it should be requested from the supplier.

Store dark, sealed and cool.

Hedera helix is an evergreen climber native to Europe and western Asia, clinging to walls and trunks by aerial roots. It is widely grown as an ornamental.

Ivy leaves contain triterpene saponins, the compounds used in some herbal leaf preparations. The plant also contains falcarinol, a polyacetylene documented as a contact allergen.

Ivy leaf absolute is made by extracting leaves with a solvent to a concrete, then washing with ethanol, chilling, filtering and removing the alcohol. It is a rare material produced in small quantities.

Volatile composition data for the absolute are rarely published. This page names only compounds known in the plant, not data for the absolute.

Ivy flowers in autumn, later than most European plants, and is a late-season nectar source for bees. The berries ripen black in late winter.

In perfumery, ivy leaf absolute gives a bitter green leaf and damp bark note. It is used in green chypres and structures evoking gardens and damp woodland, alongside violet leaf, fig leaf and mosses.