Patchouli CO2 extract

Damp earth, dark wood, dry leaf, sweet resin. Compared with the distilled oil the top is less musty and less metallic; a light camphor tone, a round drydown with hints of cocoa and wine.

Patchouli has no dedicated standard in the IFRA 51 index.

In the EU, Regulation 2023/1545 adds patchouli oil (Pogostemon cablin oil) to the allergens that must be named on the label above 0.001 percent in leave-on or 0.01 percent in rinse-off products. A CO2 extract of the same species should be assessed along the same lines.

Store dark, sealed and cool. Patchouli odour usually rounds out with storage time.

Patchouli is a perennial herb of the mint family. Leaves are cut, dried and lightly fermented before processing; the fermentation breaks the secretory cells and eases release of the oil. Indonesia is the largest supplier, with growing areas in Sulawesi, Sumatra and Aceh; India and China produce smaller volumes.

Patchouli oil is usually steam-distilled in iron or steel stills. Supercritical CO2 extraction runs at lower temperature with no contact with hot water. The result is an extract with fewer burnt, metallic and musty notes.

Some producers fractionate the CO2 extract further to keep the middle cut, sold as patchouli heart or coeur. This cut removes part of the light hydrocarbons at the top and the heavy tail, so patchoulol makes up a larger share.

Patchoulol is the sesquiterpene alcohol behind the typical earthy woody odour. Norpatchoulenol is present in small amounts but contributes strongly to the odour. Proportions vary with cultivar, leaf age, fermentation and extraction conditions.

In perfumery patchouli has carried the chypre family since oakmoss was restricted, and it anchors many amber and woody structures. The CO2 version is chosen when a clean patchouli note with little smoke is wanted.