Oakmoss Perfume
Oakmoss (or oak moss) is one of the most beloved substances to perfumers around the world. It’s a type of fungi lichen that usually grows on the branches and trunks of the oak tree as its name suggests.
The essential oil derived from this moss is primarily used in perfumery as a fixative or base note. Someone may feel its smell very strong and earthy, but to most perfume lovers oakmoss scent is unique with natural woody and leather-like undernote with no other similarities in the world.
Table of contents
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What is oakmoss perfume?
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What does oakmoss smell like?
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History of oakmoss perfume
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Benefits and uses of oakmoss oil
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Uses of oakmoss in the perfumery
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How to wear oakmoss perfume
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Safety considerations
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Final words
What is Oakmoss Perfume?
Oakmoss, scientifically known as Evernia prunastri, is a lichen species that grows with cyanobacteria or algae living with other multiple species in a mutualistic manner. These aren’t typically plants but may have flat leaf-like structures and powder-like appearance. As the name suggests, oak moss grows typically on the bark of the oak tree but is also found in pine and fir.
Oak moss perfumes are made from the essential oils that are derived from these mosses using solvent extraction methods.
Oakmoss oils work very well as a fixative to give the smell a longer life in the perfume.
Most commonly, oakmoss perfumes are blended with other natural perfumery ingredients to create intriguing scents. For example, to create the most beloved classical oakmoss composition, it is used with Sandalwood and Vetiver.
What Does Oakmoss Smell Like?
Oak mosses aren’t true plants, thus, unusual sources of fragrance materials. It has a rich, earthy, smooth, woody, resinous, warmly sweet, honey-like evolving scent with a hay-type note.
Though oak moss fragrance is completely unique with no natural analogs, it’s quite similar to musk perfumes. Most perfumers believe that it is because musk deer feeds on these types of mosses.
History Of Oak Moss Perfume
The story of oakmoss as a natural perfume spans centuries. In ancient Egypt, oakmoss was imported from Greece along with other ingredients such as myrrh and pine resin.
In Europe, oakmoss was a very popular natural perfume in the 16th century. In England at the time of Queen Elizabeth, it was used along with rose petals and iris roots to produce a powder for scenting the wigs that were very fashionable at the time.
Perfuming accessories and clothing wasn’t an uncommon practice in history, it can be found in different cultures from scenting kimonos with incense smoke to the ultra-modern western use of garment conditioners that provide lasting scents and freshness.
However, in the Elizabethan era, attitudes of luxurious hygiene were different, and a pleasant and natural perfuming wig would undoubtedly have been high levels of majestic.
Benefits And Uses of Oak Moss Oil
The essential oil derived from oak moss has many significant health benefits along with other uses. Nature has bestowed this modest-looking moss with certain remarkable medicinal properties:
- Anti-septic – oakmoss has antiseptic actions. Studies showed 2 good things about its anti-septic properties – it doesn’t provide any burning sensation like other tinctures and it’s a sweet-scented natural substance.
- Demulcent – natural oakmoss essential oil can be soothing to irritations or inflammation. It has soothing effects on the skin, digestive system, and also the brain and nervous system.
- Expectorant – oak moss oil is very effective in relieving chest congestion, coughs, breathing difficulties, and asthmatic attacks. It’s helpful to loosen the hard phlegm in various parts of the respiratory tract and remove them from the body.
- Health restorative – oakmoss essential oil shows significant health restorative properties. It boosts immune health and removes harmful toxins from the body with its antioxidant, anti-microbial, and anti-viral actions.
Other Uses of Oakmoss Oil
Apart from diverse types of health benefits, oakmoss oil is used in skincare products, soaps, cleaning solutions, hair products, sprays, and many cosmetic ranges due to its moisturizing, demulcent, and anti-septic properties.
The oakmoss smell is long-lasting and persistent, hence along with its anti-microbial properties it would definitely help to cover any unpleasant odors.
Uses of Oakmoss in Perfumery
Oakmoss is globally well known for its fixative value. In the perfumery industry, it is extracted by solvent extraction to prepare the absolute. It can prolong the lasting quality of the major theme of a fragrance.
Oakmoss has been used in perfumery since as early as the 16th century. Baskets filled with oak moss have been discovered in the ancient royal tomb of Egypt.
Oakmoss is highly respected in the “chypre” kind of fragrance. It’s the French name for Cyprus. The Cyprus fragrance structure is combined with 3 major natural ingredients – oakmoss, bergamot, and labdanum.
However, oakmoss absolute is unique and irreplaceable in natural perfumery with its long tradition. Its odor and fixative nature have no analogs.
How to Wear Oakmoss Perfume
Natural Oakmoss perfume can be worn separately or blended with other natural perfume oils such as Sandalwood, Vetiver (known as Khus in India), Agarwood, Bergamot, Grapefruit, Patchouli, Vanilla, and Labdanum to create your favorite custom scent.
Oakmoss perfume can be worn on the neck or on the back of the collar…
You can also use natural oakmoss perfume in your wearing accessories such as watches, and jewelry items to make these sweet-scented.
Safety Considerations
In some cases, oakmoss shows skin sensitizations, therefore, a maximum skin use level of 0.1 % is highly recommended. Avoid using it on damaged, sensitive, and diseased skin and on children below 2 years old.
It’s also recommended to perform a patch test before using oak moss perfume on the skin for people who have sensitive skin and any type of allergies.
Final Words
Oakmoss perfume bears a glorious tradition since the ancient ages. To use oak moos essential oil as a therapeutic agent, always consult with a qualified and licensed aromatherapist.
Whenever you want to buy oakmoss perfume, make sure you explore only natural perfumers such as Abdes Salam Attar who prepares only natural Oak Moss perfumes.
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