Spice Notes In Perfumery

Spices are among the oldest natural raw materials used in perfumery.

Among the warm spices most commonly used in perfumery, there are cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper and cloves. This category of ingredients gives off strong and powerful scents and lasts well over time. These will develop into the middle and base notes of a perfume.

On the side of cold spices, we find aromatic and more vegetal notes, which evaporate more quickly. They therefore take their place at the top of the olfactory pyramid of a fragrance. We think about cardamom, ginger, coriander or juniper berries.

While most people are aware of how and where spices are used, little is known by the public about where and how they are used in perfumes or fragrances. There is scarcely a fragrance on the market that does not contain some sort of spice note.

Humans are closely tied to spices; we’ve revered them for thousands of years, using them in cooking, medicine, spiritual practice, trade, and perfumery. Surely there is something ancestral and enchanting about spices that we can really tune into, that merges well with our human essence. Cohesive medical systems using spices were found in 1000 BCE in India, China, and Korea. Early uses were found to be connected to medicine, tradition, religion, magic, and preservation. Additionally, we know the importance of spices as a trade commodity – in the Middle Ages, spices were among the most demanded and expensive products available in Europe.