What is vetiver?
Vetiver, botanically known as Vetiveria Zizanioides, is a herbaceous perennial plant of the botanical family Graminaceae.
Vetiver has long, thin stems that can reach up to two meters in height, and whose root, also called a rhizome, grows vertically and can reach up to three meters deep.
It is a plant with many uses. Vetiver is used to make thatch and straw, and the leaves are used for livestock.
Its roots have numerous medicinal properties and are used as therapeutic treatments.
Used in aromatherapy and traditional Ayurvedic medicine, it has soothing, relaxing, anti-inflammatory properties, helps combat stress, and supports the immune system.
They can also be used in bundles for protection against insects such as moths, as they contain natural insecticides.
It is also the root, once dried, which is used in perfumery.
The origin of vetiver
Vetiver, derived from the Tamil name vettiveru, is a plant native to India, but is found in many tropical regions, such as Haiti, Sri Lanka, Java, Reunion, Brazil, Guatemala, Madagascar, Indonesia and China.
The use of vetiver in perfumery
Olfactory family: woody
In perfumery, only the dried root is used. Its rhizomes are washed, cut, and dried in the sun before being steam distilled to obtain its essence.
This essential oil can also be obtained by CO2 treatment, which gives it a scent very close to that of the natural raw material.
Depending on the origin of the vetiver, its essence can have specific olfactory characteristics and differences.
For the creation of perfumes, only certain varieties are used:
- Haitian vetiver (vegetal, warm, with nuances of iris)
- Java Vetiver (bitter with smoky notes)
- Indian vetiver (similar to Bourbon vetiver)
- Bourbon vetiver, which was introduced to Reunion Island in the 1900s for cultivation.
The essence of the latter is a favorite among perfumers, for its delicate, earthy, and spicy scent reminiscent of hazelnut with a rosy undertone. However, its production has become very rare due to a lack of labor.
However, it is Haitian vetiver essential oil that is most used in perfumery, its import representing almost half of world production.
Vetiver is appreciated for its smoky, warm, green and earthy notes reminiscent of undergrowth, incense or even hazelnut.
Vetiver essence offers a beautiful combination with other woody notes such as sandalwood or cedar, with floral notes such as iris and violet, or even leathery notes for example, but also in chypre perfumes.
You will also find vetiver in the surprising Dianesque extrait de parfum, alongside floral notes of violet, fresh flowers, heliotrope and iris, as well as notes of leather and cumin.
Vetiver is also in the elegant and charismatic Club 30's extrait de parfum, with notes of lavender, accompanied by the woody notes of Virginia cedar, sandalwood and modern woods.
