Heliotrope

Floral, balsamic, vanilla, powdery.

Smooth like vanilla and soft as a cloud, the delectably sweet note of heliotrope adds a floral, suave facet to both feminine and masculine fragrances. A versatile ingredient, heliotrope is known to balance both its characteristically vanilla-esque facets with the warmth of almonds, anise or cinnamon. Its smoothness creates creamy undertones in a variety of fragrances—most notably in lilac accords.

Data sheet

Type

Production

The headspace technique can be used to preserve the purple flower’s delicate fragrance, but, most often, the scent is reproduced synthetically using other raw materials. In fact, heliotrope is usually created using a single molecule: heliotropin.

History

While the heliotropin molecule wasn't discovered until the second half of the 19th century, the use of heliotrope flowers in perfumery is certainly much older—ancient Egyptians are recorded as having delighted in the fragrant decorum of the dainty flower.