Rosewood

The history of rosewood

Rosewood is used to designate a fragrant wood used in perfumery. It comes directly from the Amazon rainforest and was discovered by botanists in 1925 in the Juriti Velho region. This tree was named rosewood because of its delicately fragrant scent, unconventional for bark. After study, it revealed an unexpected content of essential oil rich in linalool, an odorous substance close to lavender. This is how a thriving industry around this tree developed in the Amazon basin in order to supply the Grasse region. In the 1960s, production of rosewood essential oil thus fluctuated between 300 and 400 tons per year, which required felling 500,000 tons of wood! Today, rosewood has become a protected species and a vast replanting campaign has been undertaken at the initiative of various associations. Likewise, it now extends to Guyana, a country in which rosewood cultivation is also controlled.

The use of rosewood in perfumery

The extraction of rosewood essential oil can be done by steam distillation. Its bark has an excellent yield since only 100 kg of wood is used to produce 1 kg of essential oil. Nevertheless, the use of synthetic linalool has further lowered the cost of this raw material. However, prestige being what it is, luxury perfumes have remained faithful to their original formulation and still opt today for natural production. Furthermore, perfumers have the rosewood, reduced to pieces, distilled in hot water. This gives even greater richness and naturalness to floral tonalities.
Moreover, beyond its fragrant aspect, rosewood also offers numerous virtues and multiple benefits in terms of health. Its essential oil is notably recognized for its regenerating and rejuvenating effect on skin. Thus, many people use it as a healing and anti-aging active ingredient. Likewise, it is anti-infectious and its soft, soothing scent helps calm nerves and anxiety.

In perfumery, essences containing rosewood are highly appreciated for their multiple facets. They prove to be both floral and rosy while being slightly woody. Likewise, they contain a touch of spice and turn out to be slightly peppery. They thus suit elegant men and women endowed with a strong temperament.