Cade

Woody perfumes are highly prized by men for their warm, opulent notes. Nevertheless, they are also increasingly present in the women's perfumery aisle. Indeed, woody raw materials have the property of bringing a strong dose of elegance to the fragrances that contain them. Also, when speaking of this category, there is most often a tendency to equate it with materials such as vetiver, sandalwood or cedar. However, these staples are not the only ones to occupy this space. Another natural ingredient also finds its way into a few perfumes: cade.

What is cade wood?

Cade is a raw material that is, for many, completely unknown. It is a fruit derived from the juniper. Three species growing in the garrigue mainly give rise to this fruit: the Phoenician juniper, scarce and bearing red fruit, the common juniper, which favors siliceous soils, altitude and cold and produces a small blue fruit, and the prickly juniper, whose fruits are much larger and whose leaves display two white bands. Cade oil was used very early on for its healing properties. Moreover, it is still highly valued today as an antiseptic and disinfectant. Likewise, it serves as a local treatment for psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis. It is a dark liquid, very rich in aromatic molecules. It is now listed in the Codex, a compendium containing numerous official pharmaceutical formulas. Cade is an ingredient widely used across multiple fields. It is used just as much as a phytosanitary product as in veterinary medicine or the pharmaceutical sector. Likewise, it is sometimes used in perfumery.

The use of cade in perfumery

If cade, an ingredient visually close to tar, has drawn the interest of perfumers, it is simply because it possesses a very powerful smoky odor. Thus, cade allows, for example, a leather accord to be enhanced. Its strength is extreme and it is often prediluted before use. Moreover, it is in this form that it truly reveals its full dimension, displaying a gentle roughness, both warm and reassuring, somewhat similar to the scent of a campfire. Thus, cade brings a sense of comfort combined with a feeling of authenticity.

Immersing oneself in the scent of cade is a little like going back to the origins of humanity. Just imagine: the combination of fire and leather... Cade would almost plunge us into the heart of Prehistory, becoming a timeless material, somewhat animalic and capable of sending our imagination on a journey with a single breath.