Aromatic Isolates and their role in botanical perfumes and fragrances.

Essential oils derived from aromatic plant materials contain between 50 and 300 different aromatic molecules. Chemists in the fragrance and food industries often need to isolate or use individual aroma compounds for specific applications.

Below is a brief description of a few isolates that I personally like to use to boost and extend the aromatic qualities of my botanical perfumes.

Alpha-Ionone & Beta-Ionone are two natural isolates obtained from the same essential oil; Litsea cubeba.

1. If the scent of Alpha-Ionone could be assigned to a colour, it would be violet and if a taste is imagined, it would be similar to those vintage mauve pastel candies that taste like violet.  Alpha ionone is known as a modifier helping to smooth out the pointy bits in a botanical perfume.  Just a few drops helps to blend, and bridge the gap between a light floral such as Neroli with citrus notes. It is an invaluable additive when creating light floral perfumes.

2. Beta-Ionone possesses a woody berry-plum-like profile with a warm honey hue similar to bees wax. The beta version of ionone is also a modifier, in that it helps to bridge the gaps between multiple base notes while applying a fixative quality.

Benzyl Acetate a natural isolate obtained from Ylang Ylang. This isolate casts a sheer fruity freshness to jasmine perfumes with pear and or banana facets. It also helps to brighten rose notes. Benzyl acetate would be considered a modifier and a blender.

Damascenone a natural isolate of Anise. This isolate possesses a tenacious boozy apricot aroma with a sheer overlay of honey and an ever so faint licorice note. It is extremely useful in the blending of fruits and florals within the same mixture.

Ethyl Phenylacetate a natural isolate obtained from Neroli. This isolate is a constituent that occurs in many botanicals such as fruits and flowers.  Its aroma is honeyed floral with a waxy apple undertone. Revered in the perfume industry as an ingredient that helps to extend and fix notes right into the base. Ethyl Phenylacetate is also used extensively in the food and beverage industry to impart fruit and honey flavours.

Geraniol a natural isolate of Palmarosa. This isolate is a monoterpenoid and an alcohol that occurs naturally in many other essential oils such rose, geranium and citronella.  Geraniol is a very versitile ingredient used to cast a rosy floral scent in citrus colognes and perfumes by rounding out the edges and extending fruit notes into the heart while maintaining the floral scent throughout the entie composition. It is also used to pull-down and extend top notes while at the same time it pulls up the base notes.

Heliotropin a natural isolate obtained from sassafras. This isolate possesses a very light cherry candy aroma that softens fruity top notes and helps to bridge the gap between floral sweet and gourmand notes with a billowy tobacco and hay-like dry down. It could be considered a fixative for top and middle notes and provides a sheen to light violet like perfumes.

Linalool & Linalyl Acetate are two natural isolates obtained from Ho Wood essential oil. Both of these isolates occur in more than 200 aromatic plants, with high levels also appearing in lavender and rosewood.

1. Linalool is classified as a middle note alcohol that possesses a powdery sweet soapy aroma.  This versatile constituent blends well with everything and is a revered ingredient in many products ranging from perfumes, body care products, soaps and detergents.  It is used as a stabilizer in many products to lift the linalool content when working with natural botanicals when the linalool content is low due to a change in growing conditions.

2. Linalyl Acetate is a corresponding ester to Linalool with a similar scent profile, yet lighter, a tad more fruity and earthy like a honeyed pineapple.  It is used as a flavour and fragrance enhancer. Its aroma is sweet and fruity with a hint of floral, synonymous of bergamot and lavender.

Nerolidol a naturally occurring sesquiterpene alcohol derived from Neroili.  Nerolidol also occurs in ginger, jasmine, cannabis sativa, lavender and lemongrass.  It possesses a fresh slightly green wood aroma that is barely noticeable. It is used as fixative to extend citrus top notes in a mixture without changing the direction of the composition. 

Patchoulyl Acetate a natural isolate derived from Patchouli leaf oil.  This isolate possesses an utterly exquisite sweet, warm aroma that is less complex and cleaner than whole patchouli oil.  It is a versatile additive to assist with the blending of base notes.  It is especially useful in earthy rich and exotic mixtures.

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