LAUREL LEAF OIL
LAUREL LEAF
Natural ingredient for perfumery overview
Botanical Name: Laurus Nobilis
Laurus nobilis is an aromatic evergreen tree or large shrub with green, glabrous smooth leaves, in the flowering plant family Lauraceae.
Olfactive description
Fresh Cineol-like. It changes fast into a creamy spiciness (cardamom-like) somewhat sweet, revealing a medicinal note.
As a rule, the dry out notes of this oil are sweet, pleasant and slightly spicy, unlike those of eucalyptus, cajuput and, to a certain degree, myrtle oils (S. Arctander).
Specific character: Aromatic
How or when to use it
Laurel Leaf Oil is used as a flavor ingredient by the canning industry (in pickles, seasonings, sauces, etc.) since, in comparison to the leaves, the oil presents the advantages of greater accuracy, uniformity, lower shipping weight, etc.
The flavor is fresh, almost orange-like, with a rich and delicately spicy undertone, warm and soft (S. Arctander).
In perfumes, the fresh and warm-camphoraceous notes blend well with citrus oils, spice oils, bay leaf oil, pine needle oils, juniper berry oil, cypress, sage (clary), rosemary, etc. It produces interesting notes with olibanum, labdanum and lavender. The oil also finds use in aldehydic types of air fresheners, and as a modifier or “twist” note in men’s colognes, after-shaves, etc. The odor characteristics of Laurel Leaf Oil are not very unique or immediately striking. This may be one of the reasons why this oil never has attained any significant importance in perfumery. It could be produced in substantial quantities from readily available raw material, but the oil remains a minor item offered by only a few European supply houses and very few actual producers.
Where it grows
Originating in the eastern Mediterranean countries, or perhaps in Asia. It has been known for thousands of years, but the use of its leaves as a household culinary herb is a comparatively recent one. The tree, Laurus Nobilis, is cultivated in China, Israel, Lebanon Turkey, Yugoslavia, U.S.S.R., Italy, Sardinia, France, etc. The production of Laurel Leaf Oil by steam distillation of the leaves and branchlets of the above tree is undertaken in China, Yugoslavia, Italy (Sardinia), France, and occasionally in Spain. Production of this oil in Algeria, Morocco and Cyprus Island has been abandoned. In Turkey, and to a certain degree in Italy, the laurel leaves serve as a packaging material for the world-famous bars of licorice extract (in Italy) or cubed blocks of the same (in Turkey).
Appearance
Laurel Leaf Oil is a pale yellow to very pale olive-green or almost colorless liquid
Persistence
Laurel Leaf oil (turkey) had a persistence of 32 hours of significant smell.
Method of extraction
Steam distillation of fresh leaves.
The sample provided has beed distilled in Turkey, and has been submitted for analysis from Goymen Oil.
Possible adulteration
Eucalyptus and Myrtle are occasionally used as adulterants in commercial lots of laurel leaf oil. Chinese laurel leaf oil is distinguished by its very high content of eugenol (over 30%) which impairs the fresh notes of the oil significantly.
Sources and informations
Fulvio Ciccolo — 2021
Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin — S. Arctander (1961)