Patchouli Light Indonesia Oil

Natural Ingredient Overview

• 🏭 Manufacturer (if available): Indonesian distillers (Sumatra, Java)

• 🔎 Chemical name: Essential oil of Pogostemon cablin

• 🧪 Synonyms: Patchouli light oil, Light Indonesian patchouli

• 🧬 Chemical Formula: Complex natural mixture; major: patchoulol, seychellene

• 📂 CAS N°: 8014-09-3

• 📘 FEMA: 2838

• ⚖️ MW: Not applicable

• 📝 Odor type: Woody, Herbaceous

• 📈 Odor Strength: Medium to high

• 👃🏼 Odor Profile: Woody, aromatic-spicy, slightly camphoraceous; sweet-herbaceous body with reduced earthiness

• ⚗️ Uses: Fougere, chypre, woody and oriental accords; hair care, deodorants, masking agents

• 🧴 Appearance: Amber to light brown viscous liquid

What is Patchouli Light Indonesia Oil?

Patchouli Light Indonesia Oil is a fractionally distilled grade of patchouli, designed to offer a cleaner and lighter profile than traditional crude oil. This fraction is obtained either by molecular separation or selective early cut during distillation to minimize base-heavy notes such as barnyard, musty-earth, or phenolic dryness. The result is an oil that retains the spicy-warmth and woody body of patchouli but with less opacity and more aromatic transparency. Its growing role in modern perfumery stems from demand for natural complexity without vintage heaviness.

Olfactory Profile and Perfumery Applications

This grade opens with aromatic-spicy and sweet-herbaceous tones, supported by a light woody base. Compared to other patchouli types, the camphoraceous and earthy components are significantly reduced, improving its usability in contemporary structures such as transparent orientals, luminous fougères, and modern floral-woody blends.

Patchouli Light Indonesia Oil behaves as a versatile middle-to-base note, offering persistence and signature character with a cleaner profile. It is highly valued for its ability to support materials such as lavender, clary sage absolute, vetiver, oakmoss, cedarwood derivatives, and ionones—without darkening the final accord.

Industrial and Technical Uses

Due to its lighter nature, this oil is often used in hair care, deodorants, and skin-contact fragrance systems, where reduced tenacity and freshness are desirable. It also performs well in fine fragrance applications requiring less animalic or musty character. Its smoother profile makes it a preferred option for formulations where crude patchouli might be too dense or overpowering.

Regulatory and Safety Overview

• IFRA Restrictions: No specific restrictions (Category 4 and 5 usage levels apply depending on final product)

• EU Allergens: May contain trace levels of natural eugenol, linalool, or limonene

• FEMA GRAS Number: 2838 — Recognized for flavoring use (limited application)

• ECHA Classification: Not classified as hazardous under normal usage

• REACH Registration: Registered for use in perfumery and cosmetics

• Toxicology Notes: Safe under normal cosmetic concentrations; typically exhibits lower dermal reactivity than crude forms

✅ No regulatory concern when used within normal perfumery concentrations. Source consistency ensures standardization of lighter profile.

Ingredient Connections and Synergies

Patchouli Light Indonesia Oil functions effectively in tandem with:

• Lavender Absolute – enhances herbal freshness in fougères

• Clary Sage Absolute – complements its dry aromatic character

• Ionone Alpha – adds floral-powdery softness and elevation

• Cedarwood Atlas Oil – reinforces woody texture without heaviness

These pairings enable precise olfactory construction where balance and clarity are prioritized over density.

Sources

• Steffen Arctander – Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin

• FEMA GRAS Database

• Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin, S. Arctander (1961)

• IFRA Standards Documentation (51st Amendment)

• PubChem CID 3080628

• Indonesian Export Grade Data Sheets

• Fulvio Ciccolo – Scentspiracy Technical Notes Archive