Cypress Oil, derived from the leaves and twigs of the Cupressus tree, is a versatile ingredient in perfumery known for its fresh, woody, and slightly spicy aroma. It is often used to impart a sense of depth and complexity to fragrance compositions, making it a popular choice in both masculine and unisex scents. Cypress Oil typically sits in the base or heart notes of a formula, where it can enhance the overall structure and provide a grounding effect. In addition to its aromatic qualities, Cypress Oil is valued for its potential calming and stabilizing properties, which can contribute to the overall mood of a fragrance. From a safety perspective, it is important to consider any regulatory guidelines associated with its use, as certain natural oils can have allergenic potential. While specific IFRA restrictions may apply, Cypress Oil is generally regarded as safe when used within established guidelines. As with all fragrance materials, perfumers should be mindful of the concentration levels and the potential for skin sensitization. — AI-generated summary, 2026-09-02.
Dry, clean coniferous wood with a smoky-green edge — reminiscent of freshly cut cypress branches and pencil shavings. Opens with a crisp, slightly camphoraceous terpenic lift, settling into a sober, resinous woody-balsamic drydown with a faintly smoky character.AI · claude-opus-4-7
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Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin, page 143.
Cypress Oil is a pale yellow, pale olive-greenish or almost colorless, mobile liquid.
Cypress Oil has a sweet-balsamic, yet refreshing odor, reminiscent of pine needles oil, templin oil, juniper berry oil, cardamom oil (without the cineole-note), and with a unique dryout of delicate and tenacious sweetness, often compared to that of ambre (labdanum-ambre).
Cypress Oil is frequently submitted to fractionated distillation under vacuum, or simply to a topping-off under vacuum. The high-boiling fractions or, in the case of topping, the residue in the still, usually 40 to 45% of the natural oil, are particularly useful. It is used in perfumes of the ambre-labdanum type in combinations with cistus oil or other labdanum products, delta-methylionone, lavender oil, mandarin oil, sage clary, musk ambrette or macrocyclic musks, styrax products, Moroccan chamomile oil, etc. It is occasionally used as a modifier in pine needle fragrances, in citrus colognes, fougères, chypres, and in the modern-aldehydic type of perfumes.
Distillation is concentrated in the South of France. It is customary to collect and distil the material which is obtained by the annual pruning of the trees, perhaps together with twigs, etc. torn off the trees during the winter mistral, the violent storm.
Restricted IFRA-standard materials typically present in this NCS at the listed concentrations.
| Constituent | CAS | Typical % |
|---|---|---|
| CEDRENE | 11028-42-5 | 0.8% |
| ALPHA-CEDRENE | 469-61-4 | 0.4% |
| BETA-CEDRENE | 546-28-1 | 0.4% |