Getting lost in the forest early in the morning, when the dew still lays on the leaves and the wood that surrounds us, is definitely a magic experience. Strolling on a carpet of lichen, both soft and crackling, the scent of wet wood mixes with with that of soaked earth and wet foliage.

#dew #forest #wood

This scent is typical of patchouli oil, which is powerful, woody, earthy and dry, often accompanied by camphor, smoked or moldy notes. The patchouli plant is native to Indonesia and the Philippines and has ample leaves and tetragonal stems. When fresh, it has no smell; the leaves require to undergo a process of fermentation and distillation or extraction thereafter, in order to deliver the essential oil.

In the nineteenth century, women used to put patchouli leaves into their suitcases to preserve their clothes during their grands tours. Later on, in the 1970s, patchouli became very popular among hippie communities, where its notes were associated to travels towards the East.

The patchouli notes offer a journey into an extremely rich and complex olfactory universe that evokes tropical forests, moisture penetrating into the earth and into the woods, water springs...

#patchouli #travel #east #tropical