In love with patchouli – history and trends of an iconic raw material

“All things patchouli” is a condensed version of Givaudan’s presentation, which was held by Eugenie Briot, Givaudan’s Perfumery school programme manager and historian, and Arnaud Guggenbuhl, the head of Global marketing, insight & image fine fragrances.

Eugenie Briot’s presentation explained the plant’s origin, its historical names, and its traditional use before patchouli was recognised by the West and imported into Europe (the 1830s).

I found the historical and cultural explanation of the “cheap/fine” ambivalency in the perception of the note fascinating. It started in the middle of the 19th century, had another peak in the 1970s in the hippie movement, and persists today.

Arnaud Guggenbuhl presented the modern applications of patchouli materials in various fragrance sections, and we got the chance to smell the two materials: patchouli oil from Indonesia and akigalawood.

The “All things patchouli” presentation was informative and enriching in both parts.

You can watch the presentation here:

Still, I wish Givaudan had opened the door to its patchouli materials a bit more and enriched our olfactive experience with a slightly wider palette of patchouli materials.