Davana Oil

Obtained by steam distillation of the overground parts of the flowering herb, Artemisa pallens, which is native to southern India.

This is a very interesting oil, quite distinct from other herbal oils, and characterised by the slightly boozy note to the green scent, reminiscent of mulled wine.   The material offered here is an exceptionally fine quality oil from Payan Bertrand.

It is powerful enough that even small amounts have have a profound effect on a blend and it is especially useful in creating authentic cocoa / chocolate accords as well as in combination with oakmoss and labdanum.

Arctander describes the odour as “sharp, penetrating, bitter-green, foliage-like, and powerfully herbaceous with a sweet-balsamic, tenacious undertone.”

There is a fairly wide-ranging discussion of the various forms of Artemisia and the names and uses of them in perfumery in this blog post.