The patchouli is a perennial, bushy herb that has a sturdy, hairy stem, large, fragrant leaves and small white flowers stippled with a touch of purple. It is native to Malaysia and Indonesia, although today it is also being cultivated in India, China, Madagascar, the Seychelles, the West Indies, Brazil, and Uruguay. When it comes to the production in Indonesia and Southeast Asia, the patchouli is often distilled in old-fashioned equipments from which the oil picks up a considerable amount of iron, which can have a disastrous effect on the stability of a perfume compound, and needs to be removed. In terms of yield, just one cwt (hundredweight) of patchouli leaves will produce approximately 28 ounces of essential oil. Despite this, when Downy fabric softener was launched, manufacturers used such large quantities of patchouli that the world supplies were severely strained. Patchouli followed the classical cycle for natural ingredients, especially in developing countries: increase in price, increase of the cultivated acreage, drop in price, cultures abandoned, lack of the ingredient, speculation and price increase. Nevertheless, there is no shortage of patchouli; it is produced in abundance in several regions around the globe.

However, as patchouli is a plant with no flowers or fruits, its culture is not diversified and can lead to a degeneration of the plant.The essential oil of the patchouli plant is the most powerful of all organic perfume ingredients and is one of the fi-nest fixatives available. It is derived from the leaves which are dried and fermented. The leaves are then steam-distilled, predominantly in Europe and the United States. They produce an amber or dark orange viscous liquid with a sweet, rich, herbaceous-earthy scent that improves with age. Good quality patchouli has a character partly reminiscent of bitter chocolate and pepper. Chemists isolated the main constituent of the essential oil in 1869. In 1877, Montgolfier established its exact molecular formula as C15H26O. Buchi and Erickson became the first chemists to synthesize the oil in 1962 using homocamphor as the starting material.

Patchouli oil blends well with labdanum, sandalwood, myrrh, vetiver, clary sage, cedarwood, geranium, neroli, opopanax, clove, lavender, cassia, rose, bergamot, oakmoss and oriental-type bases. This essential oil, when used as a perfume ingredient, is usually diluted with attar of roses and dissolved in rectified spirit, and is used in very minute quantities due to its potency. Because it is non-toxic, non-irritant, and non-sensitizing, patchouli is used extensively in the food industry and in alcoholic and soft drinks as a masking agent for unpleasant flavors and odors. It is also used extensively in the preparation of cosmetics and as a fixative in soaps and perfumes. The dried leaves of the patchouli plant are often found in sachets and potpourri. Patchouli has lent itself to many uses through the ages. It was traditionally believed to help prevent the spread of infectious disease. In China, Japan, and Malaysia it has been used to treat colds, headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and halitosis, and in Japan and Malaysia, it is also used as an antidote to poisonous snake bites. It was used in Europe in the early 19th century on scented shawls, and it is still used today in the East to scent clothes and linen.

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils, by Julia Lawless, lists patchouli as a useful home remedy agent to deal with skin problems such as acne, athlete's foot, cracked and chapped skin, dandruff, dermatitis, eczema, fungal infections, hair care, impetigo, oily skin and hair, open pores, and wrinkles, and with problems that relate to the nervous system such as frigidity, nervous exhaustion, and stress related complaints. It is also effective in treating sores and wounds, and as an insect repellent. The essential oil of the patchouli plant is also used as an anti-inflammatory, an antidepressant, an antiseptic, a deodorant, a tonic, a bactericidal, a digestive aid, a fungicidal, a diuretic, a stimulant, and even as an aphrodisiac. While many perfume ingredients may be used throughout the note range of a composition, patchouli is among the undisputed base notes due to its strength and endurance. Found mainly in heavy and oriental-type perfumes, patchouli is used in a third of all modern perfumes and in half of all quality men's fragrances. It is present in fine fragrances like Shalimar, Youth Dew, Diorella, Aromatic Elixir, Opium, Obsession, Coco, Knowing, Paloma Picasso, and many more.