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Tuberose
Oil from the Tuberose, or Polyanthes tuberosa, is one of the most expensive and luxurious raw materials used in perfumery. Because of its costliness, synthetic variations of tuberose oil are used in less expensive fragrances.
The tuberose flower is said to have originated in Persia, although some accounts point its origins to Mexico or Central America. Some evidence suggests that it is native to the region of Central America because of the fact that it was domesticated by the pre-Columbian Indians of Mexico. Whatever its origins, it is known that the flower was brought to Provence, in southern France, in the 17th century, where it was cultivated for many years before production in there decl ined in the 20th century. It is now cultivated primarily in Morocco, the Comoros Islands, India and China. There are regions in southeastern India where the flowers bloom year-round, as well as areas in China where it can bloom six months out of the year, enabling much more of the precious oil to be produced.
There are two main varieties of the tuberose that we will concern ourselves with. The first is the double-flowered variety, also called "The Pearl." This is more common, and is used as cut flowers for arrangements, bouquets, and the like. The single-flowered variety is the one used in perfumery. The mature tuberose plant grows to a height of about four feet tall. It is related to the narcissus, jonquil and other common garden plants.
The white, waxy, funnel-shaped flowers are very fragrant, with a honey-like and heavy scent. Like jasmine, the fragrance grows stronger at night - in fact in Malaysia, it is called "The Mistress of the Night." The buds should be picked early in the morning when they are almost ready to open and are still slightly damp with the morning dew.
It takes an enormous amount of flowers to produce just a small amount of the essential oil. Using the old extraction method of enfleurage, nearly 150 kilos of the tuberose flower are required to produce one kilo of the pomade, and the yield of the absolute from the pomade is miniscule, making tuberose absolute one of the most expensive raw materials in perfumery. Tuberose absolute from the pomade is a soft paste or semi liquid mass of dark orange to brown color. The odor is very heavy sweet, floral honey like with an oily fatty back note.
Today, the oil is extracted using volatile solvents to obtain a concrete and later the absolute. The absolute from concrete is a dark orange to brown viscous liquid with a heavy floral, very sweet, heavy and somewhat spicy odor, reminiscent of honeysuckle, ylang ylang and stephanotis flowers.
Tuberose was a popular ingredient in perfumes in the early part of the 20th century, until it fell out of favor with perfumers. Its use declined until the 70s, when modern American and French perfumes began to utilize it again. This trend can be seen in fragrances such as Chloe, Giorgio, and Poison. For a time, it was used extensively in cosmetics, primarily in lipsticks and soaps, but is now utilized principally as a component of perfumes adopted for an entire line of ancillary products. The flower is often also used to create Hawaiian leis.
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Also see:
Womens Trends
Major changes have transpired in the ever-evolving fragrance industry and will continue to occur as consumers' tastes change and they become more aware and demanding of the type of products they want made available. complete story
Books In Review
Perfume: The Art and
Science of Scent
and Scents of Time:
Perfume from Ancient Egypt to the 21st Century. -complete reviews-
From A Perfumer's Point of View
Hey! Halifax...Smell This! -complete story-
Packaging Spotlight
Trends
and innovation in beauty packaging.-complete story-
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