Lush and hypnotic, jasmine is a sensual floral with honeyed sweetness, fruity brightness, and a dark, musky shadow.
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Jasmine (from Persian یاسمین, "a gift from God"), which comprises about 200 species, is native to tropical and warm temperate areas of Eurasia, Africa and Oceania. Jasmine’s center of origin is widely believed to be South Asia and Southeast Asia.
Two strains are important when it comes to modern perfumery: Jasminum grandiflorum and J. sambac. Grandiflorum originates from the Indian Himalayas and entered Europe through Spain. It began being cultivated for the perfume industry during the 19th century, in France. J. sambac comes from eastern India, where it was mainly used as decoration, not perfume, and travelled West during the Arab conquests, in the Medieval era. Today, almost all J. sambac used in perfumery is produced in India and China.
Records of the jasmine flower have existed since ancient times. Used in China to perfume tea since the fifth century, referenced in Vedic texts and present in mummification rituals in Ancient Egypt, jasmine began to be cultivated only in the fifth century BC, around Madurai, India. Its popularity grew quickly, and soon, with the opening of the trade routes between India and the Middle East, it was introduced to the Arabian Peninsula, where it became a precious staple and symbol.
In arab mythology, a beautiful nomad named Jasmine veiled herself to shield against the desert sun. A North African prince, captivated by tales of her beauty, journeyed through the sands to find her. When he finally saw her, he fell deeply in love, despite never seeing her face.
He proposed, and she left the desert to live in his palace. But over time, she felt trapped, longing for the freedom she had lost. One night, she fled on horseback, returning to the desert. As she embraced the sun, she cast off her veils, and the sun, in admiration, transformed her into the jasmine flower.
In the Mahabharata and Ramayana, women decorate their hair and bodies with jasmine. A revered flower in Indra’s abode, its fragrance is believed to have perfumed the world. Jasmine motifs also appear in the sculptures and monuments of the Chalukya (543–753 CE) and Pallava (275–897 CE) dynasties, adorning both men and women with intricate floral designs. In the Dhammapada, the flowers of the jasmine creeper are noted to serve as a point of focus in meditation for monks.
Jasmine generally serves as a symbol of love, beauty and purity across cultures. Jasmine’s precious scent is not only present in perfumes, but travels all throughout neighbouring aspects of our culture, from poetry and religion to fashion and the culinary arts.
Jasmine comprises around 200 different species, but only two are used in modern perfumery: Jasminum grandiflorum and Jasmine sambac.
Grandiflorum is the quintessential white floral: bold, intoxicating, animalic, fruity and luscious. Sambac is more solar, greener, and waxier, with an orange blossom facet.
The scent is less intense, less indolic.
The scent of jasmine summons some of life’s most intimate moments.
Its fragrance lingers in childhood memories, from warm nights spent under moonlit skies, to perfumed scarves and afternoon tea.
From jasmine tucked behind our ears and woven into braids to the gentle movement of flower buds floating in bowls of water on quiet afternoons. Its scent accompanies us through childhood innocence and young longing. It is often in our first perfume, sometimes in our last.
Research shows that jasmine's aroma may alleviate symptoms of stress and anxiety. Additionally, drinking jasmine tea may attenuate symptoms of depression. Though there are no studies to attest this, jasmine has always been considered an aphrodisiac. Jasmine’s ability to enhance the brain’s beta waves encourages focus, problem solving, alertness and self confidence. To enjoy the many benefits of jasmine, start your day with jasmine tea and incorporate natural jasmine extract into your wellness rituals, from massages to dry saunas. A jasmine soliflore of your choice can help you recharge throughout the day and a jasmine attar in the evening will reconnect you to your body and senses.
bergamot, rose, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, tuberose, champaca, gardenia, magnolia, tea, amber notes, green notes, musk, sandalwood, vanilla, cedarwood, patchouli, frankincense.
It is said that there are no perfumes without jasmine, and while this is not entirely true, jasmine is a foundational material, just like rose. Many perfumes use it in their composition, either as a central character or simply to accent other notes. Perfumer Mandy Aftel states that “Jasmine grandiflorum is arguably the world’s most important perfume material.” A heart note, jasmine offers roundness and elegance to scents.
Jasmine is too delicate to be extracted using distillation. In the past, a method called enfleurage was used for fragile flowers such as jasmine and tuberose. It was a lengthy process that required the laying of fresh blossoms on greased trays for multiple times, until the flowers abandoned their precious scent to the grease. The resulting pomade would be used as is or further processed into tinctures and extraits. Today, enfleurage is rarely used (though not lost completely). Jasmine is extracted with solvents, resulting in a powerful absolute. It is a precious, expensive material that is generally used sparingly.
In floral scents, it can take on a more opulent and sensual character as well as a more timid personality. It is often associated with other florals, especially the rose (see Chanel N°5 or Liu by Guerlain), but it is just as often the lead actor in compositions (see A La Nuit by Serge Lutens). Jasmine soliflores are frequent and diverse. Try Bruno Acampora’s Jasmin T and House of Matriarch’s Lingerie to experience the multi-faceted nature of the flower.
Jasmine thrives in greener compositions as well, such as DS & Durga’s Jazmin Yucatan or Jasmin Majorelle by Le Jardin Retrouvé, adds sensual facets to woods (see Jasmin et Cigarettes by ELDO) or amber scents (Samsara by Guerlain), enriches tropical perfumes (California Réverie by Van Cleef & Arpels) and softens leather (Cuir de Russie by Chanel).
Jasmine is one of the most versatile perfume materials and it is no wonder French perfumers affectionately call it “La Fleur” (French, The Flower).
J. grandiflorum’s main aroma constituents are benzyl acetate, cis-jasmone, methyl jasmonate, indole, eugenol and para-cresol. Benzyl acetate is fruity and sweet, cis-jamone is woody, vegetal, herbaceous, methyl jasmonate has tea facets, and it is related to hedione, indole offers narcotic, animalic and fecal character, eugenol is spicy and para-cresol is animalic, smoky, floral.
On the other hand, sambac contains cis-3-hexenol, which is a crushed grass note, benzyl and acetate esters, as well as methyl anthranilate and dimethyl anthranilate, which are common to orange flowers, tuberose and strawberries, lending it a different profile than grandiflorum.
An important moment for the recreation of jasmine and floral scents in general was 1957, when a team of chemists lead by Edouard Demole synthesized hedione, a simpler version of methyl jasmonate, which became one of the most important materials in the perfumer’s arsenal.
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