Arborvitae (Northern White Cedar) Absolute ☽•☾
Handmade natural perfumery ingredient. Collected by perfumer from wild stands of Eastern Arborvitae/Northern White Cedar/Canadian Tree of Life (Thuja occidentalis) in Vermont. The scent of my handmade absolute is reminiscent of Himalayan Cedar, Ecuador Palo Santo, and Mysore White Sandalwood, with a forenote of poultry seasoning. Stunningly hits top, middle, and base with excellent fixative action. Top notes evoke black sage, rose gum eucalyptus, and Borneo camphor, but with a rounded, powdery softness. Midweight notes are herbal, with juniper and rhododendron. The heavy notes are jammy, woodsy: stewed cherries, molasses, and incense.
Opening: malt and molasses, dark toffee, then oatmeal. All along a roasted coffee back note.
Mid: barley, rosemary, cherry compote.
Drydown: cured geranium leaves, the peppery scent of black sage, Lawudo incense.
Northern White Cedar, also known as Arborvitae and the Canadian Tree of life, is not a true cedar. True cedars are members of the Cedrus genus, in the Pinaceae family, whereas Arborvitae is an evergreen conifer in the cypress family Cupressaceae. It grows prolifically in my region, and its population is actually increasing. I gathered its fan-shaped foliage from the wild stand at the edge of my woods in the fall. The scaly leaves contain a high amount of resin. After chopping them up, I immersed the material in 192 proof organic ethanol. I left it in tincture for a year to develop a deep and complex aroma before evaporating at very low temperature with alcohol recovery for reuse.
Available in 1ml, 2ml, and 5ml sizes. Absolute is black in color, with gold highlights. It is thick but moveable at room temperature. Refrigerate to preserve freshness. Gently warm to improve mobility.
Photos: handmade absolute in 30ml glass jar, wild Arborvitae in my woods.
☽•☾ The Arborvitae Absolute is a Wild Veil natural perfume ingredient made using the old methods of long term tincturing in plantbased, high proof alcohol (food grade ethanol derived from plants), followed by gentle evaporation to preserve the top notes. Wild Veil never uses heat, steam, or non-organic solvents, all of which can alter the natural aroma profiles of plants. ☽•☾