Seaweed Absolute


Details

  • Botanical Name: Fucus vesiculosus L.
  • Origin: France
  • Process: Solvent Extracted Absolute
  • Plant Part: Whole Plant
  • Cultivation: Wild (Ocean) Grown
  • Use: Natural Perfumery. Always dilute.
  • Note: Middle to Base Note, Excellent Fixative 
  • Aroma Family: Marine
  • Aroma: Oceanic, green-herbaceous, dry-woody/phenolic aroma with soft leather undertones and the true scent of exposed seaweed at the ocean’s shore. 
  • Contraindications: None known.



Product Name SKU Price Qty
  1. Seaweed Absolute 2 grams 913-002
    $21.50
  2. Seaweed Absolute 5 grams 913-005
    $45.00
  3. Seaweed Absolute 15 grams 913-015
    $113.25
  4. Seaweed Absolute 50 grams 913-9
    $320.50
  5. Seaweed Absolute 100 grams 913-10
    $654.00

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  6. Seaweed Absolute 200 grams 913-11
    $1,182.25

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  7. For larger sizes or quantities please contact us for pricing and availability.         

Overview

Seaweed Absolute

Seaweed Absolute is a powerful perfume material and an important aspect of the 'marine' fragrance concept. Ours has an oceanic green-herbaceous, dry-woody/phenolic aroma with soft leather undertones and the true scent of exposed seaweed at the ocean’s shore. Delivering slightly salty marine notes, it is also used to add subtle hints of hay, smoke and walnut1. Natural perfumers may find Seaweed Absolute an excellent ingredient in the creation of a unique moss base, or for adding interest to green/fresh compositions. 

Also known as bladderwrack, Fucus vesiculosus is a brown algae that attaches to rocks, but whose fronds are lined with buoyant air-bladders that maximize sunlight and grow to lengths that can exceed one meter. This marine plant contains iodine (from the Greek ioeides, or 'violet-colored', hence ionones in Violet Leaf Absolute) and is well equipped to thrive in cold ocean waters.2 The raw material for our Seaweed Absolute is harvested all year long off the coast of Brittany in northwestern France. After harvesting, the seaweed is dried, ground into a powder and solvent extracted to produce a remarkable Seaweed Absolute with its characteristic iodized oceanic notes.3

Fucus vesiculosus, freshly washed up on a seashore, is true to what is meant by 'seaweed' in the context of odors and, "with due caution, to bury one’s nose in a mass of the stuff is to experience something of the boundless tracts far beyond the distant horizon."4 And while most of humanity might wrinkle their noses at the scent of Seaweed, many Asian peoples who grew up with this marine plant on the menu find its aroma rather alluring. 

Although Seaweed Absolute is soluble in alcohol, it is only partially soluble in fixed (carrier) oils.5 It does impart its aroma to fixed (carrier) oils by gently heating both absolute and carrier oil separately before combining. When cooled, insoluble material will precipitate to the bottom, however the portion remaining will be highly aromatic. Please also see special use instructions to blend.

PLEASE NOTE: Seaweed Absolute is intended for use in perfumery only.

For information regarding the use of Seaweed Absolute in natural perfumery, please see:


Aromatic Profile: Oceanic, green-herbaceous, dry-woody/phenolic aroma with soft leather undertones and the true scent of exposed seaweed at the ocean’s shore.


Appearance: Dark green/brown, very thick (viscous) material that is nearly solid at room temperature. Will require special use instructions to blend.


Use: Natural Perfumery.


Blending Suggestions: Dilute and add drop by drop to your perfume blends until the desired effect is achieved.


Blends Well With: Agarwood, Ambrette, Black Pepper, Cedarwood, Cinnamon and other spice oils, Cistus, Galbanum, Labdanum, Lavender, Nagarmotha, Oakmoss, Patchouli, Peppercorn (Pink), Pine. "It finds use in mossy-woody, herbaceous, aldehydic or ‘green’ perfume types, or in fantasy bases, etc."6


Safety Considerations: No information found. Dilute before using. A patch test should be performed before use for those with sensitive skin.


1 Industry Communication.

2 Grieve, M. A Modern Herbal, Vol. 1, 1982, p. 113.

3 Industry communication.

4 Curtis, Tony and David G Williams. An Introduction to Perfumery, 2nd ed., 2009, p. 60.

5 Industry communication.

6 Arctander, Steffen. Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin, 1960, p. 585.


The FDA has not evaluated the statements on this website. No claims are made by Eden Botanicals as to the medicinal value of any products from Eden Botanicals. The information presented here is for educating our customers about the traditional uses of essential oils and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. You are responsible for understanding the safe application of these products. If you have any questions, please call or email us for further information.

Seaweed (Bladderwrack) - Fucus vesiculosus

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  • Seaweed Absolute

Customer Reviews for Seaweed Absolute

Just what I was expecting & looking for. Review by
Rating
5
Depending on how you dilute and blend, it brings the sea to you exactly. I combined it with ambrette, armoise, osmanthus, a few other oils and created a lovely perfume.
(Posted on 9/21/2022)
What happened to the dead fish note.... YES!! Gone! Review by
Rating
5
This was a nice specimen as the dead fish note was absent.
So I picked up more salty, sultry breezes, fresh deep water, a nice leathery note below the mouth watering nori note (makes me crave dried seaweed, even sushi!)

But then the purple....
I was nudged in the way of violet and totally understood why I pair this with purple and violet notes. It's very elusive but floral in mysterious way. It took years but I'm still a fan!

Also... This was the first time I used it in alcohol
195 proof to be exact. Maybe this cleaned it up and opened it? Maybe I just got a good batch.

As a stand alone perfume to get an idea where this goes, grab:

A 6 drop tiny sample
Fill with alcohol

A 4 oz Eden Botanicals spray Amber glass
Fill with alcohol.

Combine the two together and bam!

The best way to experience this...

I've noticed the opening where the mist comes out, this can get fish like... 2 or 3 pumps and it comes back.

Thought I ruined another seaweed sample.

So good!
(Posted on 8/22/2019)
Ocean musk Review by
Rating
5
I love it! Sure it's fishy sometimes, even at 10% but it mellows. If blended right, the dead fish can vanish into the jet steam of the high pressured hydraulics deep with in. Tasty nori and a slick, dark leathery love unravel after the back flow has subsided. I can definitely see how sea weed can make that salty sea breeze air. Idk if this gives off O3 or ozone, but the nasal illusion of such is present. It made an ambergris blend of mine, now almost 3 years old, a violet whitlpool, a cyclone! The wet, deep sea fathoms and ocean pressure felt on the nose is almost startling. Thank you for the treat that made these creations just.. gorgeous! Please keep this kelpy, fishy mermaid for years to come!
(Posted on 1/19/2017)
Love the challenge Review by
Rating
5
I've been trying to wrestle this ingredient into submission for more than a year! It changes dramaticly over time and dilution. It is an endless source of surprise and hilarity! Everything from a lovely dead fish concoction which I couldnt bring myself to throw out 6 months later turned into a beautiful leathery storm at sea. I have found it unstable, sometimes disappearing sometimes overwhelming. My latest experiments include violet leaf, patchouli, beeswax, various peppers. Patience, perseverence are also are also nessesary ingredients!
(Posted on 1/12/2017)
Worth every penny! Review by
Rating
5
I had been trying for quite some time to create ocean/marine based scents and they were alright but something was missing, I just couldn't picture the sea when I wore them. I diluted the oil very carefully and counted drop by drop and diluted it to 5% in jojoba oil (you have to heat the oil carefully to do this correctly.) Straight out of the bottle the smell is too heavy but diluted...amazing. This helps capture the scent I've been looking for and reminds me a bit of Oakmoss, which I also love.
(Posted on 11/7/2016)
Strong seaside smell! Review by
Rating
5
Something that other reviewers didn't mention is that this absolute even has the faintest trace of a fishy smell (straight out of the bottle). You can get a whiff of saltiness and definitely kelp as well.
(Posted on 1/7/2015)
Puzzled and Disappointed Review by
Rating
4
I have to wonder if these other reviewers are even talking about the same product that I recently received as "seaweed absolute", as I can detect not the slightest trace of anything reminiscent of seaweed, or the ocean, in this absolute. What I DO detect is an earthy aroma very much, if not exactly, like oakmoss absolute, but with strong and unpleasant overtones of dried urine!

Whether at full strength or at great dilution, all I get from this absolute is the funky, earthy (and in no way oceanic) aroma of oakmoss --- which needless to say, is not a favorite of mine (to say the least).

I realize that everyone has their own opinions, tastes and reactions to any given essential oil or absolute, but I must admit that reading the above reviews simply leaves me puzzled and confused, as the other descriptions of and reactions to this product do not match my own in any way whatsoever. It's as if I received an entirely different (or grossly inferior) absolute than they did.

Did I get sent oakmoss absolute my mistake, perhaps in a bottle in which a mouse had previously urinated?

Response from the oils room:

That's quite a description you provided! The only product we sell that has any sort of urine smell is Black Currant Bud Absolute. That absolute smells to some like cat pee. Seaweed can seem funky and distasteful to some or kelp-y and marine-like to others.

Another factor is that many oils, and especially concentrated absolutes are perceived best when either put on a test strip and allowed to air, or diluted in perfumers (high proof) alcohol which allows them to open up, much like a wine is opened and allowed to “breathe” before decanting.

As lab manager, having checked the stock, I can assure you that you did indeed receive the right oil – correctly poured, correctly labeled – and it sounds like it’s just not your cup of tea.

(Posted on 12/16/2014)
neroli & sea salt Review by
Rating
5
I was inspired by a neroli and sea salt candle.
In 15ml jojoba (using my sample packs)
3 drop each Neroli- Morocco, France, Extra
3 drops of seaweed absolute already diluted in jojoba. (I filled up the sample tube with a little oil and mixed.)
It pretty much captured the scent I wanted. I think the scent could be tweaked a drop or two depending on either oil depending how strong you want it.

The seaweed by itself diluted, opens up to a clean, green, briney- iodine smell with an underlying sweetness. Very appealing in the right concentration. A little goes a long way.
(Posted on 12/7/2014)
cold clean kelp Review by
Rating
5
This is a no-brainer...it smells exactly as you would expect like cold clean kelp. I think with some open-mindedness and skill this could blend in amazing ways to create salty-skin type perfumes. Very intriguing.
(Posted on 8/2/2014)
Very nice! Review by
Rating
5
I really like this! Just wish I could figure out what to blend with it! LOL Any ideas?
(Posted on 7/31/2014)
Ocean Scent Component Review by
Rating
5
I love anything to do with the fresh smell of the sea. I think this essential oil is quite unique, and just a touch of this in an essential oil blend that is meant to capture the smell of the sea, would be great.

Trying to create an ocean-themed perfume is a little difficult, but I think this would go well with sea buckthorn CO2, tagetes oil, some other citrus scent (perhaps a grapefruit, lime or lemon), coconut, a floral (maybe ylang ylang or geranium), and sea salt. Maybe even a little bit of white sage added for a slight twist...

I am going to experiment with this blend in various ratios to see if I can get a great ocean-themed scent going.
(Posted on 7/26/2014)
Amazing Review by
Rating
5
Such a rare ingredient to have access to. More than any other oil this one produced a natural sea air effect that evolves beautifully when blended with citrus, florals and woods. It's contribution to the dry down is soft, and the tiniest bit salty, making any fragrance seem as thought it sprang from your very own sweat glands. Should probably never be a dominant note in a fragrance, but what it adds to all of the others, and in such a small amount, is quite significant. When I think of how many times I read the description, then passed it by...who would've thought.
(Posted on 7/16/2014)
Does smell of seaweed Review by
Rating
5
I find it dark and leathery, much like the texture of seaweed itself. A bit reminiscent of hay, to me it evokes seaweeds drying on the beach more than fresh out of the water, but either way it has a clean, natural feel to it. Scent lasts a good while.
(Posted on 6/20/2014)
Perfect Ocean Scent Review by
Rating
5
I was trying to make a perfume with strong ocean undertones, but I just couldn't find the right scents to mix in order to make what I was looking for. Then I found this seaweed absolute. Perfect! I diluted it in my own mix of carrier oils to make it easier to use, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. This oil is essential if you want to make ocean-themed perfume.
(Posted on 3/14/2013)
Worth the Effort! Review by
Rating
5
This oil is very thick and harder to work with than most. The effort is worth it, though, if you want an authentic salty ocean air scent. It is heavy, and out of the bottle it smells garish and unpleasant. But with dilution comes the sea breeze scent, and it blends well with other oils. A little goes a very long way, and you must be sure not to over use it. It could easily ruin a blend, but, if used sparingly, it adds a wonderful aroma. It's a must have for any blend that tries to recreate the smell of the ocean.
(Posted on 2/18/2013)