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Eucalyptus that Dares to be Different – Introducing Eucalyptus By-Absolute

Written By: Robin Lander

We love it when a familiar favorite can be transformed into something new. Created just for formulators and perfumers, our new Eucalyptus By-Absolute is a specialty extract quite different than the typical Eucalyptus essential oil.

Gone are the fresh, sharp, camphoraceous aspects you might expect – Eucalyptus By-Absolute instead offers a rich, warm, woody-herbaceous, and balsamic aroma. Spicy-green and tea-like top notes give way to deep nuances of hay, tobacco, dried fruit, and black pepper that linger in the tenacious drydown.

Get ready to bring warm, green-herbaceous, subtly fruity, and hay-like facets to your woody and leather accords, as well as fougère, chypre, green, forest, and floral compositions.

How It’s Made

Our collection of By-Absolutes are made from the plant material that remains after steam distillation. Upcycling these botanicals enables us to capture the wealth of non-volatile and aromatic compounds that are too large to pass through steam, making the most of each harvest.

First, Eucalyptus leaves and branches are harvested in Spain and distilled for essential oil. Then the remaining plant material is solvent extracted at our facility in France to yield Eucalyptus By-Absolute. The result is a complex aromatic material with unexpected resinous warmth and sweetness.

How to Use the Aroma of Eucalyptus By-Absolute in Formulation

The aroma of Eucalyptus By-Absolute falls into the Agrestic aroma family – alongside Absolutes such as Hay, Tobacco, and Oakmoss – a category known for evoking the scent of bucolic countrysides, sun-warmed grassy meadows, and fresh-turned earth.

However, its rich balsamic character also makes it a part of the Woody aroma family, where it shares similarities with Cedarwood Absolute, Atlas, Cypress By-Absolute, and Spruce Absolute, Black.

As a middle to base note, Eucalyptus By-Absolute lends Agrestic or Woody facets to your heart and base accords. Here are a few ways to explore it:

·         Bring herbaceous nuances to leather accords with Labdanum

·         Add intrigue to woods such as Sandalwood and Cedarwood

·         Try it as a greener alternative to Oakmoss or Tobacco Absolute in fougères and chypres

·         Lend a subtly fruity, resinous warmth to Amber bases

·         Enrich green aromas like Clary Sage or Lavender Absolute in heart accords

·         Give depth and a hint of peppery spice to florals like Rose

·         Help ground top note citruses like Bergamot and Yuzu

How to Work with Semi-Solid Oils Like Eucalyptus By-Absolute

Similar to some concentrated Absolutes, Eucalyptus By-Absolute is a dark green-brown, moist, paste-like material that requires gentle warming to become fully mobile. It is soluble up to 10% in high-proof alcohol (at least 190 proof) and in fixed carrier oils such as Fractionated Coconut Oil - Organic.

To make thicker materials like these easier to handle, many formulators prepare a 5% - 10% dilution to work with, adding this dilution to their formulation rather than trying to add the viscous, pasty material directly. Here’s how to do it:

Make a 10% Dilution in 90% High-Proof Ethyl Alcohol

1)      Gently heat the bottle of Absolute in a warm water bath until mobile. Most viscous Absolutes become mobile between 104 - 140 degrees Fahrenheit. For detailed instructions of different warming methods and other helpful tips, please see our article on Blending with Viscous Aromatics.

2)      For best results, use a scale for accuracy. Consider ahead of time the total weight of dilution you’d like to make. A 10% dilution is one part Absolute to 9 parts ethyl alcohol. For example, 3 grams of Absolute to 27 grams of ethyl alcohol is a 10% dilution that will make 30 grams (approximately one ounce) of diluted material.

3)      Using a pipette or glass dropper, or pouring directly, transfer the heated, mobile Absolute to a new bottle or beaker that is sitting on the scale. Fill it to the desired weight.

4)      Next, add your 190-proof ethyl alcohol directly to the new bottle or beaker containing your Absolute until you reach the desired weight. Never heat alcohol and keep away from open flame due to fire hazard.

5)      Stir the mixture with a glass or stainless-steel rod or swirl repeatedly.

6)      Let the dilution sit for 24-72 hours. Some materials take time to fully dissolve. It may appear at first like the material is not dissolving – allow time for full incorporation and swirl the container periodically to help the process.

Make a 10% Dilution in 90% Fractionated Coconut Oil

1)      Follow Steps 1 and 2 the same as above.

2)      For best results, first add the Fractionated Coconut Oil to a new container or bottle, and then warm it in a water bath to near the same temperature as the Absolute.

3)      Transfer the warmed, mobile Absolute to the warmed Fractionated Coconut Oil.

4)      Stir the mixture regularly until the materials fully incorporate. It may take some time.

5)      It may be necessary to re-warm the mixture in a water bath to fully incorporate the material. This is especially true if the dilution has been stored in a cool place for a while.

Final Notes for Formulators

Pre-diluting your Eucalyptus By-Absolute helps ensure a cleaner, more accurate incorporation into your perfumery and aromatic formulations. Be sure to label your dilution with the material name, dilution percentage, and date. Evaluating Absolutes in dilution also provides a more accurate representation of the aroma and how it will perform in your formula.

Don’t forget to leave a review on the Eucalyptus By-Absolute product page and let us know how you used this exciting new aromatic! We love to hear your feedback, stories, and successes.