Luscious Lilac

 

Written by Maryka Malano.

Reading Time: 2 minutes

 

Luscious Lilac.

Lilac is another beauty offered to us by Mother Earth. Lilac is expensive and the extraction methods do vary. Lilac is not steam distilled and is usually extracted by CO2 solvent extraction methods or enfleurage. The reason being distillation destroys the aroma profile. Lilac is best harvested at dawn and the yield is very low. The freshness and speed is paramount to retain the ephemeral top accords of the scent. It is only ever used in luxury perfume and very rarely in mass produced cheaper body /perfume products. Lilac is also tricky when it comes to storage and stability, because it must be kept in a dark environment as light and heat destroys the unique chemistry profile. 

Emotionally and energetically, lilac has a calming effect and has been described as an anti-depressant, mood balancer as well as promoting mild euphoria. 

You might be wondering what Lilac smells like; it is a green, very clean, fresh, sweet, floral scent with a hint of cucumber and hay-like tones. Lilac contains a group of compounds commonly called lilac alcohols and lilac aldehydes. The chemistry contains unstable elements such as C10-C11 compounds (this is to do with Chemistry focusing on carbon (C) atoms; C10-C11 compounds are intermediate in volatility and tend to act as a middle note in perfume). Lilac is also considered one of the oils to use conservatively because of its chemistry. 

Lilac can be sensitising to some because of the oxygenated C10-C11 compounds such as benzyl alcohol/ acetate, linalool, aldehydes and geraniol. So, when we use it in perfume, it is used in very low concentrations.

We don’t use lilac in body products, but you can find it in 2 products in our range:

Li    Lilac Absolute – Syringia vulgaris

o        L’ Maur Parfum in the L’Scents perfume collection. 

Al   Athough we love Lilac and it is a beautiful scent, we suggest always using essential oils and absolutes with caution and particularly with Lilac, use in small amounts. This is one of those occasions where “less is best.”

If you would love to hear about an ingredient and learn more, reach out to us, it helps us give you valuable knowledge on the ingredients that you love too. Until our next ingredient adventure. Bye for now.

 Many blessings.

Maryka Malano xx