COSTUS

Costus has an unusual animalic smell: warm fur and damp hair, with earthy roots, soft woods and a powdery violet-like undertone. Here “animalic” describes the impression of skin or fur, although the original aromatic material comes from a plant. The character can give floral or leather-style compositions a less polished, more bodily warmth. It is more distinctive than a simple sweet wood or clean musk.

The root material is associated with Saussurea costus, now accepted by Kew as Dolomiaea costus. Natural costus root oil, absolute and concrete are prohibited as fragrance ingredients under IFRA Standards because of skin-sensitisation concerns. Costus-like effects can be recreated with other aroma materials. A costus note in a perfume therefore describes a scent direction and does not establish use of the natural root oil.