TURMERIC

Turmeric brings a warm spicy impression with woody and earthy aspects. Its essential oil can also have a fresher edge reminiscent of ginger and sweet orange, so the note need not smell simply like dry spice powder. This contrast can give a composition aromatic lift as well as a warm, dry texture.

The familiar turmeric spice comes from the rhizome, the underground stem of Curcuma longa. Steam distillation can produce an essential oil from this part of the plant. Other extracts also exist, and they should not be treated as identical to the powder or the distilled oil. Turmeric leaf oil is a separate material from the foliage. In a fragrance, the note can bring spicy warmth to woody or amber arrangements; the surrounding materials and dosage decide its prominence. A note listing alone does not specify which extract, if any, was used.