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Chamomile
Chamomile (or camomile in British English) is the common name for several herbal plants of the Asteraceae family, typically having flowers with a compact yellow center and small white petals, and often confused with the daisy flower. The word 'chamomile' was derived via late Latin and French from the Greek word chamaimēlon, meaning 'earth apple' because of the apple-like scent of the plant that was noted by the ancient Greek Pliny the Elder. There are two species most commonly used in perfumery: German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla or M. recutica) and Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis or Chamaemelum nobile). German chamomile is also known as blue, wild, Hungarian chamomile, or scented mayweed. Roman chamomile is sometimes called English, sweet, 'true,' or garden chamomile or Whig Plant. Also used to a lesser extent is Moroccan chamomile (Cladanthus mixtus, known in perfumery as Ormenis multicaulis), which is unrelated botanically to the others.
Roman chamomile is native to the Middle East, Eastern Africa, and parts of Europe. It is mainly cultivated now in England, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, and Morocco. Smaller crops are grown in the United States and parts of South America.
German or wild chamomile is native to Eastern Europe and Asia, and it is primarily grown commercially in France and Eastern Europe.
Moroccan chamomile is native to the Mediterranean region, primarily in North Africa, and often has been considered a weed. It is grown in North Africa, Europe, and North America.
Both Roman and German plants now grow wild in various parts of the world. Both have leaves with a scent reminiscent of apple or pineapple and have white, daisy-like flowers with yellow centers. Roman chamomile produces flowers in June and July in the Northern Hemisphere.
Chamomile Essential Oil
For essential oil production, the choice of the right harvest date is crucial for obtaining the highest oil concentration, which occurs when the florets become horizontal or point slightly downward.
The flowers are either plucked by hand or with simple devices such as pluck combs or rakes in small-scale harvests, but mechanical gathering is used in larger operations. When mechanical harvesting techniques are used, parts of the stalks are also taken and are separated later. This is done by hand, by double-walled counter-rotating drum screens, or a combination of both. In harvesting of chamomile for tea, in contrast, the whole plant is harvested with rotary choppers. Whichever gathering method is used, the harvest produce is dried, either naturally in the sun or under a roof or by rack or belt dryers, to reduce the water content from about 80% to 10-11% in order to prevent fermentation.
Chamomile essential oil is extracted through steam distillation of the dried flowers, sometimes with a small amount of flower stalks included. Roman chamomile yields about 1.7% oil, and German chamomile produces about 0.2-0.4%.
German or wild chamomile essential oil is a deep blue color due to one of its constituents changing chemically during the distillation process, and the oil is medium viscous. The scent is sweetly smoky, floral, and herbaceous, with fruity, tobacco, animalic, and straw tones. It shines as a top note but also runs as a theme through a fragrance's heart and lingers into the drydown. Due to its high cost, it usually is found in a 3% jojoba blend. The absolute is even darker blue due to a higher concentration of chamazulene. More recent extraction methods, including CO2 superfluid extraction, produce an oil with a much lighter color. German chamomile oil is used more often as a flavoring agent in liquors and other beverages than in perfumery.
Roman chamomile essential oil is light yellow to clear, with low viscosity. It has a soft and delicate, but spicy, sweet, honey-like aroma with a hint of apple. It also is usually found in a 3% jojoba blend. It is somewhat unstable in perfumery, but it is included sometimes as a top or heart note in masculine fragrances, especially those of the chypre and fougere families. It was used more often in the past, especially in old classic perfumes. Roman chamomile is not often used for flavoring except as traditional chamomile tea, since the oil has a medicinal bitter taste.
Moroccan chamomile essential oil is yellow and has a fresh, herbal, aromatic scent with a camphorous nuance. It has a sweet balsamic undertone that is reminiscent of amber.
Chamomile Oil in Perfumery
Generally chamomile is classified in the herbaceous or aromatic family of scents. In light concentrations, chamomile essential oil has an apple-tinged, grassy-green character, but at full strength it is darker and dirtier, suggesting the smell of soil mixed with crumbled leaves, intense and a bit damp and woody, somewhat reminiscent of cocoa. It is sometimes used to boost and draw out the nuances of other ingredients, especially woods and incense. Chamomile add a warm touch to most fragrances. Both oils blend quite nicely with citrus notes (especially bergamot and grapefruit), florals (lavender, jasmine, geranium), tea tree, clary sage, ylang-ylang, patchouli, and musk. Chamomile also pairs really well with rose, its smoky bitterness giving a richer dimension to the sweet rose, while the rose tempers chamomile's herbal edge. It is also suited for darker, moody, decadent blends, such as Gucci by Gucci, where it adds luminosity and lightness. It is quite common now for perfumers to use blends of two or even all three of the chamomiles mentioned above in their fragrance compositions, varying the proportions for different effects.
History
Chamomile knowledge and use date back thousands of years. The first literary mention of it is from ancient Egypt, where it was included in shampoos, perfumes, and cosmetics, used to treat fever and skin ailments, and included in embalming oil mixes. It was used by the Greeks for a variety of purposes, including treatment of headaches and inflammation. Chamomile also was known to the Romans, who used it for incense and in beverages. (Ironically, the name 'Roman chamomile' does not come from this time, but rather from an arbitrary naming of the herb in the 19th century by a plant collector who happened to find some growing in the Roman Colosseum.) The plant was listed in the pharmacopoeia of Würtenberg as a carminative, painkiller, diuretic, and digestive aid. Joachim Camerarius was the first to name Chamaemelum nobile in 1598. Anglo Saxons considered chamomile to be one of the 'nine sacred herbs' and spread it on floors for scenting of ceremonies, as well as for healing illness. There is an entry about chamomile in the 11th century Old English ILllustrated Herbal, and Nicholas Culpepper's 17th century Complete Herbal has an illustration and several entries about 'chamomel.' Commercial cultivation of chamomile began in Europe in the 16th century.
In Europe, chamomile was used in making beer and ale before brewers turned to hops instead. Unlike for tea, in which only the flowers are used, the whole plant was used in the alcoholic beverages, adding a bitter flavor. Chamomile, especially the German one, has been used in many cultures for relaxing teas and tisanes. In Spain, chamomile is known as manzanilla, which means 'little apple,' and it is used to give Manzanilla sherry its floral notes.
Chamomile is used ornamentally in gardens and sometimes is planted on paths that are walked upon, which releases its unusual scent. Roman chamomile is a small evergreen perennial plant that grows low to the ground (up to 12 inches) and is often used as a ground cover. German chamomile, on the other hand, is a taller (24 inch) annual, propagated by seed planting or by letting the flower heads go to seed for the next year. Roman chamomile has larger flowers than the German variety. The plants often flower 2 or 3 times a year, allowing for multiple harvests. Moroccan chamomile is an annual bushy plant, and it blooms only during the rainy season. It is claimed that German and Roman chamomile plants improve the health of sickly garden plants when it is planted near them.
Medicinal Use
Chamomile is reputed to reduce skin irritation and redness, promote wound healing, and treat and prevent acne. There have also been claims of its therapeutic benefits for hundred of years for a large number of other ailments. German chamomile is said to be the preferred oil for anti-inflammatory purposes, while Roman chamomile is claimed to have anti-rheumatic qualities. Controlled studies have demonstrated some possible antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-spasmodic properties, but experts disagree about whether or not there is much evidence of significant medicinal efficacy for any disorders; and the FDA has not approved chamomile for medical use. Chamomile oil and tea are said to have calming and soothing properties, relieving irritation and impatience and improving sleep quality. Herbalists generally say that the most effective use of chamomile via inhalation in aromatherapy, although it is also thought to be effective in bar soaps, oiled bath water, and lotions.
People who are allergic to ragweed (also in the daisy family and a very common allergen) may be allergic also to chamomile due to cross-reactivity, so they should watch for any signs of skin irritation from chamomile perfume products.
Masculine fragrances with significant chamomile:
Absolument Parfumeur La Treizième Note
Anucci Men
Cadillac for Men, Black, Lite
Calvin Klein Calvin, Eternity Summer
Dior Fahrenheit
Estiara Cheval (Green)
Farfalla Uomo, Vetiver
Francesco Smalto
Francis Kurkdjian Oud Silk Mood
Germaine Monteil Realm
Giorgio Armani White
Halston Catalyst
Harrods Bond No. 9
Houbigant Fougere Royale
Hugo Boss Baldessarini
Humiecki & Graef Skarb
IF Jeans Sorella Fontana
Jean Paul Gaultier Fleur du Mâle
Lancome Balafre, Belafre Brun
Maurer & Wirtz Tabac Original
O Boticario Uomini Sport
Oleg Cassini for Men
Ralph Lauren Polo, Polo Bear Edition
Rochas Monsieur Rochas
Tom Ford Extreme
Xerjoff Shooting Stars Oroville
There are many 'unisex' chamomile scents.
Chamomile (or camomile in British English) is the common name for several herbal plants of the Asteraceae family, typically having flowers with a compact yellow center and small white petals, and often confused with the daisy flower. The word 'chamomile' was derived via late Latin and French from the Greek word chamaimēlon, meaning 'earth apple' because of the apple-like scent of the plant that was noted by the ancient Greek Pliny the Elder. There are two species most commonly used in perfumery: German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla or M. recutica) and Roman chamomile (Anthemis nobilis or Chamaemelum nobile). German chamomile is also known as blue, wild, Hungarian chamomile, or scented mayweed. Roman chamomile is sometimes called English, sweet, 'true,' or garden chamomile or Whig Plant. Also used to a lesser extent is Moroccan chamomile (Cladanthus mixtus, known in perfumery as Ormenis multicaulis), which is unrelated botanically to the others.
Roman chamomile is native to the Middle East, Eastern Africa, and parts of Europe. It is mainly cultivated now in England, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy, and Morocco. Smaller crops are grown in the United States and parts of South America.
German or wild chamomile is native to Eastern Europe and Asia, and it is primarily grown commercially in France and Eastern Europe.
Moroccan chamomile is native to the Mediterranean region, primarily in North Africa, and often has been considered a weed. It is grown in North Africa, Europe, and North America.
Both Roman and German plants now grow wild in various parts of the world. Both have leaves with a scent reminiscent of apple or pineapple and have white, daisy-like flowers with yellow centers. Roman chamomile produces flowers in June and July in the Northern Hemisphere.
Chamomile Essential Oil
For essential oil production, the choice of the right harvest date is crucial for obtaining the highest oil concentration, which occurs when the florets become horizontal or point slightly downward.
The flowers are either plucked by hand or with simple devices such as pluck combs or rakes in small-scale harvests, but mechanical gathering is used in larger operations. When mechanical harvesting techniques are used, parts of the stalks are also taken and are separated later. This is done by hand, by double-walled counter-rotating drum screens, or a combination of both. In harvesting of chamomile for tea, in contrast, the whole plant is harvested with rotary choppers. Whichever gathering method is used, the harvest produce is dried, either naturally in the sun or under a roof or by rack or belt dryers, to reduce the water content from about 80% to 10-11% in order to prevent fermentation.
Chamomile essential oil is extracted through steam distillation of the dried flowers, sometimes with a small amount of flower stalks included. Roman chamomile yields about 1.7% oil, and German chamomile produces about 0.2-0.4%.
German or wild chamomile essential oil is a deep blue color due to one of its constituents changing chemically during the distillation process, and the oil is medium viscous. The scent is sweetly smoky, floral, and herbaceous, with fruity, tobacco, animalic, and straw tones. It shines as a top note but also runs as a theme through a fragrance's heart and lingers into the drydown. Due to its high cost, it usually is found in a 3% jojoba blend. The absolute is even darker blue due to a higher concentration of chamazulene. More recent extraction methods, including CO2 superfluid extraction, produce an oil with a much lighter color. German chamomile oil is used more often as a flavoring agent in liquors and other beverages than in perfumery.
Roman chamomile essential oil is light yellow to clear, with low viscosity. It has a soft and delicate, but spicy, sweet, honey-like aroma with a hint of apple. It also is usually found in a 3% jojoba blend. It is somewhat unstable in perfumery, but it is included sometimes as a top or heart note in masculine fragrances, especially those of the chypre and fougere families. It was used more often in the past, especially in old classic perfumes. Roman chamomile is not often used for flavoring except as traditional chamomile tea, since the oil has a medicinal bitter taste.
Moroccan chamomile essential oil is yellow and has a fresh, herbal, aromatic scent with a camphorous nuance. It has a sweet balsamic undertone that is reminiscent of amber.
Chamomile Oil in Perfumery
Generally chamomile is classified in the herbaceous or aromatic family of scents. In light concentrations, chamomile essential oil has an apple-tinged, grassy-green character, but at full strength it is darker and dirtier, suggesting the smell of soil mixed with crumbled leaves, intense and a bit damp and woody, somewhat reminiscent of cocoa. It is sometimes used to boost and draw out the nuances of other ingredients, especially woods and incense. Chamomile add a warm touch to most fragrances. Both oils blend quite nicely with citrus notes (especially bergamot and grapefruit), florals (lavender, jasmine, geranium), tea tree, clary sage, ylang-ylang, patchouli, and musk. Chamomile also pairs really well with rose, its smoky bitterness giving a richer dimension to the sweet rose, while the rose tempers chamomile's herbal edge. It is also suited for darker, moody, decadent blends, such as Gucci by Gucci, where it adds luminosity and lightness. It is quite common now for perfumers to use blends of two or even all three of the chamomiles mentioned above in their fragrance compositions, varying the proportions for different effects.
History
Chamomile knowledge and use date back thousands of years. The first literary mention of it is from ancient Egypt, where it was included in shampoos, perfumes, and cosmetics, used to treat fever and skin ailments, and included in embalming oil mixes. It was used by the Greeks for a variety of purposes, including treatment of headaches and inflammation. Chamomile also was known to the Romans, who used it for incense and in beverages. (Ironically, the name 'Roman chamomile' does not come from this time, but rather from an arbitrary naming of the herb in the 19th century by a plant collector who happened to find some growing in the Roman Colosseum.) The plant was listed in the pharmacopoeia of Würtenberg as a carminative, painkiller, diuretic, and digestive aid. Joachim Camerarius was the first to name Chamaemelum nobile in 1598. Anglo Saxons considered chamomile to be one of the 'nine sacred herbs' and spread it on floors for scenting of ceremonies, as well as for healing illness. There is an entry about chamomile in the 11th century Old English ILllustrated Herbal, and Nicholas Culpepper's 17th century Complete Herbal has an illustration and several entries about 'chamomel.' Commercial cultivation of chamomile began in Europe in the 16th century.
In Europe, chamomile was used in making beer and ale before brewers turned to hops instead. Unlike for tea, in which only the flowers are used, the whole plant was used in the alcoholic beverages, adding a bitter flavor. Chamomile, especially the German one, has been used in many cultures for relaxing teas and tisanes. In Spain, chamomile is known as manzanilla, which means 'little apple,' and it is used to give Manzanilla sherry its floral notes.
Chamomile is used ornamentally in gardens and sometimes is planted on paths that are walked upon, which releases its unusual scent. Roman chamomile is a small evergreen perennial plant that grows low to the ground (up to 12 inches) and is often used as a ground cover. German chamomile, on the other hand, is a taller (24 inch) annual, propagated by seed planting or by letting the flower heads go to seed for the next year. Roman chamomile has larger flowers than the German variety. The plants often flower 2 or 3 times a year, allowing for multiple harvests. Moroccan chamomile is an annual bushy plant, and it blooms only during the rainy season. It is claimed that German and Roman chamomile plants improve the health of sickly garden plants when it is planted near them.
Medicinal Use
Chamomile is reputed to reduce skin irritation and redness, promote wound healing, and treat and prevent acne. There have also been claims of its therapeutic benefits for hundred of years for a large number of other ailments. German chamomile is said to be the preferred oil for anti-inflammatory purposes, while Roman chamomile is claimed to have anti-rheumatic qualities. Controlled studies have demonstrated some possible antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-spasmodic properties, but experts disagree about whether or not there is much evidence of significant medicinal efficacy for any disorders; and the FDA has not approved chamomile for medical use. Chamomile oil and tea are said to have calming and soothing properties, relieving irritation and impatience and improving sleep quality. Herbalists generally say that the most effective use of chamomile via inhalation in aromatherapy, although it is also thought to be effective in bar soaps, oiled bath water, and lotions.
People who are allergic to ragweed (also in the daisy family and a very common allergen) may be allergic also to chamomile due to cross-reactivity, so they should watch for any signs of skin irritation from chamomile perfume products.
Masculine fragrances with significant chamomile:
Absolument Parfumeur La Treizième Note
Anucci Men
Cadillac for Men, Black, Lite
Calvin Klein Calvin, Eternity Summer
Dior Fahrenheit
Estiara Cheval (Green)
Farfalla Uomo, Vetiver
Francesco Smalto
Francis Kurkdjian Oud Silk Mood
Germaine Monteil Realm
Giorgio Armani White
Halston Catalyst
Harrods Bond No. 9
Houbigant Fougere Royale
Hugo Boss Baldessarini
Humiecki & Graef Skarb
IF Jeans Sorella Fontana
Jean Paul Gaultier Fleur du Mâle
Lancome Balafre, Belafre Brun
Maurer & Wirtz Tabac Original
O Boticario Uomini Sport
Oleg Cassini for Men
Ralph Lauren Polo, Polo Bear Edition
Rochas Monsieur Rochas
Tom Ford Extreme
Xerjoff Shooting Stars Oroville
There are many 'unisex' chamomile scents.
