Gardenia, also known as the Hawaiian Lei flower, is a popular ingredient in perfumes. It gets its name from the US botanist Dr. Alexander Garden. The use of gardenia in perfumery can be traced back to ancient China, where the flower was used to make tea, incense, and perfumes. It takes around three to four thousand kilos of gardenia flowers to produce a kilo of 'concrete' (solid perfume) from gardenia plants – so not surprisingly, this heady white flower is one of the priciest ingredients in a perfumer's arsenal. Not surprisingly, a synthetic version's often used. Alternatively, perfumers can mix other white flowers to create a gardenia-esque effect – tuberose, jasmine and orange blossom do the trick. Gardenia flower oil was used in fragrances in the early part of the 20th century. Today gardenia flower oil is scarcely produced, and synthetic compounds are used more often.
Natural or Synthetic?
Natural extraction of Gardenia essence is extremely challenging and inefficient, making it nearly nonexistent in perfumes. Instead, synthetic compounds, such as para-cresyl methyl ether or blends of other floral synthetics, are used to replicate its rich, creamy, and sweet floral scent.
Fragrance Families Gardenia Most Commonly Found In
Show fragrances that contain Gardenia as a note