Camphor Wood

About Camphor Wood

Scent Profile

Camphor wood is a woody material drawn from the camphor laurel family. It is also known as ho wood, and the perfumery trade refers to its oil as shiu wood oil. It differs from the sharp, nose-prickling smell most people associate with camphor. It is dry, slightly cool, with a transparent softness, evoking freshly planed timber or the inside of a wooden box. At higher dosage, or in heat and humidity, it can lean medicinal.

Use in Perfumery

Its defining trait is a very high proportion of linalool, which gives a woody material a floral softness. That property led to its wide adoption as a substitute for rosewood after overharvesting reduced supplies. It is rarely cast as a soloist, but alongside resins, iris, and musk it lends clarity and coolness without adding sweetness. It can be perceived from opening to drydown, so dose and context shape its character more than any fixed position.

Did You Know?

In East Asia the wood has long been used for furniture and craft objects, and is known for repelling insects. Camphor isolated as a crystal and the oil distilled from the wood itself smell markedly different, despite sharing a source. Following the material on skin over time is more informative than assuming a harsh aroma from the name alone.