Clary Sage and Geranium

I may have mentioned before that I’ve been learning the raw materials of perfumery.  Three times a week I study ten to fifteen new synthetic materials, and twice a week natural materials, with an accompanying explanation of how they behave in formulation (Are they long-lasting?  Are they top, middle or base notes? etc.).  In the case of naturals, I’ve also been learning where the plants, and in rare cases animals, are cultivated and how the oils are obtained.  In addition to my class notebook I keep another just for recording scents that may be relevant to the Humanity project, and in it I jot down my personal impressions of a particular scent, and if it’s a natural material, I check later it’s aromatherapeutic qualities.  

Two materials that struck me as particularly interesting for Humanity are natural clary sage oil and natural germanium.  For the moment I am going purely by instinct, and although I’d like the experience of Mexico to guide the selection of the final materials used in the scent, some materials make it to my preliminary list.

Clary sage has a diffusive, uplifting, sweet earthy hay scent.  It was used before hops as a flavoring in ales.  It is said to have sedative effects and calm nerves.  I’ve smelled it before and every time I do there is something refreshing, natural, down to earth, and sunny about it.

Geranium has a really lovely floral smell.  But not the kind of warm floral that stays all over you like jasmine or rose, but a cooler, greener scent.  There are over 700 kinds of geranium cultivated and only three species are used to obtain the essential oil, so not to be confused with the potted plant you usually see at the garden store.  It’s scent is classified in the rose family but it’s fresher than rose oil (I wish the internet could transmit smell...).  In addition to treating a variety of physical ailments, geranium is known as an antidepressant.