What does cedarwood smell like? The backbone of woody perfume

Cedarwood is probably the woody note you have smelled most often without noticing. It is in fine perfumes, shampoos, candles and soaps. Think of freshly sharpened pencils, a cedar wardrobe or a wooden sauna. It is clean, dry and steady, and perfumers use it everywhere to give a scent structure.

What does it smell like?

Dry, clean and woody, with a slightly sweet, resinous edge. Depending on the type of cedar, you might notice:

• Pencil shavings: the classic smell of a freshly sharpened pencil
• Dry wood: like a wooden chest or a sauna, warm and slightly dusty
• Resin: a light, balsamic stickiness, similar to pine sap
• Smoke: a faint smoky or leathery note in some oils
• Cream: a soft, almost sweet warmth in the Atlas and Himalayan types

Cedarwood is usually a base or heart note. It lasts a long time and makes a perfume feel solid and grounded.

Where it comes from

"Cedarwood" in perfume is not one tree. It is a trade name used for oils from several different trees, and not all of them are true cedars.

• Virginia cedarwood comes from Juniperus virginiana, the eastern red cedar of the United States. Despite its name, it is a juniper, part of the cypress family. It is the classic pencil-shaving cedar.
• Texas cedarwood comes from other junipers, mainly Juniperus ashei, that grow in Texas and nearby regions. It is similar to Virginia cedar, a little smokier and rougher.
• Atlas cedarwood comes from Cedrus atlantica, a true cedar from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and Algeria. It is softer, warmer and creamier.
• Himalayan cedarwood comes from Cedrus deodara, the deodar tree of the Himalayas in India, Nepal and Pakistan. It is close to Atlas cedar, with a more resinous lift.
• Chinese cedarwood is made from cypress-family trees in China and is used widely in soaps and household products.

The famous cedar of Lebanon (Cedrus libani) is a symbol of Lebanon and appears on its flag, but it is rarely used for perfume oil today.

How it's made

Most cedarwood oil is made by steam distillation of wood. Virginia and Texas cedar oils are often made from wood chips, sawdust and leftover timber from sawmills and other wood industries. This makes cedarwood one of the more affordable and sustainable natural materials in perfumery.

The key aroma molecules differ by tree:

• Virginia and Texas cedar are rich in cedrol and cedrene, which give the dry, pencil-like smell.
• Atlas and Himalayan cedar contain atlantones and himachalenes, which give a softer, sweeter, more balsamic smell.

Perfumers also use fractions and modified versions of cedarwood oil. One example is methyl cedryl ketone, made from cedarwood oil, which has a smooth, warm, woody smell.

A short history of cedarwood

• Ancient Mesopotamia: The Epic of Gilgamesh, one of the oldest written stories, describes a great cedar forest guarded by a monster. Cedar was a symbol of strength and the divine.
• Ancient Egypt and the Levant: Cedar from the mountains of Lebanon was a prized building timber, traded across the eastern Mediterranean. Cedar products are also believed to have been used in Egyptian burial practices, though historians debate exactly which trees were involved.
• The Bible: Cedar of Lebanon appears many times, including in descriptions of Solomon's Temple.
• North America: Eastern red cedar was used by many Indigenous peoples in ceremony and medicine. Later, its soft, fragrant wood became the standard for pencils and for moth-repelling cedar chests and closets.

Cedarwood in modern perfume

Cedarwood is a workhorse. It appears in a huge share of masculine and unisex perfumes, and in many feminine ones too. A few landmarks where it is central:

• Féminité du Bois by Serge Lutens for Shiseido (1992): a soft, spiced Atlas cedar that showed women's perfume could be built around wood.
• Terre d'Hermès by Hermès (2006): orange, flint-like mineral notes and cedar and vetiver. A modern classic.
• Bleu de Chanel by Chanel (2010): a fresh citrus scent resting on a cedar and sandalwood base, very popular worldwide.

Real vs synthetic cedarwood

Natural cedarwood oil is widely used and relatively cheap, so it has not been replaced the way sandalwood has. But perfumers often add synthetic woody materials that sit close to cedar.

The most famous is Iso E Super, a soft, velvety, cedar-like woody molecule. It does not smell exactly like cedar, but it gives a similar dry, transparent woodiness and makes perfumes feel airy and long-lasting. Many "cedar" notes on perfume lists are a mix of natural cedarwood and molecules like this.

What cedarwood pairs well with

• Citrus: bergamot, lemon and orange make cedar feel fresh and clean.
• Vetiver: creates a dry, earthy, elegant woody base.
• Lavender: a classic men's pairing, clean and aromatic.
• Iris and violet: give cedar a soft, powdery feel.
• Spices: cinnamon, clove and cardamom warm it up.
• Sandalwood: adds creaminess to cedar's dryness.

Perfumes to try

From soft to sharp:

• Féminité du Bois by Serge Lutens: warm Atlas cedar with plum, cinnamon and honey.
• Terre d'Hermès by Hermès: dry cedar with orange and an earthy, mineral feel.
• Bleu de Chanel by Chanel: fresh and clean, an easy introduction to cedar.
• Molecule 01 by Escentric Molecules: pure Iso E Super. Not cedar itself, but a good way to smell the cedar-like woody effect alone.
• Santal 33 by Le Labo: listed under sandalwood, but much of its dry, pencil-like character comes from cedar.

How to wear cedarwood

• Cedar is easy to wear and rarely overwhelming. It suits offices, daytime and casual wear.
• Fresh citrus-cedar scents are good for warm weather. Spiced Atlas cedar scents work better in autumn and winter.
• If a scent smells too sharp at first, wait. Cedar often softens and warms after 20 to 30 minutes on skin.

Who will love it

People who like clean, dry, "well-dressed" scents. Anyone who enjoys the smell of pencils, wooden furniture or saunas. Cedar is also a good first step for people new to woody perfumes, before trying smokier notes like vetiver or oud.