What does cinnamon smell like? Warmth you can almost taste

Cinnamon might be the most comforting smell in the world. It is the scent of warm buns, mulled wine and kitchens in winter. Almost everyone knows it, and almost everyone has a memory tied to it. In perfume, cinnamon adds instant warmth and a hint of sweetness. Used well, it feels cosy. Used boldly, it feels spicy, red and a little dangerous.

What does it smell like?

Cinnamon is warm, sweet and hot all at once. It is one of the few smells that seems to have a temperature. You might notice:

• Heat: a sharp, tingling spiciness that can feel almost burning up close
• Sweetness: a sugary, baked warmth, like pastry fresh from the oven
• Wood: a dry, bark-like woodiness underneath
• Red fruit: a faint candied, cinnamon-sweet glow some compare to red sweets
• Clove-like spice: especially in cinnamon leaf oil, which smells closer to clove

On skin, cinnamon is usually loudest in the first hour. It then softens into a sweet, glowing warmth that blends into woods, amber or vanilla.

Where it comes from

Cinnamon is the inner bark of trees in the genus Cinnamomum. There are two main types:

• Ceylon cinnamon, also called "true" cinnamon, comes from Cinnamomum verum. It is native to Sri Lanka, which is still famous for it. Its bark is thin and papery, and its smell is softer and more delicate.
• Cassia comes from related species, mainly grown in China, Vietnam and Indonesia. It is thicker, harder and stronger. Most cinnamon sold around the world is actually cassia.

In Sri Lanka, the trees are cut back so they grow many thin shoots. Workers strip the bark from these shoots, scrape away the outer layer and peel off the inner bark. As it dries, the bark curls into the rolled "quills" you see in shops.

How it's made

Perfumers use three main materials:

1. Cinnamon bark oil. The bark is steam-distilled. This oil is mostly cinnamaldehyde (also called cinnamal), the molecule that smells most like "cinnamon". It is rich, sweet and hot.
2. Cinnamon leaf oil. The leaves are distilled too. This oil is mostly eugenol, the same molecule that gives clove its smell. It is spicier and less sweet.
3. Cassia oil. Distilled from cassia leaves and twigs. It is also high in cinnamaldehyde and is often used as a more affordable cinnamon note.

Cinnamaldehyde can also be made in a lab, and the synthetic version is chemically identical to the natural one.

A short history of cinnamon

Cinnamon is one of the oldest traded spices in the world.

• Ancient Egypt: Cinnamon was imported into Egypt as early as around 2000 BCE. It was used in embalming and in kyphi, a famous Egyptian incense blend.
• Ancient Greece and Rome: Cinnamon was a luxury. The Greek historian Herodotus repeated a tale that giant birds built nests from cinnamon sticks in Arabia. The Roman writer Pliny the Elder suspected traders invented such stories to keep prices high. For centuries, middlemen kept the real source a secret.
• The colonial era: Once Europeans reached Sri Lanka by sea, control of cinnamon became a prize. The Portuguese held the trade in the 1500s. The Dutch pushed them out in the mid-1600s, and the British took over in 1796.

Cinnamon in modern perfume

Cinnamon has long been part of warm, spicy "oriental" perfumes, a style now often called "amber". It gives these scents their glow.

In 1992 the Japanese company Shiseido released Féminité du Bois, created with Serge Lutens. It wrapped cinnamon and other spices around cedarwood and fruit, at a time when woody scents were mostly marketed to men. It is now sold under the Serge Lutens name and is seen as a landmark.

A few years later, Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier (1995) put cinnamon in the heart of a sweet lavender-and-vanilla scent. It became a global best-seller. More recently, cinnamon has had a revival in boozy, dessert-like perfumes such as Kilian's Angels' Share.

Regulation: why cinnamon is used carefully

Cinnamon is powerful in another way: it can irritate skin. Cinnamaldehyde is a known skin sensitiser, which means that in some people repeated contact can trigger an allergic reaction. Eugenol, found in cinnamon leaf oil, can do the same.

Because of this, the International Fragrance Association (IFRA), the industry's safety body, sets limits on how much of these materials can be used in different products. In the European Union, both cinnamal and eugenol are on the list of fragrance allergens that must be named on the label when they pass a set level. This is why cinnamon in modern perfume is usually a warm accent rather than an overwhelming blast.

What cinnamon pairs well with

• Vanilla and tonka: the classic sweet, bakery-style pairing.
• Orange: think mulled wine and festive pomanders.
• Cedar and sandalwood: gives cinnamon a dry, elegant frame.
• Rose: a rich, spiced rose with a vintage feel.
• Clove and nutmeg: builds a full "spice cabinet" effect.
• Rum, cognac and tobacco: for warm, boozy scents.

Perfumes to try

• Angels' Share by Kilian: cognac, cinnamon, oak and praline. Like a warm dessert with a glass of brandy.
• Spicebomb by Viktor&Rolf (2012): cinnamon, saffron, chilli and pink pepper. Bold and spicy.
• Le Male by Jean Paul Gaultier (1995): cinnamon with lavender, mint and vanilla. Sweet and familiar.
• Féminité du Bois by Serge Lutens: cinnamon and spices over cedar, plum and peach. Elegant and unusual.
• Portrait of a Lady by Frédéric Malle: cinnamon and clove around a deep rose and patchouli. Rich and dramatic.

How to wear cinnamon

• Go light. Cinnamon is strong and easy to overdo.
• It is ideal in autumn and winter, and around the holidays.
• If you have sensitive skin, try a sample first, or spray on clothing rather than skin.
• Blends where cinnamon sits beside woods or vanilla are easier to wear than very spicy ones.

Who will love it

Anyone who loves cosy, comforting scents. If you are drawn to vanilla, amber or gourmand (dessert-like) perfumes, cinnamon is a natural next step. It also suits people who want a warm, sociable scent for cold evenings and celebrations.