In perfumery, the word cedar covers two groups of trees. True cedars belong to the genus Cedrus, in the same family as pine and fir: the ones used most are Atlas cedar and Himalayan cedar. The other "cedars", including Virginia cedar and Texas cedar, are in fact junipers. All of them yield an oil distilled from the wood, dry and woody, often reminiscent of a pencil. Cedar is one of the most widely used base notes, on its own or in the form of molecules derived from it.
True cedars: Atlas and Himalaya
The genus Cedrus includes a handful of large conifers, all native to the mountains of North Africa, the Near East and the Himalayas. The best known is the cedar of Lebanon, Cedrus libani. It is barely used in perfumery.
Atlas cedar, Cedrus atlantica, grows in the mountains of Morocco and Algeria. Its oil is taken from the wood, most often from the shavings and sawdust left over from woodworking. It smells of warm wood, with a balsamic, slightly resinous side and a camphor touch at the start. Atlas cedar forests have shrunk considerably, and the species is listed as endangered on the IUCN Red List.
Himalayan cedar, Cedrus deodara, grows from Afghanistan to Nepal. Its name comes from Sanskrit and means "wood of the gods". In India it is a sacred tree, long used to build temples. Its oil resembles Atlas cedar oil. Both contain mainly himachalenes, whereas junipers are rich in cedrol.
Virginia, Texas, China: cedars that are not cedars
Virginia cedar, Juniperus virginiana, is a juniper from the eastern United States. It belongs to the cypress family, not the pine family. Its reddish, fragrant wood was long used to make pencils and linen chests, where it kept moths away. That is where the link between cedar and the smell of a freshly sharpened pencil comes from. The oil is distilled from sawdust, shavings and offcuts. It contains mainly cedrol, cedrenes and thujopsene.
Texas cedar, Juniperus ashei, is another juniper, found in Texas and Mexico. Its oil is obtained from ground wood. It is often described as slightly smokier and harsher than Virginia cedar. It is widely used as a source of cedrol and its derived molecules.
The oil sold as "Chinese cedar" usually comes from a cypress, Cupressus funebris. When a product page mentions Chinese cedar, it describes a scent and an intention of the house, without specifying the exact tree.
In Japan, two related woods hold a special place. Hinoki, Chamaecyparis obtusa, is a Japanese cypress. It is used for traditional baths and Shinto shrines, and its scent is woody, fresh and slightly lemony. Sugi, Cryptomeria japonica, is often called Japanese cedar. Its wood is used in particular for sake barrels. The juniper berry in gin comes from yet another juniper, Juniperus communis.
Distilling wood and shavings
Cedar oil is obtained by steam distillation. The wood is first reduced to shavings or sawdust. Distillation takes a long time, because the wood molecules are heavy and come out slowly. Our article How perfume materials are extracted describes this process and the others.
Much of the cedar used in perfumery comes from sawmill by-products: offcuts, sawdust, stumps. This is one of the reasons cedar oil remains one of the most affordable woody materials.
Cedrol, methyl cedryl ketone and Iso E Super
Cedrol is an alcohol found in juniper oil. Isolated, it forms white crystals. Its scent is woody, soft and discreet. Perfumers use it mainly as a fixative, to make a composition last.
Methyl cedryl ketone, also called acetyl cedrene, is made from the cedrenes in cedar oil. It smells of warm wood, with an ambery, slightly musky facet.
Iso E Super does not come from cedar. It is a synthetic molecule developed by IFF in the early 1970s. It smells of smooth, velvety wood, close to a softened cedar, with a halo effect around the skin. Many people struggle to smell it, sometimes not at all, while others find it very present.
When a pyramid lists "cedar", the note may therefore come from Virginia, Atlas or Texas oil, from these molecules, or from a blend. The pyramid describes a scent. It does not spell out the formula.
What cedar smells like
Cedar smells of dry, clean wood. Think of a freshly sharpened pencil, a wooden chest, workshop shavings. Virginia cedar is the driest and the most pencil-like. Atlas cedar is warmer and more resinous. Texas cedar leans towards smoke. Hinoki adds a lemony freshness.
It is a base note that lasts well and gives structure. It dries out sweet compositions and brings clarity to fresh colognes. It pairs with citrus, lavender and aromatic notes, with vetiver and patchouli, with rose and violet. It also goes with frankincense, oud, leather and tobacco. Next to sandalwood, it feels drier and straighter. Our article What is sandalwood looks at this difference.
Cedar perfumes from our catalog
Cedar appears in a great many pyramids in our catalog, most often on the last line. We have chosen perfumes where it plays a clear role: specified origin, heart note, pairing with conifers, citrus or tea, certified natural version, Iso E Super and Japanese woods. All of them list the material in the pyramid published on their product page.
Virginia cedar
Aswan, by Widian, specifies a Virginia cedar and places it in the heart, with violet leaves and ambergris. Bergamot, CO2 pink pepper and raspberry open the perfume. Patchouli, vanilla, tobacco, musk and leather form the base. Our introduction to Widian tells the story of the house.
Chinese cedar
Above The Clouds, by Zhufu, lists a Chinese cedar in its base, with ambergris, ambrette, patchouli, sandalwood and vetiver. The opening brings together bergamot, citrus and green cardamom. The heart combines borneol, lily of the valley, iris, white magnolia and white tea. Our article on Zhufu introduces the house.
Cedar as a heart note
Baniyas, by Widian, places cedarwood in the heart, between geranium and oud, after an opening of bergamot, mugwort and lavender. The base brings together patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver and Évernyl, a molecule that smells of oakmoss. For oud, see our article What is oud.
Yasat, from the same house, also puts cedar in the heart, this time with sandalwood and caramel. Bergamot and cardamom on top, vanilla, musk and dry amber in the base.
Cedar with conifers and juniper
Donglin Temple, by Zhufu, brings together several resinous trees. The heart combines lotus, cypress, fir and camphor. The base sets down rosewood, cedar, agarwood and musk. Citrus, bergamot and ginger open the composition. Incense and temple perfumes are covered in our article What is frankincense.
Tianshan Spring N°L31, by ChuJian, brings cedar close to its cousin the juniper. Juniper berry appears in the top with lemon and bergamot. Aquatic notes, musk and lavender form the heart. Ambrette, ambroxan and cedar form the base. Our introduction to ChuJian covers the collection in detail.
Cedar beneath flowers and tea
Snow on Cangshan N°P44, by ChuJian, starts on a green of galbanum and blackcurrant, with bergamot, geranium and apple. The heart brings together jasmine, orange blossom, rose and basil. A base of cedar, vetiver, patchouli and musk closes the perfume.
Gyokuro, by Tada Parfumeur, is named after a Japanese green tea grown in the shade before harvest. Matcha accord, green notes and saffron on top. Ambrette seed, maté absolute and white flowers in the heart. The base combines sandalwood, cedar, musk and guaiac wood. Our introduction to Tada Parfumeur tells the perfumer's story.
Cedar with citrus and pepper
Throne, by Zhufu, opens on bitter orange, lime and mint. The heart brings together black pepper and pink pepper. The base combines cashmere wood, cedar and vetiver.
Organic or Cosmos certified cedar
Hombre, by Aaron Terence Hughes, is presented by the house as an extrait fully certified Cosmos, with no synthetic components. Bergamot, lemon and sweet orange on top, clary sage in the heart, vetiver and cedarwood in the base. According to the product page, the cedar is therefore of natural origin.
Blue Fever, from the same house, ends on organic cedarwood and amber. Three organic citrus fruits open the perfume, followed by a heart of apple, sea salt and lavender. Our introduction to Aaron Terence Hughes explains the house's concentration.
Iso E Super named in the pyramid
Few product pages mention Iso E Super. Vitias, by Pernoire, places it in the base with ambergris, white musk and marine notes. Bergamot, lime, pink pepper and black pepper on top. Angelica root, iris, blond woods and guaiac in the heart. Our introduction to Pernoire covers the Swiss house in detail.
Sugi and hinoki, the woods of Japan
Sugidama, by Tada Parfumeur, opens on sugi oil, with lavender, bergamot and saffron, and also lists cedar in the heart, with lily of the valley, a solar note and white flowers. Guaiac wood, musk, sandalwood and patchouli form the base. A sugidama is a ball of branches hung at the entrance of sake breweries. When green, it announces the brewing. Once it turns brown, it signals that the sake is ready.
Mezcal My Love, by Adi ale Van, signed by Jimmy Bodin, finishes on oakmoss, Haitian vetiver and hinoki. Italian grapefruit, Japanese peppermint and ginger open the perfume. The heart brings together a mezcal accord, agave syrup, brown sugar, smoky notes, geranium and rosemary. See also our introduction to Adi ale Van.
Hinoki is also at the heart of Tasogare, by Tada Parfumeur, with cypress and rose, over a base of frankincense, benzoin and guaiac wood. The house has discontinued this fragrance.
More cedar compositions can be found in our selection of woody perfumes and among our fresh perfumes.
Frequently asked questions
Is Virginia cedar a true cedar?
No. It is a juniper, Juniperus virginiana, from the cypress family. True cedars belong to the genus Cedrus, from the pine family. Its name comes from its fragrant wood, which was likened to that of cedars.
What is the difference between Atlas cedar and Virginia cedar?
Atlas cedar is a true cedar from Morocco and Algeria. Its oil is warmer, more balsamic and more resinous. Virginia cedar is an American juniper. Its oil is drier and more reminiscent of a pencil.
Why does cedar smell like pencils?
Because pencils were long made from Virginia cedar wood. The smell of a sharpened pencil is largely the smell of that wood, and the association has stuck.
Is Iso E Super cedar?
No. It is a synthetic molecule that does not come from cedar. Its woody, velvety scent recalls a softened cedar, which is why the two are often compared.
Does cedar last long on the skin?
Yes. It is a low volatility base note, noticed mostly in the last hours of a perfume. The cedrol in juniper oils is in fact used as a fixative.
Further reading
Cedar is one of the materials covered in our guide Perfume materials. To compare a Virginia cedar, a cedar with conifers and a Japanese wood on your own skin, the perfumes mentioned are available as 2 ml samples depending on the house, on our samples page.