Essential oil of Osmanthus, 100 ml

Osmanthus oil, 100 ml

Osmanthus fragrans, sometimes called sweet olive or tea olive, is an evergreen shrub of the olive family native to China. In autumn it bears tiny golden-orange flowers with a scent so strong it carries across a garden. In China the blossoms flavour tea, sweets and wine, and perfumers prize them for a rare mix of floral and ripe apricot notes. The product card gives the INCI name Osmanthus oil and Germany as the country of production. The 100 ml bottle is for development work and small runs.

Reading the scent

The card describes it as sweet, floral, spicy and woody, with fruity notes of apricot, peach and fig. On a blotter the fruit comes first, then the floral heart opens, and after a few hours a warm, leathery wood remains. This layered profile is why osmanthus often becomes the centrepiece of a fragrance, with other materials arranged around it.

Trial ideas

Facial oil

A light facial oil with a trace of osmanthus feels luxurious without a heavy scent.

Body butter

The apricot facet suits rich, whipped butters, where it comes across warm and comforting.

Tea-themed candles

Osmanthus with black tea and suede notes makes an elegant, recognisable home fragrance.

Adding it and how much

Add the oil to the oil phase during cool-down, below 40 °C, or premix it with a solubiliser for water-based products. For facial products, 0.05 to 0.2 % is a typical range, and for body products, 0.2 to 0.5 %. The safety assessment sets the final level.

Colour

The oil is yellow or brownish with a green tint. In white creams and clear gels this can show at higher levels, so check the shade on your sample.

Pairings

Osmanthus works with bergamot, mandarin, green and black tea, rose, sandalwood and vanilla. Spices such as clove bring out its leathery side, but use them carefully. A classic pairing in Chinese tradition is osmanthus with oolong tea, and a tea-and-blossom accord built on that idea suits facial oils and candles alike.

Small-batch testing routine

Make each trial in duplicate. Keep one sample at room temperature and one in a warm spot around 35 °C, and compare scent and colour after one, two and four weeks. Rich florals sometimes darken a little, and it is better to see that in a 50 g jar than in a full production run.

Trial batch: whipped body butter, 200 g

Melt 90 g of shea butter and 40 g of cocoa butter, then add 68 g of sweet almond oil. Cool until the mixture starts to set, add 1 g of tocopherol and 0.8 ml of osmanthus oil, and whip until light and fluffy. Butters are listed under wholesale solid oils and butters, and carrier oils under wholesale liquid oils. For regular production, the 1 L container of osmanthus oil is available, and other floral oils are under wholesale essential oils.

Storage

Keep the bottle tightly closed in a cool, dark place and avoid opening it more often than needed.

Card details

Yellow or brownish with a green tint, oily liquid. INCI Osmanthus oil. Country of production Germany. Pack size 100 ml.

Evaluating osmanthus

Place a drop on a blotter and smell it at once, after an hour and the next day. The apricot top note gives way to a leathery floral heart. In samples, compare two dose levels after a day.

Storage

Keep the bottle tightly closed in a cool, dark place.

FAQ

What does osmanthus smell like?

Sweet and floral with apricot, peach and fig notes over a warm, woody base.

How far does 100 ml go?

A long way, because osmanthus is used at low levels.

Can it tint a product?

At higher levels it can give a yellowish shade, so check on a sample.