Osmanthus (Reconstitution)
Description
The flowers
from a small tree of the family Oleaceae (to which also the jasmin and lilac
belong) are used in China and Japan as a starting material in the production of
a concrete and an absolute of Osmanthus. The flowers of Osmanthus Fragrans are
extracted with petroleum ether to yield a concrete, which in turn gives an
absolute after alcohol extraction. Since the yield of absolute from concrete is
only about one kilo per 3,000 kilos of flowers, the enfleurage method or the
infusion process have also been applied to these flowers. The perfumed
extraction oil can be used as is (directly) in cosmetic preparations with some
advantage. The production of osmanthus concrete, absolute, pommade and infusion
is apparently very local and these products are not regularly available perfume
materials outside the producing areas. The author has no personal experience
with the use of these flower absolutes, etc. in perfumery. The flowers of
osmanthus fragrans are occasionally used for the perfuming (scenting) of tea in
China.