Definition
Rosewood essential oil—bois de rose in French, palissandre in the broader timber trade—is distilled from the heartwood of Aniba rosaeodora (Lauraceae), a tree native to the Amazon basin, principally Brazil and Peru. The oil contains 80–90% linalool, making it one of the richest natural sources of that molecule.
Historically, Brazil exported large volumes of rosewood oil to European perfumers throughout the 20th century, where it served as a linalool source and as a floral-woody modifier in chypres, fougeres, and oriental compositions. Excessive logging for oil distillation decimated wild Aniba rosaeodora populations. Aniba rosaeodora is now listed on CITES Appendix II, restricting international trade to certified sustainable sources.
Also called: Bois de rose • Cayenne rosewood • Aniba rosaeodora oil • Bois de Palissandre
CITES status and alternatives
Due to CITES Appendix II listing, commercial use of Aniba rosaeodora oil in fine fragrance requires documentation of legal, sustainable harvest. Several Brazilian programs have attempted plantation cultivation to rebuild populations, but supply remains constrained.
In practice, the perfumery industry replaced rosewood oil almost entirely with:
- Synthetic linalool: identical molecule, cost-effective, widely available.
- Ho wood oil (Cinnamomum camphora var. linaloolifera): a Chinese alternative rich in linalool, CITES-unrestricted.
- Coriander seed oil: 60–70% linalool, used as a partial substitute with a slightly spicy facet.
Olfactive profile and legacy
Rosewood oil presents a soft, fresh, floral-woody, slightly rosy scent with good diffusion and a moderate tenacity. Its role in classic French perfumery was primarily as a smooth, natural linalool vector rather than a dominant note.
Today, few niche houses use authentic Aniba rosaeodora oil; those that do typically source from certified Brazilian cooperatives and communicate this provenance as a sustainability commitment. The term “rosewood” in a modern ingredient list more often refers to ho wood oil or synthetic linalool unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Sources
- Arctander, Steffen. Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin (1960) — rosewood material profile
- Tisserand & Young, Essential Oil Safety, 2nd ed. (2014) — Aniba rosaeodora
- CITES Appendix II — Aniba rosaeodora listing and trade controls
- Fragrantica — rosewood note profile
- SFP — matières premières protégées en parfumerie