Secret Ingredient: Angelica Root

Commercial fragrances are far more complex than many people realize. While you may think your pink grapefruit lotion smells just like the real thing, it is more likely that what you’re smelling is actually a layered blend of many fragrance components. Angelica root is just the sort of ingredient that rounds out a finished fragrance.

An Earthly Angel

Angelica root grows in China, North America, and Europe, and it’s been used as a medicinal herb for generations. All portions of the angelica plant can be useful, though it’s the root that is most prized, both for its distinctive fragrance and for its healing properties, most notably the root’s ability to relieve stress and anxiety.

Available commercially in a number of forms, ranging from the dried root itself, to extracts, and even as capsules containing ground root (sometimes called by its Chinese name, Dong Quai,) angelica root also resides in the toolbox of master fragrance blenders.

The aroma of angelica root is quite strong, so it’s typically used in very small quantities, as a component of a complex fragrance. Angelica shows notes of earth, musk, celery, pepper, herbs, and just a hint of warm citrus. It is an ideal component to anchor bright, citrusy fragrances, as it provides an earthy core.

Angelica Root in the Market

Angelica root is being incorporated in many products on the current fragrance manufacturers market, from home and air care to personal fragrances. Some popular examples include Jo Malone Tuberose Angelica Cologne Intense and Guerlain Angélique Noire Eau De Parfum.

Grounded Balance

Fragrances containing angelica root capture a spirit that’s vibrant and growing – a fondness for embracing simplicity and a belief in the value of finding multiple functions and uses for the objects in our lives. Angelica root is rustic, providing a foundation for fragrances that’s the equivalent of walking barefoot in the grass. It’s the opposite of conspicuous consumption for consumption’s sake.

The modest, unassuming angelica plant isn’t showy. Its value lies in its healing powers and in its ability to awaken our senses to the natural world that surrounds us. From the modest white flowers to the gnarled root, angelica’s power isn’t in its appearance. Its power is in its usefulness.

If you’re seeking a fragrance maker that unites earth and sky – lifted, bright notes wrapped around a musky, practical, earthy core, then angelica root is your answer. Unassuming and vital, angelica reminds us of our history, our roots, and our role as stewards of the earth.