Ambrette
NAME | Ambrette |
ORIGIN | Native to India and Asian rainforests, it is found on the equator north of Guayaquil, in Indonesia, Peru and India. |
INCI | Abelmoschus moschatus |
Plant musk of great finesse, with very elegant scents, ambrette is a high-end product little used in perfumery. It is harvested by hand and its yield is very low, hence its high cost and low presence in the perfume world.
Large herbaceous plant, the ambrette, often confused with hibiscus, can reach 3.50m. Its leaves, with a diameter varying between 15 to 20 cm, are rough, covered with small hairs and are of very variable forms. It is the small seeds present in these leaves that are used to create the essence of ambrette.
Dried, crushed and then distilled, they allow to obtain a waxy solid, rich in fatty acid called "ambrette butter". This is then treated and washed, which allows to acquire a pure essence: "the absolute of ambrette seed". Its amber, powdery, and musky fragrance is often referred to as the plant musk, so much so that it is often used as an alternative to musk of animal origin.