Discover the Olfactory Families That Define Natural Fragrance

Perfumery has been humanity’s most intimate luxury for thousands of years. One breath bypasses logic entirely — and for thousands of years, we've reached for nature to capture that power.

At Aroma Tierra, we work only with pure botanical ingredients. No synthetics, no shortcuts — just the real complexity of plants.

Building your own natural perfume starts with understanding olfactory families: the scent categories that define how an essential oil smells and behaves. They tell you whether an oil opens a fragrance or anchors it, whether it's fleeting or long-lasting, and how it interacts with every other note in the blend. Get this right, and blending stops being guesswork.

This guide maps every major perfumery family — floral, citrus, woody, resinous, spicy, earthy, and more — to the essential oils in our range, their note position (top, heart, or base), and their role in a composition. Whether you're formulating your first blend or deepening your craft, start here.

Understanding the Fragrance Pyramid

Before diving into the families, it helps to understand how natural perfumers structure a scent. Most fragrances are built in three layers, called notes, a term borrowed from music:

•       Top Notes: The first impression. Bright, volatile aromas (citrus, minty, light herbs) that are detected immediately but fade within 15–30 minutes.

•       Heart / Middle Notes: The soul of the fragrance. Floral, spicy, and herbaceous oils that emerge once the top notes settle and last several hours.

•       Base Notes: The lasting foundation. Rich, heavy oils (woody, resinous, earthy, animalic) that anchor the perfume and can linger on skin for hours or even days.

Quick Reference: Olfactory Families at a Glance

Family	Aroma Character	Note	Key Essential Oils
Floral	Delicate, sweet, romantic	Heart	Rose, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Neroli, Magnolia, Geranium, Lavender
Citrusy	Bright, zesty, energising	Top	Bergamot, Orange, Lemon, Lime, Grapefruit, Mandarin, Grapefruit
Herbaceous	Green, aromatic, fresh	Top-Heart	Lavender, Rosemary, Clary Sage, Oregano, Sage, Lavandin, Tea Tree
Camphor/Minty	Cool, penetrating, crisp	Top	Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Spearmint, Ravintsara, Wintergreen
Spicy	Warm, exotic, sensual	Heart-Base	Black Pepper, Pink Pepper, Cardamom, Clove, Ginger, Cinnamon
Woody	Deep, warm, enduring	Base	Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Rosewood, Oud (Agarwood), Pine, Cypress, Juniper Berry, Black Spruce
Earthy	Grounding, dark, primal	Base	Vetiver, Patchouli, Carrot, Angelica Root, Cistus
Resinous	Warm, balsamic, sacred	Mid-Base	Frankincense, Myrrh, Benzoin, Balsam, Cistus, Copaiba
Sweet	Warm, comforting, gourmand	Base	Vanilla CO2, Rose, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Sweet Orange, Grapefruit, Benzoin, Balsam Peru
Animalic	Intense, smoky, sensual	Base	Agarwood (Oud), Cistus, Cade
Amber	Rich, warm, exotic, oriental	Base	Frankincense, Benzoin, Cistus, Vanilla CO2, Balsam Peru, Oud (Agarwood)
Green	Fresh, dewy, vegetal, outdoorsy	Top-Heart	Petitgrain, Basil, Cypress, Clary Sage, Juniper Berry

The 10 Natural Perfumery Families

1. Floral — The Heart of All Perfumery

The floral family is the most beloved and universally recognised in perfumery. Floral essential oils are celebrated for their delicate, sweet, and often intoxicating aromas that capture the very essence of blooming flowers. They most commonly serve as the heart note of a fragrance, giving it character, warmth, and emotional resonance. Floral fragrances range from light and powdery to deep and heady, making them incredibly versatile.

Key Essential Oils:

•       Rose Otto: Queen of all florals. Rich, honeyed, and deeply romantic. Available in both organic and pure variants.

•       Jasmine Absolute: Heady, warm, and slightly animalic. Found in the majority of classic fine fragrances. One of the most prized ingredients in natural perfumery.

•       Ylang Ylang: Intensely sweet, creamy, and exotic. A powerful heart note — use sparingly. Also bridges the sweet family.

•       Geranium: Fresh, rosy, with a slight minty-green facet. Bridges floral and herbaceous.

•       Neroli (Orange Blossom): Luminous, softly sweet, with a citrusy brightness. Bridges the floral and citrus families beautifully.

•       Lavender: Aromatic, clean, floral-herbaceous. One of the most versatile oils in natural perfumery.

•       Chamomile Roman & German: Soft and apple-like with herbaceous-floral qualities. German chamomile adds a striking deep-blue colour to blends.

•       Magnolia: Delicate, creamy, and softly floral with a hint of citrus. A modern floral note gaining popularity in natural perfumery.

•       Palmarosa: Rosy, sweet, and slightly grassy. An affordable and tenacious alternative to Rose Otto, with excellent blending versatility.

•       Helichrysum (Immortelle): Honey-like, warm, and slightly spicy-herbal. A rare and precious floral with remarkable skin benefits.

 

Blending tip: Rose Otto + Jasmine Absolute + Ylang Ylang creates a classic floral heart. Add Sandalwood and Frankincense as a base for a rich, long-lasting oriental floral fragrance.

2. Citrusy — Bright, Fresh & Energising

Citrus oils are extracted primarily by cold-pressing the rinds of citrus fruits. They are characterised by their bright, zesty, energising, and light aromas and almost always serve as the top note of a fragrance — providing the uplifting first impression. Being highly volatile, citrus notes fade relatively quickly but make an unforgettable opening statement.

Key Essential Oils:

•       Bergamot: Citrusy, sweet, with a floral undertone. Appears in approximately 50% of all fine fragrances. The defining note in Eau de Cologne.

•       Sweet Orange: Warm, sweet, and cheerful. Incredibly versatile — pairs beautifully with spice, florals, and woods.

•       Lemon: Clean, sharp, and invigorating. Adds crispness and clarity to any blend.

•       Grapefruit: Tart, slightly bitter, and uplifting. Popular in fresh and aquatic-style natural fragrances.

•       Mandarin: Softer and sweeter than orange, with a delicate floral facet. Excellent in feminine blends.

•       Lime: Bright, tart, and fresh. Adds a sharp citrus bite to fougere and aromatic compositions.

•       Neroli: Orange blossom oil — uniquely bridges citrus and floral families. Soft, honeyed, luminous.

•       Lemongrass: Lemony-grassy and vibrant. A more tenacious citrus note with excellent staying power compared to other citrus oils.

•       Tangerine: Sweet, warm, and softly citrusy. Gentler than mandarin with a delightful candy-like quality ideal for softer compositions.

•       Lemon Verbena: Intensely lemony with a fresh, slightly floral green quality. More complex and elegant than lemon oil alone.

•       Citriodora (Lemon Eucalyptus): Crisp, lemony-citrus with a fresh camphoraceous undertone. A unique bridge between the citrus and camphoraceous families.

•       Citronella: Fresh, lemony, and slightly rosy. Primarily known as an insect repellent, but contributes a clean citrus facet in functional fragrances.

3. Herbaceous — Green, Sharp & Aromatic

The herbaceous family encompasses essential oils derived from aromatic herbs or those with a distinctly herb-like character. This family spans a surprisingly broad olfactory palette — from the sweet and calming (lavender) to the sharp and medicinal (sage) to the warm and camphoraceous (rosemary). Herbaceous oils typically contribute top to middle notes in perfumery and are essential for constructing classic fougere and aromatic fragrances.

Key Essential Oils:

•       Lavender (French): The cornerstone of natural perfumery. Sweet, floral-herbaceous, and incredibly versatile.

•       Lavandin: A more robust, slightly camphoric hybrid of lavender. Excellent for masculine fougere compositions.

•       Rosemary: Woody, herbal, with camphoric top notes. Used in the world’s first recorded alcohol-based perfume (“Hungary Water”, circa 1370).

•       Clary Sage: Earthy, slightly nutty, floral-herbal. A wonderful bridge between herbaceous and floral notes.

•       Sage: Sharp, medicinal, and warm. Best used sparingly as an accent note.

•       Basil: Sweet, warm, with anise-like nuances. Adds a lively green-herbal accord.

•       Thyme: Sharp, fresh, and medicinal with warm balsamic undertones.

•       Oregano: Warm, spicy-herbal, and pungent. Used sparingly to add earthy green depth to masculine and aromatic blends.

•       Marjoram: Warm, spicy-herbal, and slightly woody. A calming and grounding note that bridges herbaceous and spicy families.

•       Melissa (Lemon Balm): Soft, citrusy-herbal, and gently floral. One of the most delicate and precious herbal oils in natural perfumery.

•       Myrtle: Fresh, clean, and slightly camphoraceous with a sweet herbal quality. An excellent bridge between herbaceous and camphoraceous families.

•       Hyssop: Sharp, medicinal, and camphorous with a slightly sweet herbal quality. A distinctive ingredient used in classic fougere and chypre compositions.

•       Bay Leaf (Bay Laurel): Warm, spicy, and herbal with a slightly clove-like quality. A classic note in masculine colognes and aromatic compositions.

4. Camphoraceous / Minty — Cool, Crisp & Penetrating

Camphoraceous and minty oils share a distinctive cooling, penetrating, and intensely fresh character derived from naturally occurring compounds such as menthol (in mint), camphor, and cineole (in eucalyptus). They are powerful olfactory ingredients, typically used as top notes to create a clean, invigorating opening. In natural perfumery, they are invaluable in constructing aromatic, fougere, and fresh-style fragrances, as well as masculine colognes.

Key Essential Oils:

•       Peppermint: The most iconic minty note. Fresh, intensely cooling, with clean bright facets. Pairs beautifully with woody and resinous base notes.

•       Spearmint: Softer and sweeter than peppermint. More approachable and less medicinal in character.

•       Eucalyptus (Globulus): Sharply camphoraceous, woody, and medicinal. Adds crispness and airiness to citrus and fougere accords.

•       Camphor: Intensely camphoraceous, cool, and dry-woody. A challenging ingredient that adds a medicinal clarity when used at very low concentrations.

•       Niaouli: A close relative of tea tree and eucalyptus with a fresh, medicinal, and slightly fruity camphoraceous aroma. Gentler than eucalyptus.

•       Ravintsara: Fresh, clean, and camphoraceous with a slightly sweet quality. Often compared to eucalyptus but softer and more rounded.

•       Tea Tree: Clean, medicinal, and sharply camphoraceous. Primarily therapeutic, but used in small doses in functional and masculine fragrances.

•       Wintergreen: Intensely minty-sweet with a distinctive medicinal quality reminiscent of natural methyl salicylate. Use very sparingly.

•       Thuja: Camphorous, woody, and piney with a sharp medicinal edge. A powerful ingredient used in trace amounts in conifer and masculine blends.

5. Spicy — Warm, Exotic & Sensual

Spicy essential oils bring warmth, depth, and exotic richness to a fragrance. Derived from seeds, barks, roots, and berries of aromatic plants, they typically form heart to base notes and are fundamental to oriental, amber, and chypre fragrances. Used skillfully, they create that irresistible warmth and complexity that makes a perfume linger memorably on the skin.

Key Essential Oils:

•       Black Pepper: Sharp, dry, woody-spicy. One of the most versatile spice notes — equally at home in masculine and feminine blends.

•       Pink Pepper: Bright, fruity-spicy, and slightly floral — a lighter, more luminous spice note that adds vivacity and a modern edge to both feminine and masculine compositions.

•       Clove Bud: Intensely spicy, warm, and slightly medicinal. A prominent heart-to-base note. Use with restraint.

•       Cinnamon (Bark & Leaf): Warm, sweet, and powerfully spicy. Bark is more intense; leaf is softer with a eugenol character.

•       Cardamom: Spicy, slightly sweet, and camphoraceous. A favourite in Middle Eastern and South Asian perfumery.

•       Ginger: Warm, zesty, and slightly woody. Bridges spicy and citrus families beautifully.

•       Nutmeg: Warm, spicy-sweet, and slightly balsamic. A classic ingredient in oriental and amber compositions.

•       Coriander Seed: Warm, spicy, and slightly woody with a sweet citrus facet. A refined and versatile spice note equally at home in florals, orientals, and woody blends.

•       Anise & Star Anise: Sweet, liquorice-like, and warm. Adds an unmistakable exotic spice character to oriental and gourmand compositions.

•       Turmeric: Warm, earthy, and softly spicy with a slightly woody-medicinal quality. An emerging niche ingredient gaining interest in artisan natural perfumery.

6. Woody — Deep, Warm & Enduring

Woody essential oils are the backbone of countless natural fragrances, providing depth, warmth, and remarkable longevity. Extracted from the bark, heartwood, or roots of trees, they are predominantly base notes that anchor a fragrance, extend its staying power, and beautifully enhance the top and middle notes layered above them. Woody oils are indispensable in oriental, chypre, and fougere compositions.

Key Essential Oils:

•       Sandalwood (Indian / Australian): Creamy, soft, milky-woody. One of the most treasured base notes in perfumery, with outstanding fixative properties.

•       Cedarwood: Dry, woody, pencil-shaving quality. Atlas cedarwood is warmer and slightly sweet.

•       Agarwood (Oud): The most exquisite and precious wood in perfumery. Complex, smoky, balsamic, and animalic. The cornerstone of Middle Eastern luxury fragrance. (Also classified as Animalic.)

•       Rosewood: Warm, soft, rosy-woody. A gentle and harmonious wood note.

•       Cypress: Fresh, woody, and slightly green. Bridges woody and herbaceous notes.

•       Juniper Berry: Crisp, piney, and woody. Adds a forest freshness to woody or aromatic blends.

•       Copaiba: Soft, woody, and slightly sweet. An excellent natural fixative that extends the life of other notes.

•       Amyris (West Indian Sandalwood): Soft, creamy, and woody with a gentle balsamic quality. An ethical and affordable alternative to Indian Sandalwood, widely used as a natural fixative.

•       Pine: Fresh, woody, and resinous with a crisp forest quality.

•       Black Spruce: Piney, fresh, and softly balsamic. A cleaner, more refined conifer note popular in masculine and forest-inspired fragrances.

•       Fir Needle: Crisp, green-coniferous, and slightly sweet. Evokes a snowy forest and works beautifully in seasonal and fougere compositions.

7. Earthy — Grounding, Rich & Primal

Earthy essential oils evoke the raw, damp smell of the forest floor, soil, roots, and underground plant matter. They are deeply grounding and are almost exclusively used as base notes to anchor a composition and add an unmistakable sense of depth and naturalness. Earthy oils are key in chypre, oriental, and artisan natural fragrances where authenticity and complexity are prized.

Key Essential Oils:

•       Vetiver: The quintessential earthy oil. Smoky, rooty, dark, and complex. Sourced from the roots of a grass native to India and Haiti, it is one of perfumery’s finest fixatives.

•       Patchouli: Earthy, dark, and slightly sweet with musty undertones. An iconic base note in oriental, chypre, and bohemian fragrances.

•       Carrot Seed: Earthy, woody, and slightly sweet. Adds a dry, root-vegetable quality that is surprisingly complex in blends.

•       Myrrh: Warm, earthy, and slightly medicinal with balsamic undertones. (Also classified under Resinous.)

8. Resinous — Warm, Balsamic & Timeless

Resinous oils are extracted from the sap, gum, or resin secreted by trees and plants, often as a protective response to damage. They have been used in sacred ritual and personal fragrance for millennia across Egypt, ancient Arabia, and India. In perfumery, they function as middle to base notes, offering warm, rich, and balsamic depth. They are also among the most effective natural fixatives, helping a fragrance last longer on the skin.

Key Essential Oils:

•       Frankincense (B. carterii): The classic frankincense. Sweet, balsamic, and slightly citrusy. Renowned for its meditative, sacred associations and outstanding longevity on skin.

•       Myrrh: Warm, dark, and slightly medicinal. Pairs magnificently with frankincense to create a classic sacred accord.

•       Benzoin (Styrax Benzoin): Vanilla-like, sweet, and warm. An excellent fixative and natural base for oriental accords.

•       Copaiba: Soft, woody-balsamic, and slightly peppery. A gentle fixative that enhances other base notes.

•       Cistus (Rock Rose / Labdanum): Warm, ambery, and slightly animalic. The foundation of the classic chypre accord — an indispensable ingredient in natural perfumery.

•       Frankincense Sacred (B. sacra): The Omani sacred frankincense. Richer, more complex and milky than B. carterii, with a deeper resinous character.

•       Frankincense (B. serrata): Indian frankincense. Warm, earthy, and slightly woody — softer and more grounding than its African counterparts.

•       Balsam Peru: Rich, warm, and vanilla-like with a balsamic-resinous character. An affordable and effective fixative used as a natural base in oriental compositions.

9. Sweet — Warm, Comforting & Gourmand

Sweet essential oils bring a warm, often edible quality to natural fragrances, reminiscent of vanilla, caramel, honey, or delicious baked goods. In perfumery, they are used to create the popular gourmand and oriental accords that feel soft, indulgent, and emotionally comforting. Sweet oils are typically base to middle notes and act as excellent fixatives that extend the life of lighter notes.

Key Essential Oils:

•       Vanilla CO2 Extract: The quintessential sweet base note. Warm, creamy, and universally adored. A cornerstone of oriental and amber fragrances — our CO2 extraction preserves the richest, most true-to-nature vanilla character.

•       Benzoin: Sweet, vanilla-like, balsamic. Acts beautifully as both a sweet note and a natural fixative.

•       Ylang Ylang: Intensely sweet and floral-custard-like. Bridges the sweet and floral families.

•       Fennel: Sweet, anise-like, and slightly warm. Adds a distinctive liquorice-sweetness that works well in oriental and gourmand compositions.

•       Balsam Peru: Rich, warm, and vanilla-balsamic. A natural sweet fixative that extends a fragrance's longevity while adding its own warm, exotic sweetness.

10. Animalic — Intense, Primal & Unforgettable

The animalic family is the most distinctive and challenging category in natural perfumery. Animalic oils have a rich, deep, and intensely animal-like character that, while challenging at full strength, adds extraordinary depth, sensuality, and “staying power” to a fragrance when used in trace amounts. In traditional perfumery, animalic notes were obtained from animal secretions (musk, ambergris, castoreum). In natural perfumery, we achieve these effects with plant-derived ingredients that offer similar olfactory impressions. These are predominantly base notes.

Key Essential Oils:

•       Agarwood / Oud (Aquilaria malaccensis): The crown jewel of animalic perfumery. Formed by an infected Aquilaria tree, oud has a complex, smoky, balsamic, leathery, and animal-like aroma. It is one of the most expensive natural ingredients on earth and the defining note of Middle Eastern luxury fragrance.

•       Cistus (Rock Rose): Warm, ambery, and subtly animalic. Historically used to mimic labdanum and as a substitute for animal-derived fixatives.

•       Cade (Rectified): Smoky, tarry, and leathery. Adds an intensely animalistic, campfire-like quality reminiscent of birch tar. Used in leather and oriental accords.

11. Green — Fresh, Dewy & Nature-Inspired

Green notes evoke freshly cut grass, crushed leaves, and the outdoors. They are distinct from both citrus and herbaceous oils in that they are more vegetal and raw-natural in character. In natural perfumery, green notes appear in chypre, fougere, and aromatic compositions, adding a crisp, living-nature quality. Many oils in your range carry a notable green facet alongside their primary character.

Key Essential Oils:

•       Petitgrain: Fresh, woody-green, and slightly floral. Derived from the leaves and twigs of the bitter orange tree — one of the most versatile green-citrus notes in natural perfumery.

•       Basil (Sweet): Leafy green with warm anise-like nuances. Its green facet is particularly prominent and lively in the top notes of a fragrance.

•       Bay Leaf (Bay Laurel): Green and aromatic with a warm spicy-herbal character. Adds a lush, botanical green depth to compositions.

•       Clary Sage: Soft green-herbal with a slightly nutty, earthy quality. Contributes a muted, diffused green note that blends seamlessly with florals.

•       Cypress: Green-woody and slightly resinous. Evokes a Mediterranean forest freshness and is a classic component of chypre and aromatic fragrances.

•       Juniper Berry: Crisp green freshness with piney and woody facets. Adds an invigorating, clean outdoor quality to masculine and unisex blends.

•       Hyssop: Sharply green with a medicinal, slightly sweet herbal quality. One of the most distinctly green-aromatic oils available in natural perfumery.

Building Your Natural Perfume: Putting It All Together

Understanding these families is only the beginning. The true art of natural perfumery lies in layering oils across families to create a balanced, evolving fragrance. A well-crafted natural perfume typically draws from at least three to four different families. For example:

•       A classic floral oriental: Bergamot (Citrusy) + Neroli (Floral/Citrusy) / Heart: Rose Otto (Floral) + Cardamom (Spicy) / Base: Sandalwood (Woody) + Frankincense (Resinous) + Vanilla (Sweet)

•       An earthy fougere: Bergamot (Citrusy) + Lavender (Herbaceous) / Heart: Geranium (Floral) + Clary Sage (Herbaceous) / Base: Vetiver (Earthy) + Cedarwood (Woody) + Benzoin (Resinous/Sweet)

•       A Middle Eastern oud composition: Rose Otto (Floral) + Black Pepper (Spicy) / Heart: Cardamom (Spicy) + Clary Sage (Herbaceous) / Base: Agarwood/Oud (Woody/Animalic) + Frankincense (Resinous) + Sandalwood (Woody)

At Aroma Tierra, all our essential oils are 100% pure, natural, and sourced from their native habitats — giving you the most authentic aromatic materials for your natural perfumery practice. Explore our Perfumery & More collection to discover oils across all the families described in this guide.