Guaiac Wood is a smoky, soft woody note from the oil of Bulnesia sarmientoi, a hardwood tree of South America's Gran Chaco. In the woody family, it smells gently smoky, sweet and slightly rosy, with a tea-like and resinous warmth, and it is used to add smoulder and softness to perfumes.

What does Guaiac Wood smell like?

Guaiac wood is smoke without harshness: imagine a smouldering wood fire in the distance, softened with a hint of rose, tea leaves and a faint vanilla or balsamic sweetness. It is creamier and rounder than birch tar and much gentler than Java vetiver, and its rosy nuance makes it blend beautifully with florals. Its acetylated form, guaiyl acetate, is smoother and more tea-like.

Where Guaiac Wood comes from

The tree grows in the dry forests of the Gran Chaco across Paraguay, Argentina and Bolivia. Its oil is steam-distilled from wood and sawdust, largely in Paraguay, and is semi-solid at room temperature because of its high content of crystalline sesquiterpene alcohols.

• Also known as: Guaiacwood, gaiac, Paraguay lignum vitae, palo santo (a name also given to an unrelated tree)
• Fragrance family: Woody (smoky)
• Type: Natural
• Main origins: Paraguay; Argentina
• How it's obtained: Steam distillation of wood and sawdust
• Key aroma molecules: Guaiol, bulnesol

Guaiac Wood in perfume history

Guaiac wood oil entered perfumery in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as a cheap, versatile material, especially valued as a rose fixative and for smoky effects in soaps. It later became a favourite of niche perfumers in smoky and incense styles; Serge Lutens and L'Artisan Parfumeur were among the houses to give it more prominence.

Guaiac Wood in modern perfumery

In 2010 Bulnesia sarmientoi was added to CITES Appendix II, which covers its logs, sawn wood, powder and extracts, including the oil, so international trade requires permits. Perfumers use the oil in woody, oud-style and incense compositions.

How Guaiac Wood wears and what it pairs with

Guaiac wood is a base note with good tenacity and a soft, even smoke. It pairs well with rose, oud, cedar, tea, vanilla, tobacco, leather and pink pepper.

Safety and regulation

International trade in the wood and oil is controlled under CITES Appendix II, although the CITES Secretariat has indicated that modified materials made from the oil, such as its acetate, fall outside the listing.