Yuzu in perfumery
I discovered yuzu, a small yellow fruit, in Japan. You can find it on sashimi, in teas or in very stylish finger rinses. It can also be found in ryokans, traditional Japanese inns, in stone baths, in onsen, natural hot springs or in square bathtubs with the particularity of always having 5 or 6 halved yuzu floating on the water.
I was seduced by its delicious, multi-faceted fragrance so when I returned to France I was tempted to work it into various fragrances. I waited for the launch of my perfume house and used it in top notes in Smeraldo from the Musk Collection.
Origins of yuzu
Botanical family: Rutaceae
Yuzu is a hybrid of wild mandarin and citrus ichangensis, Ichang lemon.
Yuzu is a fruit that grows on a tree that bears the same name. It is native to Asia, specifically China and Tibet. It arrived in Japan and Korea during the Tang Dynasty (616-907) and is now an integral part of Japanese and Korean culinary culture.
It is easily found in the Japanese mountains, mainly in Kochi. Half of the Japanese yuzu cultivation comes from this town.
The yuzu tree is resistant to the cold. It is of medium size but can reach up to 4m high.
It has the particularity of having many thorns and being slow to bear fruit. Its fruits and leaves are very fragrant and spread their scent for miles around.
The star-shaped flowers appear between April and May and are harvested from October to December.
This is why, even in Japan, this yuzu is very expensive for everyday consumption, it is a very high-quality citrus fruit, sold individually.
Yuzu changes colour from light green to yellow, depending on its ripeness. Its size is small, its skin is quite hard. The flesh is not very dense and contains many seeds. It is not a fruit that is easily eaten like an orange. Only the peel and juice are used.
Use of yuzu in perfumery
Yuzu is a small yellow lemon which is very expensive per unit, about 6 euros in Japan. It can be found in France in luxury grocery shops or in Japanese shops.
Only a few confidential brands can use it naturally in their fragrances because of its little production. Japanese production cannot support a large international launch, so some brands use only reproduction. Its essence or essential oil comes from cold extraction as for all citrus fruits.
Its fragrance is multi-faceted, it gives the impression of a mixture of citrus fruits (cf. Hesperidia facet) with mandarin as the dominant scent, with accents of lemon, grapefruit, green notes, and floral facets. It is used as a top note because it is a striking citrus fruit in a composition, like lime.
Its scent blends well with all olfactory facets, as top notes in eaux de Cologne, eaux fraîches, eaux de parfum or oriental, floral, chypre and musky eaux de toilette.
Health benefits of yuzu fruit
Yuzu is a fruit rich in vitamin C, it contributes to the immune system, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and heals wounds. Thanks to its flavonoids and vitamin C, yuzu helps to beautify and strengthen the hair and skin. In Japan, they use yuzu in cosmetics very often.
On the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, there is a tradition to take a yuzu bath to avoid catching a cold for a year.
Yuzu strengthens the immune system and is an ally against cardiovascular diseases. It is said to be effective against platelet aggregation. It facilitates transit and promotes the absorption of iron and calcium. It also has beneficial effects against fatigue and improves blood circulation.
Perfumes containing yuzu
Here is a list of eaux de parfum that contain yuzu:
- Eau de Yuzu by Patricia de Nicolaï
- Note de Yuzu by Heeley
- Yuzu Fou by Parfum d’Empire
- Yuzu Man by Caron
- Yuzu Signature by Acqua di Parma
- Yuzu Solinotes by Bottle Designer
- Eau d’Issey pour Homme by Issey Miyake
- Yuzu Ab Irato by Pierre Guillaume
- Smeraldo by Sylvaine Delacourte Paris
Sylvaine Delacourte perfumes
Discover Sylvaine Delacourte's brand with her Orange Blossom, Musk and Vanilla Collections. You can try them thanks to the Discovery Boxes (5 Eaux de Parfum x 2 ml) and rediscover these raw materials as you have never smelled them before.