Inside the Natural Aroma

At Phaedra Botanicals, we believe transparency should reach beyond the ingredient list. That is why we share the origin, preparation, and role of each ingredient in our formulas.

Following the recent expansion of EU cosmetic allergen transparency requirements under Regulation (EU) 2023/1545, some naturally occurring aromatic compounds may now appear in our extended allergen information.

These compounds are not newly introduced ingredients. Expanded transparency simply makes more of the botanical composition already present in our ingredients visible.

For some of our botanical perfumes used in Fresh Series formulas, this means that parts of their aromatic profile may now become visible through the declaration of botanical aromatic molecules.

From Plant to Aroma: How Botanicals Create Their Scent

What we experience as scent is often the result of millions of years of botanical adaptation.

Long before perfumery existed, plants evolved aromatic molecules to survive, communicate, attract, and protect. Some compounds help attract pollinators across surprisingly large distances. Others repel insects, reduce microbial pressure, help neighboring plants respond to stress, or protect delicate tissues from sunlight and oxidation.

Every botanical scent begins as a series of chemical reactions inside the plant. As leaves unfold, flowers mature, fruits ripen, or bark responds to environmental conditions, plants build aromatic molecules from simple natural building blocks such as sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids.

The exact combination differs from species to species and even from one harvest to another.

This is why two roses may smell different, why vanilla deepens during curing, and why botanical aromas naturally vary with season and origin.

Although this natural variation may surprise some, we would never replace these precious botanical compounds with synthetic substitutes.

At Phaedra Botanicals, we embrace the natural complexity of plants — their shifting aromatic profiles, seasonal nuances, and the individuality that comes with working with living botanical materials.

So let us take a closer look at the aromatic compounds naturally present within our distilled botanical aromas.

Vanillin

Warm, soft • balsamic • gourmand

Vanillin is one of the most recognizable naturally occurring aromatic constituents in the botanical world. It contributes the warm, soft, slightly sweet notes associated with vanilla pods, botanical resins, and balsams.

Common botanical sources include:
• Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia, Vanilla tahitensis, Vanilla pompona)
• Benzoin resin (Styrax tonkinensis, Styrax benzoin)
• Peru balsam (Myroxylon balsamum var. pereirae)
• Tolu balsam (Myroxylon balsamum var. balsamum)

Inside plants, vanillin forms through natural metabolic pathways connected to compounds such as ferulic acid and lignin — molecules involved in plant structure and development.

In vanilla orchids, vanillin develops inside the pods as they mature and accumulates mostly as glucovanillin, an odorless precursor. After harvest, traditional curing gradually activates enzymes that transform this precursor into vanillin and reveal the familiar warm aroma of natural vanilla.

Its aromatic profile may vary naturally with climate, season, harvest conditions, and curing method — one of the defining characteristics of working with botanical aromatic materials.

At the heart of Hana Defies Time Phytotherapy Serum’s natural aroma is vanillin — one of the botanical notes contributing to its warm and softly gourmand profile.

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Myroxylon Pereirae Oil/Extract

Warm • balsamic • resinous • vanilla-like

Myroxylon Pereirae Oil/Extract is a naturally occurring aromatic material obtained from Peru balsam, a botanical resin valued for its rich, warm, and softly sweet scent profile.

Common botanical source:
• Peru balsam (Myroxylon balsamum var. pereirae)

Like many aromatic resins, Peru balsam develops as part of the tree’s own protective chemistry. Its complex scent profile arises from a naturally occurring mixture of aromatic constituents rather than a single molecule.

Inside the tree, these aromatic moelcules accumulate within the resin and become visible when the resin is released during careful harvesting. The resin itself forms part of the tree’s natural protective response.

Its characteristic aroma develops from naturally occurring constituents, including derivatives of cinnamic acid, benzoic acid, benzyl esters, and warm balsamic notes.

Myroxylon Pereirae Oil/Extract is one of the naturally derived aromatic materials that contributes to the characteristic botanical aroma of Sapphō’s Brightening Serum.

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Ylang Ylang

Floral • creamy • exotic • softly sweet

Ylang ylang is a naturally aromatic flower obtained from Cananga odorata, a tropical tree known for its intensely floral, creamy, and softly sweet scent.

Common botanical source:
• Ylang ylang flower (Cananga odorata)

The flower’s aroma comes from a naturally complex mixture of aromatic compounds rather than one single molecule. Its scent profile may include floral, fruity, spicy, balsamic, and slightly green facets, which together create its characteristic depth.

Inside the flower, these aromatic molecules form through the plant’s own metabolic pathways as it matures. Like many floral aromas, they may contribute to pollinator attraction and ecological communication.

During distillation or extraction, some of these naturally occurring aromatic compounds are captured in the resulting botanical ingredient, where they contribute to the final scent profile.

Its aroma may vary naturally with climate, harvest timing, flower maturity, distillation fraction, and processing method — a defining characteristic of working with botanical aromatic materials.

In our skincare, ylang ylang contributes to the characteristic botanical aroma of Phaedrae Probiotic Renewal Serum, Gentle Cleansing Oil, and Gentle Cleansing Gel.

Natural aroma does not begin in the bottle.

It begins in flowers, leaves, fruits, resins, and years of botanical adaptation.

As transparency standards evolve, more of these naturally occurring aromatic compounds may become visible — not because our formulas changed, but because we choose to reveal more of the story already inside them.