In short
Buchu oil is distilled from the leaves of South African Agathosma shrubs. Its sulphur compounds give it a blackcurrant-bud character over a minty, camphoraceous herb.
What Buchu Oil smells like
A perfumery glossary describes buchu oil as minty-camphoraceous with a distinctive blackcurrant-sulphurous edge; a fragrance supplier calls it herbaceous, sulphurous and oily with a minty note. Sources attribute the blackcurrant character to sulphur compounds, notably p-menthane-8-thiol-3-one, related to those of blackcurrant buds; its main constituents include isomenthone, limonene, diosphenol, menthone and pulegone.
- Leading note
- Blackcurrant bud
- Clear facets
- Minty, sulphurous
- Supporting facets
- Camphor
- Character
- Herbaceous, potent
What makes Buchu Oil distinctive
The natural source of the catty cassis note, inside a minty herb.
How Buchu Oil is used
Used in traces for a natural cassis effect and in fruity and herbal accords.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Buchu Oil differs from similar materials
- Cassiffix
- Cassiffix is a clean, sulphur-free synthetic cassis; buchu oil gets its blackcurrant note from sulphur compounds, over a minty, camphoraceous herb.
Each difference compares the published descriptions of the two materials. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.
Formulation considerations
Contains pulegone, which is restricted; check the IFRA Standards before use. The species is not stated in the formulas, and both are sold as buchu oil.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Essential oil
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Fruity / Aromatic
- Note position
- Top to heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Also known as
- Buchu leaf oil
- Botanical source
- Agathosma betulina (P.J.Bergius) Pillans / Agathosma crenulata (L.) Pillans
No CAS number is shown: suppliers use different identifiers for this material, and none could be confirmed as its own.
Safety and compliance
This page is general information, not a safety assessment or a specification. Confirm identity, composition, IFRA status and allergen content from your supplier's documents for the lot you hold.
Materials it works with
-
Blackcurrant Bud Absolute
Absolute · Fruity / Green — blackcurrant, green, sulphurous, fruity
-
8-Mercapto-p-menthan-3-one
Aroma chemical · Fruity / Green — blackcurrant, buchu, sulfurous, fruity
-
Cassiffix
Aroma chemical · Fruity / Green — blackcurrant, cassis, green, fruity
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 2 published formulas
Buchu Oil is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula and 1 accord in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Buchu Oil
Is Buchu Oil natural or synthetic?
Buchu Oil is natural. It is a volatile oil obtained from plant material by steam distillation or, for citrus peels, by cold expression.
Which published formulas use Buchu Oil?
Buchu Oil is used in 2 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: Blackcurrant Signal and Cherry Accord. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- Premiere Peau — Buchu or agathosma — published perfumery reference.
- The Good Scents Company — buchu leaf oil — odour database.
- Wikipedia — Agathosma betulina — published perfumery reference.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 24 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.