In short
Cypriol, or nagarmotha, oil is distilled from the roots of Cyperus scariosus in India. It is a smoky, woody-leathery root note often used in oud accords.
What Cypriol Oil (Nagarmotha) smells like
Cypriol (nagarmotha) oil is woody-earthy with smoky and leathery facets. Suppliers describe a deep woody-earthy scent with smoky-leathery facets and subtle spicy, vetiver-like undertones, or rich, woody-earthy and very tenacious; Firmenich lists leathery, slightly smoky, ambery and animalic; a glossary damp earth, smoke and dark wood with a distinctive cold-smoky character. Fraterworks notes it can turn earthy-green and vetiver-like within minutes on a strip. Batches vary widely.
- Leading note
- Smoky earthy wood
- Clear facets
- Leathery
- Supporting facets
- Vetiver-like
- Faint facets
- Animalic, spicy
- Character
- Dark, dry, tenacious
What makes Cypriol Oil (Nagarmotha) distinctive
A cold smoke over damp earth and leather — darker than vetiver, drier than oud.
How Cypriol Oil (Nagarmotha) is used
Used in woody, leather, oud and oriental compositions, often to suggest oud.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Cypriol Oil (Nagarmotha) differs from similar materials
- Vetiver Oil
- Vetiver is earthier and rootier; cypriol is smokier and more leathery, turning vetiver-like on drying. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Guaiac Wood Oil
- Guaiac wood is softer and rosier; cypriol is darker, earthier and leathery.
- Agarwood Oil (Oud)
- Oud is more animalic and balsamic; cypriol is a drier, cold-smoky earth often used to suggest oud.
An asterisk marks a difference that a cited source states directly. The others compare the published descriptions of each material. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.
Formulation considerations
No CAS number is given here because supplier identifiers for it are inconsistent.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Essential oil
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Woody / Leather
- Note position
- Base note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Viscous liquid
- Also known as
- Nagarmotha oil
- Botanical source
- Cyperus scariosus R.Br.
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
-
Vetiver Oil
Essential oil · Woody / Green — earthy, smoky, woody, rooty
-
Agarwood Oil (Oud)
Essential oil · Woody / Animalic — woody, animalic, smoky, leathery
-
Guaiac Wood Oil
Essential oil · Woody / Resinous — smoky, woody, rosy, sweet
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 43 published formulas
Cypriol Oil (Nagarmotha) is an ingredient in 37 perfume formulas and 6 accords in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Cypriol Oil (Nagarmotha)
Is Cypriol Oil (Nagarmotha) natural or synthetic?
Cypriol Oil (Nagarmotha) 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 Cypriol Oil (Nagarmotha)?
Cypriol Oil (Nagarmotha) is used in 43 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including Agar Lantern, Anise Ink and Asphalt Peony. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- The Good Scents Company — cypriol oil (with Firmenich's description) — odour database.
- Fraterworks — cypriol (nagarmotha) oil — distributor's description.
- Premiere Peau — Cypriol oil or nagarmotha — published perfumery reference.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 21 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.