In short
Lavender absolute is solvent-extracted from the flowering tops of Lavandula angustifolia. It is darker, sweeter and more herbaceous than lavender oil, with a hay-like, coumarinic warmth.
What Lavender Absolute smells like
Lavender absolute is sweeter, denser and more herbaceous than the oil, with green floral and hay-like nuances. Jennifer Peace Rhind, quoted on a retailer's page, describes its odour as more intense, sweet and herbaceous, with green floral and hay-like nuances; a technical overview attributes its sweetness and fixative quality to coumarins. A decolourised grade is described as floral with a camphoraceous edge and less pronounced coumarin-hay notes. Few detailed descriptions exist.
- Leading note
- Sweet herbaceous lavender
- Clear facets
- Hay, coumarin
- Supporting facets
- Green floral
- Faint facets
- Camphoraceous
- Character
- Sweet, dense, warm, lasting
What makes Lavender Absolute distinctive
Lavender with hay: the coumarin sweetness and density of the absolute make it a base-note lavender, where the oil is a fresh heart.
How Lavender Absolute is used
Used for a sweet, tenacious lavender in fougère and oriental compositions, where it also acts as a fixative.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Lavender Absolute differs from similar materials
- Lavender Oil
- The oil is fresher and lighter; the absolute is denser and sweeter, with stronger hay and coumarin notes.
- Hay Absolute
- Hay absolute is the sweeter, grassier coumarin note, used beside lavender in fougères; lavender absolute is herbaceous-floral with its own coumarin.
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 coumarin and linalool; check the IFRA and allergen contributions.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Absolute
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Aromatic / Gourmand
- Note position
- Heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Viscous liquid
- Botanical source
- Lavandula angustifolia
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
-
Lavender Oil
Essential oil · Aromatic / Floral — lavender, herbal, floral, fresh
-
Coumarin
Aroma chemical · Powdery / Fougère — hay, sweet, almond, tobacco
-
Tonka Bean Absolute
Absolute · Gourmand / Powdery — coumarinic, hay, almond, sweet
-
Linalyl Acetate
Aroma chemical · Aromatic / Fruity — fruity, floral, bergamot, lavender
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 5 published formulas
Lavender Absolute is an ingredient in 4 perfume formulas and 1 base in the Formula & Accord Library.
Community formulas
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Lavender Absolute
Is Lavender Absolute natural or synthetic?
Lavender Absolute is natural. It is a concentrated extract obtained from plant material with a solvent, then washed with ethanol to remove the waxes.
Which published formulas use Lavender Absolute?
Lavender Absolute is used in 5 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library, including 1882 Naturals, Eau de Cologne Base and Lavender in Silk. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- Scentspiracy — Lavender absolute — distributor's description.
- Fraterworks — lavender absolute, decolourised — distributor's description.
- J. Peace Rhind, Listening to Scent, as quoted by Live in the Light — published perfumery reference.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 26 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.