Cedar/Cedarwood (Lebanon)

Cedarwood (Lebanon) is a majestic woody note known for its dry elegance, sacred aura, and timeworn nobility. Distilled from the ancient Cedrus libani tree—native to the mountains of Lebanon—this cedar has been revered since antiquity, used in temples, palaces, and burial rituals for its incorruptible strength and spiritual symbolism. In perfumery, Lebanese Cedarwood exudes a smooth, dry-woody aroma with undertones of resin, incense, aged pencil shavings, and a faint balsamic sweetness. Unlike sharper varieties like Texas or Virginia cedarwood, the Lebanese type is softer, more austere, and carries a sense of meditative calm and timeless depth.

History & Composition: The Cedars of Lebanon are referenced in Biblical texts, Sumerian epics, and Phoenician shipbuilding lore, making this tree both olfactively and culturally iconic. Its oil, typically obtained through steam distillation of the heartwood, is rare and used sparingly in modern perfumery due to conservation concerns. When included—often as a base note—it lends a noble structure, evoking ancient forests and monastic stillness. Lebanese Cedar pairs beautifully with incense, labdanum, iris, myrrh, and florals, anchoring a composition with spiritual gravity and dry, golden warmth—a whisper from the past embedded in the skin.