PALO SANTO/GUAIAC WOOD (PARAGUAY)

Paraguayan guaiac wood brings a warm woody character with smoke, soft spice and balsamic sweetness. Its smoky side can suggest glowing wood rather than a fresh citrus peel. The perfumery material is commonly identified as Bulnesia sarmientoi, a tree also called palo santo; this is different from Bursera graveolens, the citrus-minty palo santo oil supplied from Ecuador.

The essential oil is steam-distilled from wood material; Robertet, for example, specifies Paraguayan sawdust for its dehydrated oil. In a composition, guaiac can deepen a woody accord or give sweet notes a smoky contrast. The balance varies with the material and formula: the note need not make a whole fragrance smell burnt. A note listing alone establishes neither natural-oil content nor a particular harvesting practice.