Ingredient Guide
Lemon, familiar to everyone and used in many different ways, is called citron in French and has the Latin name Citrus limon. Like other citrus materials, it is delicate: unless extracted by expression, its quality as a fragrance material deteriorates. Steam distillation is also possible, but cold expression is generally used to capture its fresh scent. Approximately 250 kg of lemons yields 1 kg of essential oil.
Unfortunately, it is now difficult not to associate the smell of lemon with detergents and cleaning products. This dates back to 1949, when P&G created a dishwashing detergent called Joy. [Passage omitted] Lemon, which was often used in skincare and skin brightening, was chosen as its fragrance. [Passage omitted]
Jean-Claude Ellena
Today, nearly 60% of dishwashing detergents have a lemon-like scent, so it is difficult to create a lemon perfume that does not bring these products to mind. Among the few wonderful lemon fragrances I can think of are Lubin’s Gin Fizz (1955) and Hermès’ Eau de Citron Noir (2018).
One perfume that makes excellent use of fresh, refreshing lemon is Dolce & Gabbana’s Light Blue (2001, Olivier Cresp). Its juiciness, reminiscent of limoncello, and the cleanliness of musk, evoking a freshly washed shirt, create a feeling of incomparable pleasure.
What Does It Smell Like in Perfume?
In perfume, lemon is a clear-cut citrus scent with peel zest, juicy freshness, a puckering acidity, and a touch of greenness. Natural oil cold-pressed from the peel of Citrus limon gives top notes a burst of brightness, opening the whole fragrance with lightness. There are also natural oils that are fractionated or rectified after expression to reduce furocoumarins; processing changes both the scent’s outline and its composition. Lemon notes in perfume may use individual molecules or reconstructed accords as well as natural oil.
Choosing Lemon Fragrances
Preferring the tartness of lemon juice or the bitterness of its peel can lead you to different fragrances. Orange adds rounded sweetness, while rosemary or verbena brings leafy greenness. Woods and resins offer a deeper scent after the citrus.
Fragrances to Explore
Colonia Eau de Cologne (Acqua di Parma)
Lemon is layered with sweet orange and bergamot, leading into rosemary, lavender and woods. An eau de cologne for enjoying citrus together with herbs.
Essential Scents R00 WRITTEN IN STONE (THREE)
Lemon and yuzu are paired with rosalina, geranium, frankincense and patchouli. Citrus with yuzu, followed by a resinous drydown.
Find Your Next Fragrance
To explore more fragrances through the notes you enjoy, open our Fragrance Finder. Choose “Favorite fragrances & notes”, then search under “Favorite notes”. Select from the suggestions shown and press “Next”. You can start with notes even if you do not have a favorite fragrance.
