Ingredient Guide
Galbanum comes from a plant in the carrot family. Incisions made in its roots or at the junction between root and stem release a gum resin that can be collected. This is galbanum.
Iran accounts for almost the entire harvest, and its scent is intensely green and vegetal, woody, spicy, animalic, and rubbery.
Galbanum became famous in perfumery in 1947 when Germaine Cellier used an 8% overdose in Vent Vert.
In ancient Egypt, around 2000 BCE, it was used in rituals. In aromatherapy, it is used not only for inflammation and pain relief but also as an aphrodisiac.
What Does It Smell Like in Perfume?
Natural galbanum essential oil opens with bitter notes before expanding into complex green, spicy, woody, and balsamic facets, while also helping to fix the scent and prolong its life. Galbanolene, by contrast, is a synthetic molecule called 1,3,5-undecatriene, which adds extremely powerful, diffusive, galbanum-like greenness to the top notes. In perfume, both create a sharp, vivid green outline, but the natural essential oil includes resin-derived depth, while the single molecule makes it easier to target sharp diffusion. Similar impressions do not make them the same material.
Representative Green Fragrances Containing Galbanum
• Miss Dior (Dior, 1947, Jean Carles and Paul Vacher)
• N°19 (Chanel, 1970, Henri Robert)
• Eau de Campagne (Sisley, 1976, Jean-Claude Ellena)
Choosing Galbanum Fragrances
Galbanum’s vivid greenness changes character when paired with soft flowers or with moss and woods.
- Vivid green notes: Fragrances that list galbanum among their main notes suit those who enjoy pronounced greenness and bitterness.
- Soft florals: Powdery flowers such as iris soften the impression of sharp green notes.
- Earth and forest depth: Moss and vetiver add the scents of roots and earth alongside green leaves.
Fragrances Featuring Galbanum
Dryad (Papillon)
Galbanum is layered with narcissus, jonquil, oakmoss, vetiver, and other notes. Alongside the fragrances listed above, it offers a way to enjoy galbanum’s greenness with flowers, moss, and roots.
From Galbanum to Your Next Fragrance
Once you have a sense of the scents you enjoy, open our Fragrance Finder. Choose “Favorite fragrances & notes” on the home screen, search in the “Favorite notes” field, and select an option from the suggestions shown. Choose “Next” to continue. You can start with notes even if you do not yet have a favorite perfume.
