Patchouli Dark

Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) Benth.

Chemotype: patchoulol / alpha-bulnesene / alpha-guaiene type

woodybalsamicearthyspicy

PLANT PART: leaves
EXTRACTION: steam distillation
AROMA NOTE: base

Compare with another oil Check supplier bottles Find more oils

LEARN AS YOU COMPARE

What’s inside this oil?

Constituents are the natural chemicals that give an oil its character. See the main ones, learn what they do, and explore differences between batches.

I’m interested in

Meet the main constituents, then select one to see what makes it interesting.

Finding the matching oil reports…

FOLLOW YOUR SENSES

Aroma & character

A closer look at this oil's scent, strength, and staying power.

woodybalsamicearthyspicy

Aroma intensity: 70 / 100

Soft & subtleBold & expressive

Note layer: base

If you like this scent, explore

A LITTLE CARE GOES A LONG WAY

Using it thoughtfully

Read the full safety context before bringing this oil into your routine.

Cited dermal maximum · leave-on: No restriction cited
Phototoxicity: Not flagged in this profile
Oxidation risk: low

A cited maximum is a limit, not a suggested dilution. Missing restrictions do not establish safety.

The reviewed IFRA certificate for Patchouli (Dark) Essential Oil lists 100% as the maximum usage level across the listed categories, and no phototoxic restriction was identified in the reviewed public sources.

Contraindications & cautions

moderateAromaWeb summarizes Tisserand and Young as cautioning that patchouli oil (same species, Pogostemon cablin) may inhibit blood clotting and pose a drug-interaction hazard; avoid with anticoagulant medication, bleeding disorders, or before surgery.
moderateConsult a healthcare professional before using patchouli essential oil during pregnancy and nursing.
moderateDo not use patchouli essential oil on children under 3 years old.
majorFor external use only; do not use undiluted on the skin. Product carries an aspiration-hazard warning (may be fatal if swallowed and enters airways), so oral/ingestion routes must be avoided.

Read the complete safety guide

Explore measured chemistry from supplier batches

A supplier report describes a particular sample. Open this workspace to investigate measured constituents and their original documents.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SCENT

Inside the oil

28 constituents

An oil's character comes from its natural chemical composition. Explore each constituent to understand the connections.

About this composition

This profile is anchored to a directly readable 2025 GC/MS report (Shay and Company, Lot 13559) for Indonesian dark patchouli oil. The batch is sesquiterpene-dominant, led by patchouli alcohol with alpha-bulnesene, alpha-guaiene, beta-caryophyllene, and beta-patchoulene as recurring markers. Additional named peaks from the same GC/MS report (seychellene, alpha-patchoulene, pogostol, beta-elemene, alpha-humulene, beta-selinene, spathulenol, caryophyllene oxide, beta-pinene, nootkatene, gamma-gurjunene, alpha-pinene, gamma-eudesmol, germacrene D, alpha-muurolene, valencene, limonene) were added to raise mass-balance closure; the source report itself totals only 91.81% identified compounds (many minor peaks reported as 'Unidentified'), so closure for this record is capped below 0.95 by the source data itself, not by omission.

Constituent	Typical amount	Reported range	Chemical family	Source
Patchouli alcohol	30.02%	30.02–30.02%	sesquiterpene alcohol	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (Patchouli alcohol 30.02%)
alpha-Bulnesene	17.57%	17.57–17.57%	sesquiterpene hydrocarbon	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (alpha-Bulnesene 17.57%)
alpha-Guaiene	14.01%	14.01–14.01%	sesquiterpene hydrocarbon	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (alpha-Guaiene 14.01%)
beta-Caryophyllene	3.11%	3.11–3.11%	sesquiterpene hydrocarbon	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (beta-Caryophyllene 3.11%)
beta-Patchoulene	3%	3–3%	sesquiterpene hydrocarbon	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (beta-Patchoulene 3.00%)
Seychellene	6.84%	6.84–6.84%	sesquiterpene hydrocarbon	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (Seychellene 6.84%)
alpha-Patchoulene	4.7%	4.7–4.7%	sesquiterpene hydrocarbon	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (alpha-Patchoulene 4.70%)
Pogostol	2.28%	2.28–2.28%	sesquiterpene alcohol	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (Pogostol 2.28%)
beta-Elemene	1.1%	1.1–1.1%	sesquiterpene hydrocarbon	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (beta-Elemene 1.10%)
alpha-Humulene	0.54%	0.54–0.54%	sesquiterpene hydrocarbon	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (alpha-Humulene 0.54%)
beta-Selinene	0.41%	0.41–0.41%	sesquiterpene hydrocarbon	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (beta-Selinene 0.41%)
Spathulenol	0.5%	0.5–0.5%	oxygenated sesquiterpene alcohol	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (Spathulenol 0.50%)
Caryophyllene oxide	0.39%	0.39–0.39%	oxygenated sesquiterpene	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (Caryophyllene oxide 0.39%)
beta-Pinene	0.18%	0.18–0.18%	monoterpene hydrocarbon	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (beta-Pinene 0.18%)
Nootkatene	0.16%	0.16–0.16%	sesquiterpene hydrocarbon	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (Nootkatene 0.16%)
gamma-Gurjunene	0.1%	0.1–0.1%	sesquiterpene hydrocarbon	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (gamma-Gurjunene 0.10%)
alpha-Pinene	0.08%	0.08–0.08%	monoterpene hydrocarbon	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (alpha-Pinene 0.08%)
gamma-Eudesmol	0.06%	0.06–0.06%	sesquiterpene alcohol	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (gamma-Eudesmol 0.06%)
Germacrene D	0.06%	0.06–0.06%	sesquiterpene hydrocarbon	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (Germacrene D 0.06%)
alpha-Muurolene	0.03%	0.03–0.03%	sesquiterpene hydrocarbon	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (alpha-Muurolene 0.03%)
Valencene	0.03%	0.03–0.03%	sesquiterpene hydrocarbon	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (Valencene 0.03%)
Limonene	0.02%	0.02–0.02%	monoterpene hydrocarbon	View source Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559 https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf (Limonene 0.02%)
Aciphyllene (guai-4,11-diene)	3.41%	—	sesquiterpene hydrocarbon	View source EFSA FEEDAP opinion on patchouli oil (Pogostemon cablin), EFSA Journal 2025;23(4):9357 (PMC12004087) Table 2 characterization means: aciphyllene 3.41% (3.34-3.45), globulol 1.05% (1.03-1.12), b-cadinene 0.94% (0.72-1.02), norpatchoulenol 0.72% (0.69-0.74), cycloseychellene 0.71% (0.70-0.73), b-costol 0.59% (0.54-0.77). Pogostone 2.06% listed but omitted.
Globulol	1.05%	—	sesquiterpene alcohol	View source EFSA FEEDAP opinion on patchouli oil (Pogostemon cablin), EFSA Journal 2025;23(4):9357 (PMC12004087) Table 2 characterization means: aciphyllene 3.41% (3.34-3.45), globulol 1.05% (1.03-1.12), b-cadinene 0.94% (0.72-1.02), norpatchoulenol 0.72% (0.69-0.74), cycloseychellene 0.71% (0.70-0.73), b-costol 0.59% (0.54-0.77). Pogostone 2.06% listed but omitted.
beta-Cadinene	0.94%	—	sesquiterpene hydrocarbon	View source EFSA FEEDAP opinion on patchouli oil (Pogostemon cablin), EFSA Journal 2025;23(4):9357 (PMC12004087) Table 2 characterization means: aciphyllene 3.41% (3.34-3.45), globulol 1.05% (1.03-1.12), b-cadinene 0.94% (0.72-1.02), norpatchoulenol 0.72% (0.69-0.74), cycloseychellene 0.71% (0.70-0.73), b-costol 0.59% (0.54-0.77). Pogostone 2.06% listed but omitted.
Norpatchoulenol	0.72%	—	sesquiterpene alcohol	View source EFSA FEEDAP opinion on patchouli oil (Pogostemon cablin), EFSA Journal 2025;23(4):9357 (PMC12004087) Table 2 characterization means: aciphyllene 3.41% (3.34-3.45), globulol 1.05% (1.03-1.12), b-cadinene 0.94% (0.72-1.02), norpatchoulenol 0.72% (0.69-0.74), cycloseychellene 0.71% (0.70-0.73), b-costol 0.59% (0.54-0.77). Pogostone 2.06% listed but omitted.
Cycloseychellene	0.71%	—	sesquiterpene hydrocarbon	View source EFSA FEEDAP opinion on patchouli oil (Pogostemon cablin), EFSA Journal 2025;23(4):9357 (PMC12004087) Table 2 characterization means: aciphyllene 3.41% (3.34-3.45), globulol 1.05% (1.03-1.12), b-cadinene 0.94% (0.72-1.02), norpatchoulenol 0.72% (0.69-0.74), cycloseychellene 0.71% (0.70-0.73), b-costol 0.59% (0.54-0.77). Pogostone 2.06% listed but omitted.
beta-Costol	0.59%	—	sesquiterpene alcohol	View source EFSA FEEDAP opinion on patchouli oil (Pogostemon cablin), EFSA Journal 2025;23(4):9357 (PMC12004087) Table 2 characterization means: aciphyllene 3.41% (3.34-3.45), globulol 1.05% (1.03-1.12), b-cadinene 0.94% (0.72-1.02), norpatchoulenol 0.72% (0.69-0.74), cycloseychellene 0.71% (0.70-0.73), b-costol 0.59% (0.54-0.77). Pogostone 2.06% listed but omitted.

Profile source: Shay and Company GC/MS Report - Patchouli EO Dark Lot 13559; Patchouli (Dark) Essential Oil IFRA 49; Patchouli (Dark) Indonesia - The Perfumers Apprentice · https://shayandcompany.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Patchouli-Essential-Oil-GCMS-Shay-and-Company-Lot13559.pdf; https://dpoy1j4zladj1.cloudfront.net/Patchouli%20%28Dark%29%20Essential%20Oil%20IFRA%2049.pdf; https://shop.perfumersapprentice.com/p-6552-patchouli-dark-indonesia.aspx

A TRADITION OF BOTANICAL CURIOSITY

Traditional & reported uses

These uses reflect the profile's reported traditions and literature. They are not established treatment recommendations.

traditionally used in aromatherapy for grounding, calming effect
reported to support relaxation and easing of occasional stress
used in perfumery as a rich, earthy, musky-sweet base note and fixative
traditionally associated with promoting emotional balance and sensuality
used in massage blends for its warm, deep, woody-earthy aroma

Explore related intentionsRelaxation & Calming ↗Stress Relief ↗

For aromatherapy and wellness use only — not medical advice. Effect statements are traditional/reported associations, not treatment claims. The Synergy Rating scores blend craft, harmony and safety, not medical efficacy. Read the safety framework.

What we're still learning · 2 data gaps

Good decisions start with knowing what is — and isn't — in the evidence.

The 0-100 odor_intensity value is a normalization of the public qualitative aroma-strength descriptions for dark patchouli rather than a source-native numeric measurement.
Mass-balance closure (sum of pct_typical) is approximately 0.852 (85.19%) even after adding all corpus-matchable named peaks from the Shay and Company GC/MS report; the underlying report itself only identifies 91.81% of total peak area, with the remainder split across dozens of sub-0.1% and unidentified sesquiterpenoid peaks that either lack an existing constituent_id in this corpus (e.g. cycloseychellene, aristola-1(10),8-diene, aciphyllene, D-norpatchoulenol, palustrol, juniper camphor, longifolol, cyperadione, phytone, delta-elemene) or were left unidentified by the analytical lab. No further named, corpus-matchable constituents remain to add without inventing new constituent rows or numbers.