- Origin
- an accord; natural basis — seaweed absolute (rarely)
- Raw materials
- seaweed absolute, marine accords
- Extraction
- extraction; the accord — synthesis
- Olfactory group
- marine
- Position in the pyramid
- heart and base
- Synthetic substitutes
- Calone, mineral and iodine-like molecules
Seaweed in perfumery is the smell of the seashore at low tide: wet stones, seaweed washed up by the waves, salt and iodine. A natural brown seaweed absolute exists, but the note is more often built as a marine accord.
How it smells: salty, damp and faintly iodine-like: fresh seaweed, wet pebbles, mineral coolness and a light green bitterness. Seaweed sounds more natural and darker than light ozonic notes — like the real sea, not the idea of it.
The characteristic marine smell of the coast comes partly from seaweed itself: as it decomposes on the shore, it releases compounds with the very sea smell we recognise at the first breath.
What it pairs with: with marine notes — the full image of the sea, with vetiver and cedar — rugged coastal fragrances, with citrus — summer freshness, with amber — “skin after the sea”, with sage and rosemary — a Mediterranean shore.
Good to know: brown seaweed has long been used in cosmetics and thalassotherapy — the Breton coast of France is still famous for its seaweed treatments.
