Sambac Jasmine Absolute
Naturelle
Floral > White Flowers > Solar > Animalic > Yellow Fruits

Crédits photo: ScenTree SAS
Latin name :
Jasminum sambac
Botanical profile :
Jasmine is a plant of the Oleaceae family and the genus Jasmimum.
Geographic origin :
Sambac Jasmine is cultivated in South India, in the region of Tamil Nadu (formerly called Madras). It is however native to the northern regions of India, such as Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
Chemotypes :
In perfumery, two varieties are mainly used:
Jasminum grandiflorum (found in Grasse or Egypt for example - Grandiflorum Jasmine Absolute)
Jasminum sambac (mainly grown in India - Sambac Jasmine Absolute).
The smell of Jasmine sambac is greener, as it contains a large quantity of Farnesene. The smell of Egyptian jasmine is more fruity and sweet and that of Grasse Jasmine is more jammy and petal-like.
There are also two species cultivated for extraction, in smaller proportions: Jasmimum asteroides and Jasmimum auriculatum, mainly cultivated in India.
Jasminum grandiflorum (found in Grasse or Egypt for example - Grandiflorum Jasmine Absolute)
Jasminum sambac (mainly grown in India - Sambac Jasmine Absolute).
The smell of Jasmine sambac is greener, as it contains a large quantity of Farnesene. The smell of Egyptian jasmine is more fruity and sweet and that of Grasse Jasmine is more jammy and petal-like.
There are also two species cultivated for extraction, in smaller proportions: Jasmimum asteroides and Jasmimum auriculatum, mainly cultivated in India.
Extraction process :
Sambac Jasmine is the flower of a shrub 1 to 3 meters high, forming hedges in the fields. Its physical particularity is its number of petals, exceeding by far the five petals of the most classic grandiflorum jasmine. Sambac jasmine is cultivated on up to 5,000 hectares in the Tamil Nadu region, from which 30,000 tons of flowers are picked each year. Only 2,800 tons are harvested for the perfume industry. 7,000 jasmine plants are planted per hectare of land.
It is cultivated from March to September in the early morning hours in India by the local populations, when the flower is still a bud and has not yet fully bloomed, to keep the fragrance.
After picking the flower buds, the flowers are left to rest for two hours, lying on the floor of the extraction plant, and regularly aired. This maturation allows the flowers to open. This is when the extraction takes place.
The extraction is carried out with hexane at first. The flowers macerate in the solvent for 10 to 12 hours. Once the extraction is completed, the flowers are removed from the extractor. After evaporation of the solvent, a concrete is obtained, containing the waxes extracted from the plant. The concrete can then be diluted in alcohol. After chilling this mixture, the waxes precipitate and are filtered to collect a mixture containing only the alcohol and the flower's olfactive principle. After evaporation of the alcohol, the sambac jasmine absolute is obtained.
800 kg of flower buds are needed to obtain 1 kg of concrete (yield of 0.1 to 0.2%) and 600 g of absolute (yield of 0.075%), i.e. 10 million flower buds to make 1 kg of absolute. This is equivalent to the day of 520 pickers! Each year, 4 to 4.5 tons of concrete are produced.
Sambac jasmine goes often through molecular distillation. This consists in diluting the absolute in vegetable oil and introducing it little by little in a column under a very high vacuum. A slight heating allows the most volatile compounds to evaporate, forming a first fraction. The vegetable oil compounds are not evaporated and form another fraction, called ''residue ''. The core fraction is evaporated and liquefied immediately by the condenser. Slipping on the walls of the condenser, this fraction is recovered with a 80% yield, and is called ''MD Absolute ''.
It is cultivated from March to September in the early morning hours in India by the local populations, when the flower is still a bud and has not yet fully bloomed, to keep the fragrance.
After picking the flower buds, the flowers are left to rest for two hours, lying on the floor of the extraction plant, and regularly aired. This maturation allows the flowers to open. This is when the extraction takes place.
The extraction is carried out with hexane at first. The flowers macerate in the solvent for 10 to 12 hours. Once the extraction is completed, the flowers are removed from the extractor. After evaporation of the solvent, a concrete is obtained, containing the waxes extracted from the plant. The concrete can then be diluted in alcohol. After chilling this mixture, the waxes precipitate and are filtered to collect a mixture containing only the alcohol and the flower's olfactive principle. After evaporation of the alcohol, the sambac jasmine absolute is obtained.
800 kg of flower buds are needed to obtain 1 kg of concrete (yield of 0.1 to 0.2%) and 600 g of absolute (yield of 0.075%), i.e. 10 million flower buds to make 1 kg of absolute. This is equivalent to the day of 520 pickers! Each year, 4 to 4.5 tons of concrete are produced.
Sambac jasmine goes often through molecular distillation. This consists in diluting the absolute in vegetable oil and introducing it little by little in a column under a very high vacuum. A slight heating allows the most volatile compounds to evaporate, forming a first fraction. The vegetable oil compounds are not evaporated and form another fraction, called ''residue ''. The core fraction is evaporated and liquefied immediately by the condenser. Slipping on the walls of the condenser, this fraction is recovered with a 80% yield, and is called ''MD Absolute ''.
Major Components :
Farnesene (20-25%)
Benzyl Acetate (15-20%)
Methyl Linoleate (≈13%)
Linalool (≈15%)
Methyl Anthranilate (≈8%)
cis-3-Hexenyl Benzoate (≈8%)
Benzyl Alcohol (≈7%)
Germacrene-D (≈4%)
cis-3-Hexenyl Acetate (≈2%)
Phenylacetonitrile (≈2%)
Indole (≈2%)
Benzyl Acetate (15-20%)
Methyl Linoleate (≈13%)
Linalool (≈15%)
Methyl Anthranilate (≈8%)
cis-3-Hexenyl Benzoate (≈8%)
Benzyl Alcohol (≈7%)
Germacrene-D (≈4%)
cis-3-Hexenyl Acetate (≈2%)
Phenylacetonitrile (≈2%)
Indole (≈2%)
- Uses in perfumery :
- Samabc jasmine is used for its greener, more orange flower and animalic facets than grandiflorum jasmine (Grandiflorum Jasmine Absolute). It bring freshness, tenacity and strength to white flowers notes.
- Other comments :
- Sambac Jasmine didn't enter the perfumers' palette until the 1980s, unlike Jasmine grandiflorum (Grandiflorum Jasmine Absolute), which has long been used as the queen of flowers in perfumery. Both species of jasmine are grown in southern India, as well as in Grasse for grandiflorum jamsine.
The cultivation of Sambac Jasmine is subjected to invasion by thrips (small insects attacking the leaves), moths and nematodes (attacking the roots).
Sambac Jasmine is also used in India in religious ceremonies, as decoration, in hairstyles... Each Hindu deity is associated to a variety of Sambac Jasmine. The manufacture of decorations from jasmine gives work to Indian women.
Although designated by several terms in India, the jasmine known as ''Sambac '' comes from the Sanskrit ''campaka '', recalling its heady smell. - Volatility :
- Heart
- Appearance :
- Yellow to orange liquid
- Stability :
- Teroens found in this extract are subjected to polymerization under high oxydation.
Esters found in this extract may form their corresponding acid under the effect of heat.
The presence of Methyl Anthranilate can cause coloration of the extract when in contact with aldehydes and ketones, forming Schiff bases. - Price Range :
- €€€€€
- Aromatherapy :
Informations provided below are taken from reference works in aromatherapy. They are given for information purposes only and can not constitute medical information, nor engage the responsibility of ScenTree.
Jasmine is used to reduce stress and anxiety, tensions, depression and fatigue. It can also be used as an antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agent.

Crédits photo: ScenTree SAS
- EINECS number :
- 292-797-4
- FEMA number :
- 2598
- Allergens :
- Linalool - Benzyl Benzoate - Eugenol
- IFRA :
- This ingredient is restricted by IFRA
- Restriction type :
- RESTRICTION
- Cause of restriction :
- DERMAL SENSITIZATION
- Amendment :
- 49
- Quantitative limit on the use :
-
Cat.1 Cat.2 Cat.3 Cat.4 Cat.5A Cat.5B Cat.5C Cat.5D Cat.6 0,68 % 0,2 % 4,1 % 3,8 % 0,96 % 0,96 % 0,96 % 0,96 % 2,2 % Cat.7A Cat.7B Cat.8 Cat.9 Cat.10A Cat.10B Cat.11A Cat.11B Cat.12 7,7 % 7,7 % 0,4 % 7,4 % 26 % 26 % 15 % 15 % No Restriction - Annexe I :
- Some regulated synthetic ingredients are found in nature and in certain proportions in natural ingredients. This presence in nature has to be taken into account when calculating limits of use recommended by the IFRA. In case you do not know these concentrations, you can use the ones estimated by the IFRA. Here they are :
- Restriction type :
- RESTRICTION QRA
- Cause of restriction :
- Amendment :
- 43
- Quantitative usage limits :
-
Cat.1 Cat.2 Cat.3 Cat.4 Cat.5 Cat.6 Cat.7 Cat.8 Cat.9 Cat.10 Cat.11 0,25 % 0,32 % 1,33 % 4 % 2,1 % 6,4 % 0,7 % 2 % 5 % 2,5 % Not Restricted - Annexe I :
- Some regulated synthetic ingredients are found in nature and in certain proportions in natural ingredients. This presence in nature has to be taken into account when calculating limits of use recommended by the IFRA. In case you do not know these concentrations, you can use the ones estimated by the IFRA. Here they are :
List of regulated compounds contained in this ingredient | ||
---|---|---|
Regulated ingredient name | CAS N° | Estimated Concentration |
Benzyl alcohol | 100-51-6 | 8 |
Cinnamic alcohol | 104-54-1 | 0,15 |
Benzyl salicylate | 118-58-1 | 0,2 |
Benzyl benzoate | 120-51-4 | 0,75 |
Benzyl cyanide | 140-29-4 | 1,2 |
Methyl N-formylanthranilate | 41270-80-8 | 0,05 |
Farnesol | 4602-84-0 | 0,6 |
List of regulated compounds contained in this ingredient | ||
---|---|---|
Regulated ingredient name | CAS N° | Estimated Concentration |
Benzyl alcohol | 100-51-6 | 8 |
Cinnamic alcohol | 104-54-1 | 0,15 |
Benzyl salicylate | 118-58-1 | 0,2 |
Benzyl benzoate | 120-51-4 | 0,75 |
Benzyl cyanide | 140-29-4 | 1,2 |
Methyl N-formylanthranilate | 41270-80-8 | 0,05 |
Farnesol | 4602-84-0 | 0,6 |
To learn more about IFRA's standards : https://ifrafragrance.org/safe-use/library
ScenTree is solely responsible for the information provided here.