The opening is startling: intensely green, fresh, and slightly bitter, with a rooty, earthy quality and a trace of minty depth that keeps it from reading as simply vegetal. There is a faint sulphurous edge at first, quickly giving way to a complex mid-profile of dark leafy green, herbaceous, and coniferous notes, like crushed stems, fresh resin, and cold mountain air all at once. A quiet balsamic and woody drydown grounds the volatile top. The relative odour impact is 600, making this one of the more powerful materials in the natural palette; its 7-hour odour life on a smelling strip is modest, which is why it functions primarily as a top note transformer rather than a fixative. It is the material responsible for the cold, piercing green opening of Chanel No. 19 and an indispensable component of the green chypre and green floral families.

Galbanum Essential Oil works as a top note modifier and green accord anchor used at very low concentrations.

Recommended concentration: 0.02% minimum, 0.2% average, up to 2.3% maximum in a finished compound. Start extremely low and build carefully.

Particularly effective in:

Green, classic floral, and chypre compositions
Hyacinth, narcissus, and violet accords where a cold green facet is essential
Fern and fernlike compositions
Coniferous and forest structures alongside spruce, fir, and pine
Oriental bases as a green counterpoint to warm, heavy notes
Incense, candles, and pot pourri (rated excellent for all three)
Personal care including shampoo, conditioner, and soap (rated very good to excellent)

Blends well with:

Green and floral naturals: hyacinth, violet, narcissus, lavender, geranium
Mossy and chypre materials: oakmoss, opopanax
Coniferous: pine, fir, Abies alba, juniper berry, cubeb
Woody and resinous: styrax, Cashmeran, oriental bases
Ivy absolute for intensified green-natural character

Material Type: Essential oil
Botanical Name: Ferula galbaniflua (syn. Ferula gumosa)
Plant Part: Oleoresin (gum resin from the stem)
Extraction Method: Steam distillation of oleoresin
CAS Number: 8023-91-4
FEMA Number: 2501
Origin: Iran
Odour Profile: Intensely green, fresh, rooty, earthy, herbal, balsamic, coniferous, woody, faintly minty and sulphurous
Appearance: Colourless to pale yellow or olive mobile liquid
Refractive Index: 1.485
Flash Point: 40°C
Solubility: Soluble in alcohol and oils
Key Components: Beta-pinene, delta-3-carene, alpha-pinene, myrcene, cadinene
Regulatory Status: SDS and/or IFRA documentation can be supplied upon request where available.

For external use only. Do not ingest
High relative odour impact (600); handle with extreme care and work in a well-ventilated area. Even small amounts spilled in a workspace will dominate the room
Highly flammable liquid; flash point 40°C; keep away from heat, sparks, open flames, and ignition sources at all times
Pre-dilute to 10% in DPG or alcohol before use for accurate weighing and controlled blending
Dilute before skin application; patch test recommended
Avoid contact with eyes
Store tightly sealed in a cool, dark, well-ventilated place away from all ignition sources
Shelf life: 2-3 years; note that the coniferous monoterpene components oxidise readily, so store in a full, tightly sealed container and evaluate before use if stock has been held for an extended period