Perfumes with Moss

Moss smells damp, earthy, green and slightly woody, a cool scent that recalls a forest floor after rain, tree bark and shaded stones. In perfumery it usually refers to extracts of lichens such as oakmoss and treemoss, or to synthetic materials that imitate them.

Absolutes are produced from the lichens by solvent extraction, and because their use is restricted by international standards, modern versions often rely on synthetic alternatives. Moss sits almost always in the base. It pairs well with bergamot, patchouli, labdanum, vetiver, rose and cedar, and it plays a key role in chypre and fougère perfumes.

Moss appears in 4,093 perfumes in the Fisfis catalogue and is used mostly as a base note.