Osmanthus - Reconstitution

The flowers from a small tree of the family Oleaceae (to which also the jasmin and lilac belong) are used in China and Japan as a starting material in the production of a concrete and an absolute of Osmanthus. The flowers of Osmanthus Fragrans are extracted with petroleum ether to yield a concrete, which in turn gives an absolute after alcohol extraction. Since the yield of absolute from concrete is only about one kilo per 3,000 kilos of flowers, the enfleurage method or the infusion process have also been applied to these flowers. The perfumed extraction oil can be used as is (directly) in cosmetic preparations with some advantage. The production of osmanthus concrete, absolute, pommade and infusion is apparently very local and these products are not regularly available perfume materials outside the producing areas. The author has no personal experience with the use of these flower absolutes, etc. in perfumery. The flowers of osmanthus fragrans are occasionally used for the perfuming (scenting) of tea in China.