Wild Carrot Seed Absolute — Daucus carota | Queen Anne's Lace | Made in France

Part of our Professional Perfumers Range — curated for the discerning natural perfumer seeking exceptional depth and rarity.

Wild Carrot Seed Absolute — The Hidden Gem of Natural Perfumery

Along the roadsides and meadows of Europe and beyond, Daucus carota grows as a tenacious wildflower — its delicate white floral umbels earning it the poetic name Queen Anne's Lace in North America, and Bishop's Lace elsewhere. Dismissed by many as a common weed, it is in fact the source of one of natural perfumery's most quietly extraordinary materials: a solvent-extracted absolute of remarkable complexity and versatility that occupies a creative space unlike anything else in the palette.

This absolute is produced from seeds of Indonesian origin, extracted and purified in France to the exacting standards of the French fine fragrance industry. The result is a yellowish-brown, immediately pourable liquid that delivers a scent profile of surprising richness — earthy and woody at its foundation, with a honeyed sweetness and fruity facets that reward patience and exploration on the strip.

Scent Profile

The opening is immediately distinctive — a warm, sweet earthiness with a delicate freshness reminiscent of newly harvested carrot, underpinned by woody-rooty depth and subtle spicy warmth. As it develops, the character opens into something considerably more complex: honeyed floral facets emerge alongside notes of plum and apricot jam, giving the material a fruity richness that sits in unexpected and beautiful contrast to its earthy foundation. The drydown reveals a smooth, slightly animalic, leathery quality with a lingering powdery warmth that gives compositions genuine tenacity and naturalistic depth.

Arctander described carrot seed as bringing a sweet, fresh, woody, earthy top note that lifts green classics and floral compositions alike — a description that remains as accurate today as when he wrote it.

Perfumery Applications

Wild Carrot Seed Absolute functions primarily as a top-to-middle note — an unusual position for such an earthy, rooty material, and one that makes it extraordinarily useful as a bridge between brighter top notes and deeper bases. Its sweet-woody character naturalises citrus, floral, and chypre compositions with remarkable ease, adding an authentic botanical quality that no synthetic can replicate.

In chypre and fougère constructions it is an outstanding modifier — blending naturally with oakmoss, labdanum, and bergamot to add a fresh, rooty lift that grounds the accord without darkening it. In floral compositions the fruity plum-apricot facets add a surprising depth alongside rose and jasmine. In woody and amber accords its slightly animalic drydown gives the composition a quiet but persistent naturalism. Perhaps most intriguingly, perfumers have long noted that the combination of carrot seed and cedarwood creates a compelling approximation of the prized orris butter character — a remarkable trick that opens creative possibilities at a fraction of the cost.

Use in trace amounts initially — this is a material of considerable tenacity and character that reveals its full complexity only at low concentrations in a finished blend.

Blending Suggestions

Pairs beautifully with bergamot, cedarwood, geranium, labdanum, oakmoss, rose absolute, jasmine, mimosa, cassie, frankincense, vetiver, violet leaf, sandalwood, clary sage, and citrus notes. The combination with cedarwood is particularly recommended — together they create a natural powdery-woody character reminiscent of orris that is both distinctive and economical.

Technical Details

• Botanical Name: Daucus carota L.
• Common Names: Wild Carrot, Queen Anne's Lace, Bishop's Lace
• Botanical Family: Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)
• Seed Origin: Indonesia
• Extracted & Made in: France
• INCI: Daucus Carota Sativa Carrot Seed Extract
• CAS Number: 8015-88-1
• Plant Part: Seeds
• Cultivation: Conventional
• Extraction Method: Solvent extraction (absolute)
• Classification: Top-to-middle note
• Appearance: Yellowish brown mobile liquid
• Odour Family: Earthy / Woody / Sweet / Fruity
• Natural: Yes — 100% natural extract

Packaging

1ml sample supplied in a 5ml clear flint glass bottle. 5ml, 10ml and 30ml supplied in amber glass bottles — all with inbuilt droppers and tamper evident caps.

Safety Information

For external use only. Avoid contact with eyes and sensitive areas. Not suitable for use on babies, children, pets or broken skin. Avoid use during pregnancy or whilst nursing. Always dilute properly and perform a patch test before first use.

Sample Policy

We recommend purchasing a 1ml sample first before committing to larger quantities. Please note that no refunds can be offered on opened items.

Photo images are for illustrative purposes only.