Jasmine Sambac Botanical Extract — Frequently Asked Questions

All three come from the same processing chain but are different materials. The absolute is the concentrated aromatic fraction used in perfumery. The floral wax is the waxy residue left behind when the absolute is washed out of the concrete. A botanical extract is a dilute, formulation-ready preparation carried in glycerine, glycol or a light ester, intended to be dosed directly into a skin-care base at low percentage.

No. They are different species with distinctly different scent profiles. J. sambac, Arabian jasmine or mogra, is greener and more tea-like; J. grandiflorum, the jasmine of Grasse, is richer and more indolic. Where the botanical character is part of the product claim or the sensory brief, the species should be specified and the two should not be substituted for one another.

Typically 0.1 to 5 percent, added to the water phase during cool-down rather than during the hot stage, since heat degrades both the aromatic and the phenolic constituents. The carrier should be checked for compatibility with the rest of the formulation, particularly where a glycol carrier might affect the preservative system or the viscosity of the base.

Almost always, yes. Botanical extracts carry their own microbiological load and their water and glycerine content supports growth, so the finished product's preservative system must be designed to cope with the extract as well as the base. A preservative efficacy test on the finished formulation, rather than on the base alone, is the appropriate check.