Davana Oil (Artemisia Pallens)

Davana Oil (Artemisia pallens)

Technical Ingredient Overview

• 🏭 Manufacturer —

• 🔎 Chemical Name —

• 🧪 Synonyms — Artemisia pallens essential oil; Oil of Davana; Artemisia oil

• 📂 CAS — 8016-03-3 (oil)

• 📘 FEMA — 2354

• 📝 Odor Type — Fruity, herbaceous

• 📈 Odor Strength — Medium–strong

• 👃🏼 Odor Profile — Sweet plum, warm, balsamic, herbaceous, faint wood

• ⚗️ Uses — Fine fragrance, oriental accords, naturals-focused perfumery

• 🧴 Appearance — Amber to orange-brown mobile liquid

What is Davana Oil?

Davana oil is the steam-distilled essential oil of Artemisia pallens, a fragrant herb endemic to southern India. Rich in oxygenated sesquiterpenes—especially davanone—the oil offers an intensely fruity-plum character with herbaceous and woody undertones (Arctander, 1960). Its notable chameleonic behaviour on skin makes it prized for niche compositions (Sell, 2006).

Historical Background

Cultivated for centuries in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, A. pallens held ritual and Ayurvedic value long before perfumery use (Lawrence, 2001). Commercial distillation began in the early 20 th century, and davanone was structurally elucidated in the 1960s, sparking Western interest in oriental and gourmand perfumery (Arctander, 1960; Sell, 2006).

Olfactory Profile

Davana belongs to the fruity-aromatic-balsamic family. A warm plum sweetness evolves to rum-like facets and soft woods; tenacity is high and odor strength medium–strong (Sell, 2006).

Applications in Fine Fragrance

• Core in oriental, chypre, gourmand frameworks.

• Synergises with Labdanum for resinous depth, with Patchouli for earthy longevity, and with Vanillin for a jammy gourmand twist.

• Shares apricot-leather nuances with Osmanthus; enriches balsamic bases with Cistus Ladaniferus; and complements synthetic ambers such as Amberwood F.

• Celebrated for wearer-specific skin reactivity.

Performance in Formula

Diffuses well in ethanol; moderate fixative effect yet strong dry-down footprint; broadly compatible with amber, fruity, woody and balsamic materials.

Industrial & Technical Uses

Beyond perfumery, Davana sees limited flavour use in tobacco, liqueurs and confectionery (FEMA, 2023) and niche aromatherapy for mood-balancing claims—though clinical data remain sparse.

Regulatory & Safety Overview

• IFRA 51st limits: Category 4 (leave-on) ≤ 0.02 %; Category 9 (rinse-off) ≤ 0.2 % (IFRA, 2024).

• EU Cosmetics: allergen disclosure required for constituents such as linalool, limonene, geraniol.

• FEMA GRAS 2354: flavor use permitted within specified ppm ranges (FEMA, 2023).

References

• Arctander, S. (1960). Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin. Allured.

• ECHA. (2025). Davana oil CLP hazard classification dossier. European Chemicals Agency.

• FEMA. (2023). GRAS Flavor Ingredient Library (No. 2354). Flavor & Extract Manufacturers Association.

• IFRA. (2024). IFRA Standards, 51st Amendment. International Fragrance Association.

• Lawrence, B. M. (2001). Progress in essential oils. Perfumery & Flavorist, 26(2), 52–56.

• Sell, C. S. (2006). The Chemistry of Fragrances (2nd ed.). Royal Society of Chemistry.

• PubChem. (2024). Davanone CID 9573653. National Center for Biotechnology Information.