Costus Root

At a glance

Distilled from the roots of a Himalayan plant, costus has a heavy, animalic, earthy-woody scent reminiscent of wet fur or orris; now heavily restricted by IFRA due to sensitization risk.

Where natural raw materials actually come from → · Why some materials get IFRA-restricted →

Origin

Saussurea costus roots, primarily India and Pakistan

Extraction

Steam distillation

Chemical family

Sesquiterpene

Profile

Heavy, animalic, orris-like scent with a hair-like note

IFRA status

Restricted, banned above trace levels under IFRA standards

Cost tier

Medium