Nettles CO2 (Urtica dioica)

I have a small sample of this new nettle CO2 on hand for evaluation. I've never experienced nettle anything before, not the essential oil, not the leaf, nothing, as nettles are something in my upbringing to be avoided by us uninitiated in the mystery of nettles. No, I don't mean anything woo woo, but the innate abilities of nettle itself. It is vitamin and mineral-rich, taken as capsules and as tea, helps to battle against hay fever, can be used in cream form to combat inflammation, may lower blood pressure and blood sugar, and has a few other topical and ingestible applications, which I just discovered today researching for this post. My experience with nettle has been complete avoidance. Here, it grows along river banks and sloughs and was common along the shore of my family's favorite fishing holes. I can't tell you how many times I was screamed/told, "Stay away from the nettles or you're riding home in the back of the truck." It wasn't because the screamer thought I was contagious with nettles, but because he didn't want to see, hear, or feel me scratching the hell out of my skin. Clearly, the avoidance is emotional. 

Anyway.

Nettle is not historically used in perfumery but is available in eo form, rare as it is, and its notes are deeply green and damp forest. The nettles' CO2, I'm guessing, is from the root and isn't like the essential oil (of the leaves) at all. It is fatty, smells of cream, slightly sweet, soft, and powdery. It smells a little like sweet butter, but not like butter CO2. It is persistently creamy and milky, with soft fatty notes that almost smell like shea butter, but also not quite. The consistency of this CO2 is creamy too, like a thick buttery balm. 

I haven't diluted this to see exactly how it will behave in alcohol, but I immediately felt this would be wonderful in a solid perfume of delicate florals, like violet, lilac, lily-of-the-valley, jonquil, maybe even hyacinth, or with orris butter to create a gorgeous powdery sweet and creamy accord. 

It has been on my hand for an hour now, and it remains pretty much the same in terms of scent as it was when it was applied. 

The discovery of nettle CO2 is a testament to the persistence and adventurous heart of natural perfumery. In search of just the right note, we will go to almost any extreme to find it. Unearthing adventurous makers of scents is the most difficult part of the process. Avoiding brokers selling the same old stuff to everyone and their Uncle Joe is a struggle as well. It's all about the consistent flow of money in, and not at all about the flow of quality going out. This leads to more and more natural perfumers taking to the 'still, the chassis, and the alcohol -- in a good, healthy way, lol. Authenticity rules! 

If you want to know where to buy this, ask.