Cape May

Cape May has no link to the town in New Jersey. It is the South African common name for Coleonema album, a shrub of the Cape fynbos. The plant belongs to the citrus family, Rutaceae, the same family as buchu.

01 · Origin

A small, dense evergreen of coastal rock and sandy ground in the Western Cape. The needle-like leaves are aromatic when crushed, and the plant carries small white flowers. This oil is distilled from the whole plant, gathered wild.

02 · Chemistry

A monoterpene hydrocarbon oil. Myrcene leads. Alpha- and beta-phellandrene follow, with alpha- and beta-pinene. The profile is light and volatile, with no heavy ester or sesquiterpene fraction.

03 · In Practice

Fresh and herbaceous, with a green, slightly citric edge. A top note. Diffusion, room blends, massage and olfactory study of the Cape flora. Useful as a lift over heavier woods. Read beside Buchu Leaf (No. 1210), it shows two very different expressions of the same plant family and region. Blends with lemon, bergamot, rosemary, geranium, cypress and vetiver.

General information: For external use only. Dilute before applying to skin. Keep away from heat and sunlight. Keep out of reach of children. Avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes.