Pepper, Cubeb

Cubeb is often treated as a variant of black pepper. It is a separate species, Piper cubeba, and its fruit keeps its stalk after drying, which gives the names tailed pepper and Java pepper. Its oil is led by sesquiterpenes, not the limonene of Pepper, Black (No. 2500).

01 · Origin

A climbing vine of the pepper family, Piperaceae, native to Java and Sumatra. The berries are picked before they ripen and dried. This oil is distilled from the fruits, grown conventionally in Indonesia.

02 · Chemistry

Alpha- and beta-cubebene lead. Cubebol, a sesquiterpene alcohol, adds a cool woody nuance. Alpha-copaene and delta-cadinene give weight, and sabinene provides a peppery-fresh opening. The sesquiterpene fraction makes the oil slower and heavier than black pepper oil.

03 · In Practice

Warm, woody and spicy, with a camphoraceous lift and a balsamic drydown. A middle note. Natural perfumery, massage blends, bath preparations and diffusion. Blends with cardamom, ginger, frankincense, sandalwood, rose, lavender and orange.

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.