Cascarilla is tropical small tree growing up to 12 meters high. It is native to the West Indies including the Bahamas. The tree produces small but very fragrant white flowers almost year-round. The bark of the tree is a pale yellowish brown and fissured.
Cascarilla has a very long history of traditional herbal medicine use worldwide. It has long been used as a digestive aid, to stimulate digestive and digestive juices for nausea and vomiting, and as a general bitter digestive tonic.
Cascarilla contains 1.5 to 3% volatile oils, a bitter compound called cascarillin A, resins, tannin, lipids and several neoclerodane diterpenoids called cascarillins.
Laboratory studies indicate that the bark’s essential oil is antimicrobial. The long-standing traditional use of cascarilla for digestion was verified by scientists in 2003. The distilled cascarilla oil is pale greenish to yellowish. The odor profile is spicy, with cool notes of eucalyptus and nutmeg and warm touches of musk, sandalwood, frankincense and pepper, in addition to a development of lasting creamy notes. It is important to note that cascarilla oil’s sensory profile ages desirably for at least 10 years.
The cascarilla oil is applied inn perfumes as trace notes. It is also desired for its remarkable diffusive power. Suggested use is at a level of 0.20-0.50 mg/percent. The perfume industry considers cascarilla bark essential oil as a significant ingredient in the list of first-class perfumes, including Coco and Oscar de la Renta.