"A large impressive plant which was originally found growing wild in the Himalayan highlands. Prior to distillation, the roots are not only comminuted, but also, macerated in water. The distillation is then a combination of water and steam distillation. This is similar to some Vetivert distillations. Costus Root oil has a peculiar soft, but extremely tenacious odor, reminiscent of old precious wood. The odor has been compared to that of human hair, fur coats or 'wet dogs'. The latter description is often heard from people who smell Costus for the first time. It is certain that not all people will like this odor. In surprisingly small concentrations, Costus will induce warm, woody and 'natural' notes to a perfume. However, this is limited to certain perfume types, e.g., oriental bases, chypres, violet bases, etc. Overdoses of Costus oil may easily produce obnoxious effects, and the power of this oil is often under estimated. Similar in effect to Angelica Root, Costus has a peculiar ability of producing diffusive power and intriguing topnotes, and at the same time it works effectively as a fixative of unusual tenacity." -- sunrosearomatics.com

"Do not use on any part of the body because of potential sensitizing." -- thegoodscentscompany.com