Sarsaparilla Paste

Indian Sarsaparilla has played an important role in traditional Indian medicine: treatment of snake bites, diabetic, anorexia, fever, abdominal pain, psoriasis, wound healing and cardio protective. It’s hard to remember all those properties with Sarsaparilla paste because once that rich root scent wafts from my wrist, I can’t think about anything else but the aromatic rabbit hole I’m about to free fall into. Our Sarsaparilla Paste and Amber Resin do that for me and of course, I’m completely unapologetic about it. The scent of Sarsaparilla is not like anything else we have in the apothecary. Although Sarsaparilla is extracted from root, there is a soft indole note, almost like Civet. It smells slightly of craft root beer or cola even burnt caramel found on the bottom of Caramel Flan. I pick up aged Spikenard and there is a little vanilla oleoresin too. We age it for a year or two which may account for the extra notes. Surprisingly, the scent of the dried root unveils little of what the paste imparts. Sarsaparilla Paste is the consistency of our Civet and Flower Butters; soft, thick and pliable and has strong sillage on the body irregardless of the chemistry. It can be easily applied directly to the skin or diluted in a carrier oil or perfumer’s alcohol. Because of this decadent concentrate, over the years I’ve acquired the nick name of the scented pied piper, having experienced my share of people asking to sniff my neck and following me in stores like I’m a walking Marvin Gaye song.

Suggested use: Add small amount of paste to an organic carrier oil or perfumers alcohol to make a very dirty, sexy scented perfume. Be prepared to be followed by scent obsessed strangers.