Birch Leaf-Bud Oil

#### Birch Leaf-Bud Oil. This essential oil is steam distilled from the leaf- buds of **Betula**** ****Alba**** **in Germany, Denmark and Finland. In Finland, the leaf-buds from **Betula Pubescens **are also used. The yield of oil is considerably higher than that from bark or leaves. **Birch Bud Oil **(also called) is a pale yellow or yellow very viscous oil with a pleasant woodygreen, balsamic odor. The main constituents are sesquiterpenes, particularly the sesquiterpene alcohol **Betulenol**, accompanied by smaller amounts of the acetates and formates of these alcohols. One disadvantageous characteristic is the content of solid paraffins and naphthalins which causes crystallization and solidification of the oil at low temperature. These solids also decrease the solubility of the oil in alcohol. Since Birch Bud Oil is mainly used in hair tonics, shampoos, etc. with a very low alcohol content, a "rectified" oil or an "absolute" of birch leaf buds is often used. A suitable absolute can be obtained by extraction of the natural oil with 80% alcohol, chilling of the alcoholic solution, filtration and subsequent evaporation of the extract under gentle vacuum. **Birch Bud Oil **is, to the author's knowledge, not used as a perfumery raw material. It is used primarily for its potential skin-healing effects. Quite recently, a large German manufacturer of a well-known hair-tonic has used a hydro-alcoholic distilled tincture of birch buds in place of the steam distilled essential oil. This enables the manufacturer to use a very low alcohol percentage in his preparation and thus avoid excessive alcohol taxes. The annual production of **Birch**** ****Bud**** ****Oil**** **is probably less than one metric ton. Adulteration has occurred with cedarwood oil and similar low-cost diluents.