Clove bud essential oil is obtained from the dried, unopened flower buds of the clove tree, an evergreen native to the Maluku Islands of Indonesia that has been cultivated for centuries across the Indian Ocean; our Clove Bud oil comes from Sri Lanka. The buds are hand‑picked just before they open, then slowly dried until they turn a deep reddish‑brown and become intensely aromatic. Once dried, they are gently steam‑distilled, allowing their volatile compounds to be released and separated into a small yield of richly scented essential oil.

Clove was once so prized that control of the clove trade helped shape entire empires, and the trees were historically guarded and regulated to protect their value. The oil is naturally very high in eugenol, a phenolic compound also found in cinnamon leaf and bay, which gives clove its unmistakable warm, spicy character and has made it a classic material in both perfumery and traditional herbal preparations. In fragrance, clove bud oil is a key building block of many historic 'oriental' and spice‑led compositions, where just a small amount can transform a blend, adding structure, depth and a characteristic aromatic heat that pairs particularly well with citrus, woods and resinous notes.