Nutmeg essential oil is steam‑distilled from the dried kernels of the nutmeg seed, produced by the nutmeg tree, Myristica fragrans, an evergreen native to the Spice Islands of Indonesia. Each fruit contains a single glossy brown seed wrapped in a lacy red aril that becomes the separate spice known as mace; the inner kernel is dried and used as nutmeg. Once the seeds have been carefully dried to concentrate their aroma and reduce moisture, the kernels are crushed and gently distilled with steam so that their volatile compounds are released, condensed and separated into a clear, spicy‑sweet essential oil.

Historically, nutmeg was at the centre of the early spice trade and was once so valuable that its price in Europe rivalled that of gold, with colonial powers competing fiercely for control of the tiny islands where it grew. The oil itself has a lively, aromatic profile that moves from fresh, almost t top notes to a warm, sweet, woody and slightly balsamic heart, making it a classic material in perfumery for adding warmth, complexity and a soft, gourmand‑leaning spice. It sits beautifully alongside clove, cinnamon, citrus and resinous notes, and has long been used to give depth to traditional “oriental” and winter fragrance accords.