Petrichor

Petrichor is the smell of rain falling on dry earth. The word was coined by two Australian scientists in 1964, combining the Greek for stone and for the fluid said to run in the veins of the gods. The smell comes from plant oils absorbed by dry soil and clay, released into the air as raindrops hit the ground, together with geosmin, a compound produced by soil bacteria that the human nose detects in extraordinarily small amounts.

In perfumery petrichor is an accord, not an extract. It is built from earthy, mineral and green materials, often with patchouli, vetiver or moss for damp soil, and airy ozonic notes for the moment just before a storm. The result smells cool, grey and slightly metallic rather than sweet.

Perfumers use it to give a composition atmosphere. A petrichor heart can make woods feel like a rain-soaked forest, and it gives spices such as cardamom or pink pepper a darker, more contemplative setting. It appears often in modern niche perfumery, where mood matters as much as beauty.

If you love the smell of the first rain after a dry spell, or you want a fragrance that feels moody and outdoorsy rather than pretty, petrichor is the note to look for. At Redolia Perfumery this page gathers every fragrance in our catalogue that features petrichor.