The Ingredient Library
Buddhawood
Eremophila mitchellii
Buddhawood hydrosol is the aromatic water from steam distilling the heartwood of an Australian outback tree. It carries a soft smoky, woody scent in a light mist.
Get to know Buddhawood
- Source
- Heartwood and bark
- Origin
- Queensland and NSW
- Extraction
- Steam distilled
- Aroma
- Soft, smoky, woody
What it is
Buddhawood is a botanical ingredient used in skin and hair care.
Why it belongs in your routine
Woody, smoky aromatic water distilled from Australian Buddhawood.
How to use
Follow the directions on your chosen product. Patch test before use.
Where Buddhawood comes from
Buddhawood is Eremophila mitchellii, a small tree or large shrub of the dry inland country of north-eastern Australia, found mainly in outback Queensland and northern New South Wales. It usually grows to around 5 to 10 metres, with narrow grey-green leaves, rough dark bark and small white flowers. Its dense, dark heartwood is heavy with resin and was often used locally for fence posts.
Buddhawood hydrosol is a clear water with a gentle woody, smoky and slightly sweet scent, much softer than the deep amber essential oil distilled from the same wood. It holds a trace of the wood's water-soluble aromatic compounds. It is used as a room or linen mist, a face mist, or as the water phase in toners and lotions where a woody note is wanted.
Sourcing & extraction
How Buddhawood is sourced and extracted
Why it is rare
The tree grows only in the arid inland of north-eastern Australia. Its heartwood needs a long distillation, often running for days, so a small number of distilleries produce Buddhawood, and the hydrosol is collected only as part of that run.
How it is gathered
Buddhawood is wild harvested in outback Queensland, where the trees are plentiful on grazing country. Harvesters typically cut the wood under landholder agreements, often from stands being cleared or thinned, and the logs are left to dry. The wood is then trucked to a small number of Australian distilleries that specialise in native woods. There it is chipped or shredded before going into the still.
How it is made
Steam distilled from the heartwood
- Buddhawood logs are dried, then chipped or shredded so steam can pass through the dense wood.
- The chipped wood is loaded into a large still and steam is run through it for an extended period, often days.
- Steam carrying aromatic compounds is cooled in a condenser, and the essential oil separates from the water.
- The aromatic water left after the oil is drawn off is collected, filtered and bottled as Buddhawood hydrosol.
How to use Buddhawood
- Follow the directions on your chosen product.
- Start with a small amount.
- Patch test before first use.
For external use only. Patch test on a small area before first use and stop if irritation occurs. If you are pregnant, nursing or have a medical condition, ask a healthcare professional before use.
From ingredient to routine
Products with Buddhawood
Find this ingredient in our collection.
Questions about Buddhawood
Where does Buddhawood come from?
Buddhawood is wild harvested in outback Queensland, where the trees are plentiful on grazing country. Harvesters typically cut the wood under landholder agreements, often from stands being cleared or thinned, and the logs are left to dry. The wood is then trucked to a small number of Australian distilleries that specialise in native woods. There it is chipped or shredded before going into the still.
How is Buddhawood extracted?
Steam distilled from the heartwood. Buddhawood logs are dried, then chipped or shredded so steam can pass through the dense wood. The chipped wood is loaded into a large still and steam is run through it for an extended period, often days. Steam carrying aromatic compounds is cooled in a condenser, and the essential oil separates from the water. The aromatic water left after the oil is drawn off is collected, filtered and bottled as Buddhawood hydrosol.
Why is Buddhawood considered rare?
The tree grows only in the arid inland of north-eastern Australia. Its heartwood needs a long distillation, often running for days, so a small number of distilleries produce Buddhawood, and the hydrosol is collected only as part of that run.
