I was thinking this morning, ‘what essential oil is the most manly?’ (which might seem oxymoronic) but these are the smells we wear frequently, and yet don’t know we are wearing them.

Lured in again as I walked past Aesop in Islington this morning, I came out with one of my favourite products, ‘Reverence Aromatique‘ Hand Balm, with essential oils of Bergamot Rind, Vetiver Root, and Petitgrain, all three of which are frequently used in men’s fragrances (or synthetic perfume versions of the same fragrances, but not at Aesop).  But it is the Vetiver that really jumps out at you here, with it’s smoky and deep notes, which is produced from the root of a grass, Vetiveria zizanoides, originally from India, and which I would say is the most manly of them all.

Whilst Aesop’s hand balm delivers a real Vetiver punch (because it’s using essential oil in healthy concentrations) you can get a Vetiver hit in many other products.  Here’s a few of my favourites.

Aftershave:  Tom Ford’s Grey Vetiver, and Diptyque’s Vetyverio – both mix Vetiver with a fresh hit of citrus so are utilising Vetiver in a sportier and fresher way that Aesop’s deep and smoky Vetiver hit.  Ford’s fragrance errs to the more masculine, and is a less complex fragrance, and Diptyque offers a unisex scent with a hint of rose thrown in.

Essential oil:  If you want to go straight for the pure ingredient, the very best you can get is NHR Organics – steam distilled from Madagascan Vetiver.  You can add a few drops into a bath, or mix into a basic skin cream to make your own scented moisturiser (but only up to a maximum of 2% essential oil by volume).