Definition
Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica, family Pinaceae) is native to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and Algeria. The essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of wood chips, sawdust, and bark. Its dominant aroma compounds are atlantone (a sesquiterpene ketone), cedrol, and beta-himachalene, which together produce the characteristic dry, pencil-shavings, slightly smoky, amber-woody profile (Wikipedia EN, accessed 2026-05-27).
Atlas cedar is distinct from Virginia cedar (Juniperus virginiana) in both botanical origin and olfactive character: Atlas cedar is drier, more ambery-musky, while Virginia cedar is fresher and more pencil-like in the conventional sense.
Technical detail
Atlas cedar essential oil is well-tolerated by IFRA standards with no significant restrictions in fine fragrance categories. It is a base note with high tenacity and low volatility. The cedar molecule atlantone, unique to Cedrus atlantica, gives it a warm, slightly ambery lift that distinguishes it from other cedarwood species (Bois de Jasmin, accessed 2026-05-27).
In composition, Atlas cedar functions as a fixative and structural base, compatible with floral, woody, oriental, and chypre families. Its affordability and stability make it a standard building block across all market segments.
Examples
- Terre d'Hermès (Jean-Claude Ellena, 2006): cedarwood (including Atlas cedar) as a core structural base in the wood-mineral accord (Fragrantica, accessed 2026-05-27).
- Wonderwood (Comme des Garçons, 2010, Antoine Lie): multiple cedarwood species layered in a conceptual exercise foregrounding the dry-woody profile.
- Santal 33 (Le Labo, 2011): Atlas cedar alongside sandalwood and cardamom in a globally successful niche woody accord (Basenotes, accessed 2026-05-27).