Hinoki: The Woodsy Fragrance Note Dominating Trendy Perfumes

If you ask me, the mark of a good fragrance is mystery. Sometimes that means a complex accord that’s hard to pin down; other times, it’s the mystique a particular note brings to a scent. Hinoki, a wood derived from Japanese cypress trees, has all of those qualities. It’s subtly earthy with equally delicate notes of citrus and resin, yet carries a distinct forest aroma that feels elegant and alluring.

In Japan, hinoki has long been valued for its timber and luminous quality and is considered a sacred wood, often used in temples, baths, and spaces designed for stillness. Its calming, genderless scent has translated naturally into perfumery, where hinoki has become a go-to note for understated depth.

Ahead, two fragrance experts share why hinoki perfumes are gaining traction and how to wear this delicate scent well.

Hinoki is a cypress tree native to Japan, known for its distinctive aroma. “Instead of heavy earth, it has a cool, slightly camphoraceous freshness—like clean air moving through a forest,” says Douglas Little, founder and perfumer of Heretic Parfum. “There’s a gentle citrus peel, faint resin, a touch of incense smoke and a soft, pencil-shaving smoothness.”

In perfumery, hinoki reads as clean without soapiness and woody without heaviness. “It’s less about drama and more about presence—the scent of stillness itself,” Little adds.

Hinoki is a relatively subtle woody note, which makes it versatile—but also easy to overpower. For that reason, it’s typically paired with notes of similar weight. “Resinous notes, such as myrrh and frankincense, or other coniferous scents like pine, cypress and cedar, work especially well with hinoki,” says Scent Split’s brand manager Kayvan Mashhadi.

“Because hinoki already has a subtle citrus facet, light fruity scents sharpen hinoki’s aroma without sweetening it,” Little adds.

Ahead, the best hinoki fragrances to try now.

This fragrance is inspired by the tranquil calm of the forest and has a clean aromatic scent to prove it. It’s mildly woodsy, with hints of cedarwood and hinoki and has a fresh quality that makes it easy to wear year-round.

Cypress trees retain their greenery even in the middle of winter. This fragrance is an ode to their beauty. It features aromas from several species, including hinoki and pine. The supporting earthy scents of bergamot, olive leaf and sandalwood only add to its forest-like scent.

This fragrance opens with a base of white musk and patchouli, giving it a warmer feel than most hinoki perfumes. That warmth brings out the wood’s soft creaminess, which pairs beautifully with the scent’s velvety cedar heart.

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