Tell me about vetiver

I've tried two very different vetiver-based products, Cyril Salter French Vetiver cream, which has a strong, predominantly smokey scent (yay!) and L&L Marshalands, which smells like a moldy swamp (boo!). Is this a root vs leaf distinction?

I love vetiver in all it incarnations. If you follow this link and go to post #24 you will find some excellent information on vetiver. The thread contains hours of excellent reading on fragrance. Its really an excellent thread.
Marko

https://damnfineshave.com/thread-fragrance-terms?page=3

jimofthecorn Vetiver differs wildly based on growing region. Indonesian vs. Indian vs. Haitian, to me, aren't distinguishable as the same scent. Sorry you're not a fan of Marshlands, I aimed for the most raw vetiver scent possible.

jimofthecorn Vetiver differs wildly based on growing region. Indonesian vs. Indian vs. Haitian, to me, aren't distinguishable as the same scent.  Sorry you're not a fan of Marshlands, I aimed for the most raw vetiver scent possible.

I think its great that vetiver can be expressed in different ways while remaining classically vetiver. I happen to love both Marshlands and the Cyril R. Salter French Vetiver and I love that they're very different, it would be boring if all vetivers smelled the same. Interestingly, I've heard more negative feedback on the Salter vetiver which is a strong, smoky scent than I have on Marshlands. Variety is the spice of life and I suppose we're not going to love everything but its worth trying the different vetivers out there.

jimofthecorn Scott's Marshlands (and I've tried them all) is my favorite vetiver along with Mike's who sources his from Haiti. An honest, pure vetiver. This is what vetiver smells like.

L&L, Jabonman's premium tallow &, of course, Mike's are imo the top 3 non commercial soap makers out there today.

L&L's that good!

jimofthecorn Scott's Marshlands (and I've tried them all) is my favorite vetiver along with Mike's who sources his from Haiti. An honest, pure vetiver. This is what vetiver smells like.

L&L, Jabonman's premium tallow &, of course, Mike's are imo the top 3 non commercial soap makers out there today.

L&L's that good!

So, we're veering into TOP 3 territory now? Alright then...

I concur with L&L in there, I've never tried Jabonman so can't comment and I'd put Mike's in my top 5, maybe in the 4 slot behind, L&L, B&M and T+S in no particular order.

As I said, I haven't tried them all....yet. But really, the soap being made today is all just so good that the separation between them is just a matter of degrees, and often based subjective preference.

jimofthecorn Vetiver differs wildly based on growing region. Indonesian vs. Indian vs. Haitian, to me, aren't distinguishable as the same scent.  Sorry you're not a fan of Marshlands, I aimed for the most raw vetiver scent possible.

Thanks for replying. That's interesting and kind of unfortunate, since you can't tell from the name what you're getting. I did enjoy the soap (the non-tallow formula) in all respects other than scent, BTW, so I'll be trying another at some point. Whats the origin of the vetiver used in Marshlands?

I think its great that vetiver can be expressed in different ways while remaining classically vetiver.  I happen to love both Marshlands and the Cyril R. Salter French Vetiver and I love that they're very different, it would be boring if all vetivers smelled the same.  Interestingly, I've heard more negative feedback on the Salter vetiver which is a strong, smoky scent than I have on Marshlands.  Variety is the spice of life and I suppose we're not going to love everything but its worth trying the different vetivers out there.

As I said above, I don't agree that this is a good thing (I mean it's good that there are a variety of scents, but wildly different scents with the same name is just a pain).

Oh, and I know that my taste in scents is definitely a minority one...

Usually, although not always, the soap maker will mention the type of vetiver they're using in their soap description on their website. You will find a significant difference between artisan soap makers expression of vetiver and that of say, Tom Ford Grey Vetiver. I guess you could always go the sample route when its available to minimize your spending on soaps you don't like.