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Maybe it’s all that time we’ve spent sweating it out from wood-planked infrared saunas—or at least fantasizing about it while watching yet another Architectural Digest celebrity house tour—but Japanese cypress, or hinoki, is sweeping the zeitgeist as of the most comforting scents as of late. Though hinoki has long been used in perfumery, the fragrance is having an aromatic moment in both the home and personal fragrance markets, with the citrus-tinged dry wood serving as the heart of luxe body oils, heady colognes, candles, body washes, lotions, and of course, eau de parfums, among other products.
What makes the scent feel so fresh? It offers a cleaner take on “woodsy” fragrance, swapping the dank thicket of pine that many Americans associate with the forest for a light, citrus-tinged dry wood that’s a dead ringer for spa incense. What’s more, experts say the fragrance joins a line of grounded—and trending—scents that appeal to our quest for inner ohm.
“[Part of] Hinoki’s appeal lies in its distinctive aromatic profile, blending woody and citrusy elements,” says Olivia Jezler, an olfactory designer and founder of Future of Smell, a scent consultancy for brands like Dior, Google, and Unilever. “Following trends like sandalwood, palo santo, and cypress, hinoki is rooted in its traditional use in Japanese bathhouses and is closely associated with calmness and well-being. This connection aligns seamlessly with today’s focus on wellness.” It doesn’t hurt that hinoki wood is thought to be sustainable and commonly sourced from responsibly managed forests in Japan.
Use hinoki to tame the excess sweetness from vanilla fragrances or as a way to forest bathe without getting dirty. This versatile scent offers endless olfactory experiences.
If someone dumped a vat of elite spa water (think: a bouquet of fresh herbs—lemon thyme and pine—steeped in fresh-from-the-spring H20) onto the planks of a cedar dry sauna, you’d have this aquatic take on hinoki, which is made with 97 percent naturally derived ingredients and grounded with cedar, frankincense, fir, and cypress.
This coconut and sunflower oil-based cleanser is made for the monied restrooms at Nobu Malibu. Hinoki, agarwood, and amber mingle with fig that smells freshly picked from the Turkish coast for an incredibly balanced scent that’s both clean and smoky.
Many times, Japanese hinoki is used to conjure the experience of forest bathing (known as Shinrin-yoku, or spending time among the trees while sensorially connecting with the elements). This beautifully packaged body oil does just that, evoking a freshly-extinguished bonfire of citrusy cyprus.
If you gravitate toward fresh air and beachy scents, then this play on hinoki is for you. Clean bergamot and grapefruit brighten hinoki’s woody (but not pine-y) nature, while elements of vetiver, eucalyptus, and amber contribute to a scent that feels like a sun-warmed breeze.
Want to smell like the most expensive wellness warrior who just stepped out of a dry sauna? A hit of this concentrated cologne will do it in a single smoky (and sexy) spritz.
If looking for the equivalent of a windows-down, drive through a hinoki forest versus being enveloped in the scent while on a wandering, deep wilderness walk, then this breezy eau de parfum strikes just the right chord. Like other scents made to replicate a deep inhale among hinoki trees, this one taps notes of cedar, vetiver, frankincense and cypress. But the effect is more nuanced, thanks to geranium, thyme, and pink pepper.
This body wash is a fan favorite for a reason: the maple syrup-like consistency produces a satisfying lather that both feels luxurious and goes a long way in the stall. It’s also loaded with premium active ingredients more commonly found in facial care that exfoliate without drying skin (thanks to alpha, beta and poly hydroxy acids and resveratrol, niacinamide and glycerin). But it's the cleanser’s addictive scent—a mix of hinoki essential oil, basil, magnolia, and vetiver—that has us stepping out of the bathroom feeling so fresh and as if we bathed in a verdant Japanese spa.
Vanilla without the cloying birthday cake scent. Chocolate with its bitterness intact. This grown-up gourmand lands a cool trick to keep its comforting essence without the saccharine kick that typically saddles the category: a hinoki base that’s creamy, but aerated, like the frothy foam of a latte. The result gives vanilla fragrances the cool-girl treatment, something slightly woody and warm, delivered in a whisper, not a roar.
Made for those who prefer earthier woodland scents, this intoxicating take on hinoki smells like it was doused in heady moss and conifer terpenes.
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