Common Name: Costus Root Oil, Costus Oil, Costus Root Essential Oil, Costus Root Absolute, Costus Oil India.

Botanical Name: Saussurea Lappa
Family Name: Scitaminaceae
Parts Use: Root, tuber
Color: Light yellow to brown

Costus Root Oil is one of rare essential oil , It extract using steam distilled from the comminuted, dried roots of Saussurea lappa. It is a herbaceous perennial plant with yellow composite flowers growing in the Himalayan highlands. It is also extracts by using vacuum distillation of the resinoid extract obtained by extraction of the roots with solvents.It is a viscous, light yellow to brown liquid.

According to Arctander, "it has a peculiar soft, but extremely tenacious odour, reminiscent of old precious wood, orris root, fatty (but not rancid) acids, vetiver, etc, with a distinctly animal or sebaceous undertone. The odour has been compared to that of human hair, fur coats or 'wet dogs'." Costus root oil has been used for intriguing notes in Oriental type perfumes. Major components of the oil are sesquiterpenoid lactones, e.g.dehydrocostuslactone.

Other components contributing to its characteristic odour are costol, bergamotenal and alpha-ionone.