The oil is obtained by steam distillation of the dried leaves of Barosma Betulina, a herb which grows wild and abundantly in South Africa.

The oil has a minty, camphor, woody, rooty, fruity, black current odour and used upto 1% in perfume formulations.

The black currant note of buchu leaf oil is valued in certain types of Chypre bases and Colognes.

It tastes in dilution like a green, minty, buchu-like with sulfurous mango, tropical and berry notes and used upto 10 ppm in fruit flavour formulations.

The chemical composition [ in percentage] of the oil is follows;

Cineole-3-4

Diosphenol[ 2-Isomers]-38-42

Limonene-10-12

Menthone-9-10

Isomenthone-18-22

Mercapto-para-menthan-3-one-3-4

Pulegone and Isopulegone-1.5-2.5

Terpinen-4-ol-1-1.5

Alpha-terpineol-1-1.5

Alpha-pinene-0.5-1

Beta-pinene-0.5-1

Linalool-0.5-1

Hydroxy diosphenol-0.5-1

Hydroxy menthone-0.5-1

The minor components reported in the oil are Myrcene, Ocimene, Acetoxymenthone, Dihydrocarvone,etc.