Chai

Chai

Middle (heart) note Gourmand Spicy Fragrance oil

Spiced milky tea: cardamom and cinnamon up front, creamy and sweet underneath. Better blends keep a dry tea note; weaker ones read like cinnamon candy.

Made from: A blended fragrance oil combining black tea, cardamom, cinnamon, clove and ginger notes over a milky vanilla base; no natural oil exists.
Strength: ●●●●○
Cost: Moderate
Moods: Cozy Calming Grounding
Seasons: Autumn, Winter
Rooms: Living room, Kitchen, Office

Blend with it

Cautions

Discolors soap or wax (usually tan to dark brown)
Accelerates trace or seizes in cold-process soap

Spice-heavy blends can irritate sensitive skin; follow your supplier's certificate for soap.

How it behaves

CandlesGreat

Throws well and stays cozy rather than sugary; a touch of cardamom essential oil sharpens it.

Wax meltsGreat

Reed diffuserWorkable

Room & linen sprayGood

Electric (water) diffuserAvoid

Cold-process soapWorkable

Usually discolors to tan or brown and spice notes can accelerate trace. Soap cool and work quickly.

Melt-and-pour soapGood

Browns in melt-and-pour over weeks; a vanilla color stabilizer slows it, or choose a brown design.

Laundry & cleaningWorkable

Pairs well with

Vanilla

Base · Gourmand

Cardamom

Middle · Spicy

Ginger

Middle · Spicy

Clove Bud

Middle · Spicy

Cinnamon Leaf

Middle · Spicy

Honey

Base · Gourmand

Almond

Middle · Gourmand

Sandalwood

Black Pepper

Pumpkin Spice

Middle · Gourmand

Don't have it? Try Pumpkin Spice.

In these blends

Spiced Chai Latte

A mug of milky chai with cardamom and ginger on a rainy afternoon.

Chai · Mandarin · Vanilla · Tonka Bean · Cardamom · Ginger

Top 24% Middle 53% Base 24%

CozyCalmingAutumnWinter

A little lore

Chai simply means tea in Hindi; the spiced milk version, masala chai, became widespread in India during the 20th century.