May Chang: Mountain Pepper

Litsea cubeba. The oil you've smelled a hundred times without knowing its name.

Where it comes from

May chang is a small evergreen tree from the mountains of southern China, Taiwan and Southeast Asia, related to the bay laurel and the cinnamon tree. The Chinese name, shan ji jiao, translates roughly as "mountain pepper." The tiny, pepper-like fruits have been used in Chinese and Vietnamese cooking and traditional medicine for centuries, and the oil is steam-distilled from them. Nearly all of the world's supply still comes from China. It only became known in the West in the mid-20th century, when perfumers discovered it was a cheaper, softer source of the same lemony compound (citral) found in lemongrass.

What it does for skin

May chang is a bright, cleansing oil traditionally used for oily and combination skin, much like lemongrass. In soap it adds a clean citrus lift and helps the lemony notes last longer on skin than lemon peel oil can manage on its own.

How it smells

Like lemongrass with the grass taken out: sweet, fruity and intensely lemony, with a soft floral edge. It bridges the lemon and the ginger in our Lemongrass & Ginger bar and keeps the citrus from fading in the first thirty seconds.

Good to know

If you've ever wondered why some "lemon" products smell more like lemon than actual lemons do, may chang is usually the reason.