WTF is Cedarwood Virginia?

Nope, it’s not part of the great state that it shares its name with (S/O Squatch Nation Virginia/West Virginia), it’s actually an up-cycled essential oil and a key sustainable ingredient we’re using in our new spray cologne. Not only does it bring long-lasting, rugged-smelling scent power to all of our fresh new scents, but it’s the perfect way to utilize an earth-friendly ingredient and keep things natural.

Ready to learn more? Let’s goooooo!

Sustainably-Sourced Cologne?
When we first set out to create our cologne, we wanted to develop a formula that adheres to our mission of natural-sourcing best practices. We love the woods and the great outdoors just like you, so we wanted to find a way to create a cologne that makes men smell like champions, has a scent that lasts all day, and, most importantly, is created using naturally-derived ingredients (and no harsh chemicals or synthetics) and uses a process that limits waste. So, we turned to sustainable/up-cycled ingredients like Cedarwood Virginia.

WTF is Cedarwood Virginia?
Cedarwood Virginia is an essential oil that is produced in log recovery and is created with an up-cycling process that ensures every bit of the trees are used and nothing goes to waste. Picture this: a company is chopping down a cedar tree in order to create furniture like closets, wardrobes, and dressers. This uses up a majority of the wood that the tree provides, but not all of it. What about that huge a** pile of sawdust left on the floor after all of the cutting, sanding, and construction of those closets? Well, it doesn’t just get thrown away or burned! That sawdust is actually taken through a process called steam distillation (more on that in a sec) in order to create the Cedarwood Virginia essential oil.

What’s Steam Distillation?
We’re not all scientists, but luckily we do have a doctor in house..well in the woods really, but you get the point! We asked Dr. Squatch to explain what the hell steam distillation means. Here’s what he said:

Steam distillation is a method used to extract essential oils from plants. It involves heating the sawdust to produce steam, which then carries the oils away from the sawdust and into a condenser. The condenser then cools the steam, causing it to turn back into a liquid form. 

The essential oils, which are not as dense as water, will rise to the top of the liquid and can be collected separately. Boom! Now we have REAL Cedarwood Virginia oil and we’re not letting any part of that tree go to waste. You’re welcome.

So Why Is It In The Cologne?
Staying true to our roots (see what we did there?), we use Cedarwood Virginia primarily for its woodsy, long-lasting scent. Plus, just like every product we make, we wanted to ensure that we were using naturally-sourced ingredients rather than the harsh chemicals and synthetics that many fancy and expensive mass-market brands use. Many of those synthetic sprays are packed with phthalates and phthalates and polycyclic musks that can potentially cause skin irritations and even reproductive issues. Smell like nature intended with our rugged, long-lasting cologne and get ready to smell like a champion all day (and night!) long.