If you grew up in India, you already know vetiver – you just know it as khus. It is the fibrous root woven into the screens that hung in doorways before air conditioning, splashed with water so the breeze came through cool and fragrant. It is the green of khus sherbet. And it is the heart of our Defense spray.
What is vetiver?
Vetiver (Chrysopogon zizanioides, often still listed by its older name Vetiveria zizanoides) is a tall, clumping grass native to India. The scent is in the roots, which grow deep and dense. The oil is distilled from those roots.
Its fragrance is earthy, woody and smoky, with a damp, green freshness – the smell of soil after rain and cool shade on a hot afternoon. In perfumery it is a base note: deep, long-lasting, grounding. On our carton it appears as Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil.
Cypress: hinoki leaf
The cypress in Defense is hinoki, the Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa), listed on the carton as Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Oil. The leaf oil is greener and sharper than the wood oil we use in the Dry Foam Shampoo: fresh, resinous, forest-like.
It lifts the heavy, earthy vetiver and gives the spray its clean, outdoors character.
Eucalyptus and neem
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil adds a cool, camphor-fresh edge. Azadirachta Indica Leaf Extract – neem, another plant every Indian household knows – completes the formula. Aloe vera and glycerin keep it gentle on the coat.
How Defense uses scent
Defense is a plant-derived tick and flea repellent. It helps deter ticks and fleas through scent: vetiver root oil and cypress oil are plant-derived aromatic compounds that ticks and fleas actively avoid, and neem extract adds a further deterrent layer.
What’s out of it: permethrin, synthetic pyrethroids, DEET, fipronil and synthetic pesticides. It is a sensitive-skin, pH-balanced formulation.
Just as important is what it is not. Defense is a repellent you apply before a walk, not a medicated treatment. It does not kill or remove ticks already on your dog. If you find one, remove it carefully, and for an active tick or flea problem, see your vet. Our guide to natural tick repellents explains how repellents fit into a full tick routine.
How to use it
Shake well. Hold 20 cm from the coat and apply 6–8 sprays across the back, flanks and base of the tail, avoiding the eyes and mouth. Let it dry completely before you head out, and repeat before each walk in tick-active places: long grass, parks, trails and the monsoon months. It is made for dogs and is not for cats; check with your vet before using it on a puppy.
How it smells
On the coat, the eucalyptus and cypress come first – cool and green. As it dries, the vetiver settles in: earthy and calm. It is a scent most people find more pleasant than they expect from a tick spray, which makes it easier to use before every single walk.
Make it part of the walk: Defense before, the Paw Cleaner after in the Out & Back Duo, or the whole sequence with Refreshing Mist in the Walk Ritual Kit.
