Amber · Natural material · Heart notes, Base notes
Benzoin
Benzoin is a resin from Styrax trees, known in Indonesia as kemenyan. It smells sweet like vanilla and balsam, with a warm, slightly powdery side. Sumatra benzoin comes from the island of Sumatra, while Siam benzoin comes from Indochina. The resin usually sits in the heart or base notes, and its sweetness carries through to the end of a perfume.
· Written by the FRAG team
What does benzoin smell like?
Benzoin smells sweet and warm, like vanilla mixed with balsam. Siam benzoin is softer, with a vanilla and powder feel. Sumatra benzoin is denser, with a spicy edge. Both have a round, slightly sticky resinous character.
Benzoin in perfume smells sweeter and softer than burning kemenyan. Perfumers use it as a resin extract, so there is no smoke or burnt edge unless another material adds one on purpose.
Sumatra benzoin and Siam benzoin
Benzoin comes from Styrax trees. The trunk is lightly cut, and a white sap seeps out and hardens on the bark for four to six months before it is collected. Sumatra benzoin comes from Styrax benzoin and Styrax paralleloneurus, known in Sumatra as kemenyan durame and kemenyan toba. Siam benzoin comes from Styrax tonkinensis in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
In Indonesia, kemenyan has long been used as incense and as a fragrance material. The name styrax on note lists usually refers to a different resin, storax from trees in the Altingiaceae family, so benzoin and styrax are two separate notes.
What benzoin does in a perfume
In the heart and base notes, benzoin acts as a fixative that slows the evaporation of other notes. Benzoin is also a key part of the amber accord, together with labdanum and vanilla.
With vanilla and tonka, benzoin feels like a warm dessert. With incense and myrrh, it smells like sweet incense. Labdanum and amber make benzoin thicker and more resinous.
Benzoin for rainy days and evenings
The warm sweetness of benzoin suits the rainy season, evenings, or days when you want a soft scent that stays close to the skin. On a hot day, benzoin still works well as a base under citrus, flowers or fresh notes.
