Raw benzoin tears are not a perfume material. They are a solid that must be turned into something that dissolves, blends and can be weighed. There are three routes, and the choice affects the smell, the price and what the result is good for.
Resinoid
How it is made. Raw benzoin, usually Sumatra for cost, is crushed and washed with a solvent. Historically benzene, then hexane or ethanol; today often a heavy, non-volatile solvent such as benzyl benzoate or dipropylene glycol, which stays in the product. The solvent dissolves the aromatic esters and acids and leaves bark, dust and insoluble matter behind. Volatile solvents are then evaporated.
What it is like. A thick, sticky, dark amber to brown mass, sometimes so viscous it must be warmed to pour. It smells strongly and closely of the raw resin: sweet, balsamic, vanillic, with the Sumatra grades showing their cinnamon-storax warmth. Resinoids made with a retained solvent are more fluid and effectively pre-diluted, typically 50 %.
Used for. Soap, candles, incense pastes and cones, heavier perfume bases, and anywhere the material’s cost matters more than its refinement. It is a superb fixative and reads as “natural” and a little rough.
Absolute
How it is made. The resinoid (or a hexane concrete) is dissolved in ethanol, chilled so that waxes and insoluble resin precipitate, filtered, and the ethanol gently evaporated. The result is the alcohol-soluble aromatic fraction only.
What it is like. Paler and more fluid than the resinoid, from golden to reddish brown. Cleaner and more diffusive on the blotter, with the vanilla and sweet-balsamic notes forward and less of the raw resin’s dust and rough edges. Siam absolute is creamy and smooth; Sumatra absolute spicier. Both last a day or more on paper.
Used for. Fine perfumery, alcohol-based perfumes where the resinoid’s insolubles would cloud the liquid, and any composition where the cleanest benzoin note is wanted. Priced like other absolutes, per ten grams.
Tincture
How it is made. Coarsely crushed benzoin is macerated in ethanol (roughly 1:5 to 1:10 by weight) for two to four weeks with shaking, then filtered. The older the tincture, the smoother.
What it is like. A clear, amber to brown liquid with a full, natural benzoin scent. Weaker than an absolute but the most “true to the tear” of the three, and the alcohol carries the scent well. Pharmacy tinctures are the same thing made to a monograph.
Used for. Home perfumery, room sprays, aftershaves, the base of a solid perfume once evaporated down, and skin use in the pharmacy form. Also the simplest way to smell what benzoin does in alcohol without buying an absolute. See Tincture of benzoin.
Side by side
| Resinoid | Absolute | Tincture | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concentration | Medium (often pre-diluted) | High | Low |
| Colour, consistency | Dark, thick, sticky | Golden-brown, fluid | Clear liquid |
| Scent | Full, raw, slightly rough | Clean, smooth, diffusive | Natural, gentle |
| Solubility in alcohol | Partial; may cloud | Complete | Already in alcohol |
| Cost per useful dose | Low | High | Very low |
| Best for | Soap, incense, heavy bases | Fine perfumery | Hobby, sprays, solids |
Which to buy
- Starting out: a small bottle of Siam benzoin absolute, plus tears to tincture yourself.
- Making incense or soap: Sumatra resinoid.
- Working in alcohol and caring about clarity: absolute.
- Wanting the most natural smell for the least money: tincture, aged a few months.
Whatever you buy, ask for the species (Styrax tonkinensis or S. benzoin) and, for resinoids, the solvent and dilution. See How to buy benzoin.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a benzoin essential oil?
No. Benzoin has too little volatile oil to steam distil. Products sold as 'benzoin essential oil' are resinoids or absolutes diluted in a solvent.
Which is stronger, benzoin absolute or resinoid?
The absolute is more concentrated and more diffusive; the resinoid contains more inert resin and smells closer to the raw material. Weight for weight the absolute goes further.
Can I make benzoin absolute at home?
You can make a tincture and, by evaporating it carefully, a crude resinoid. A true absolute needs solvent extraction and chilling equipment. For hobby perfumery a good tincture is usually enough.
Sources & further reading
- benzoin
- absolute
- resinoid
- tincture
- extraction
