A Guide to Natural Aromatic Resins, Balsams and Gum Resins
Resins, oleoresins, gum resins and balsams are not the same thing. What each is, how they behave, the main aromatic species, and how they smell next to one another.
The aromatic family
Resins & Balsams
Frankincense, myrrh, labdanum, copal, styrax and the rest of the natural resin family, one by one.
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Frankincense (Olibanum): Species, Grades, Scent and Use
The gum resin of Boswellia trees from Oman, Somalia, Ethiopia and India. What the species and grades mean, why it burns so well, how it smells, and how it is used in incense and perfumery.
Myrrh: The Bitter Resin of Commiphora
Myrrh is the gum resin of Commiphora myrrha from the Horn of Africa and Arabia. Its bitter, warm, medicinal scent, its ancient uses in embalming, medicine and incense, and how to burn it well.
Labdanum: The Rock Rose Resin Behind Every Amber
Labdanum is the sticky resin of Cistus shrubs from the Mediterranean. Leathery, ambery and animalic, it is the backbone of amber accords in perfumery and a heavy, warm incense. History, harvest, scent and use.
Storax (Styrax Balsam): The Leathery Balsam of Liquidambar
Storax is the semi-liquid balsam of sweetgum trees, Liquidambar orientalis and L. styraciflua. Leathery, spicy and floral, it is a classic perfumery fixative and one of the oldest incense materials of the Near East.
Copal: The Bright Resin of Mesoamerican Incense
Copal is a family of young tree resins from Bursera, Protium, Hymenaea and other trees. Its bright, citrus-pine smoke has been the incense of Mexico and Central America since before the Aztecs.
Elemi: The Fresh, Lemon-Pepper Oleoresin of the Philippines
Elemi is the soft, pale oleoresin of Canarium luzonicum. Fresh, lemony and peppery, it brightens incense blends, gives a clean essential oil for perfumery, and was once a varnish and wound-dressing resin.
Opoponax (Sweet Myrrh): The Softer Commiphora
Opoponax is the gum resin of Commiphora guidottii from Somalia and Ethiopia. Sweeter and more balsamic than common myrrh, it is a classic base note in perfumery and a natural partner for benzoin.
Tolu Balsam and Peru Balsam: Two Balsams From One Tree
Both come from Myroxylon balsamum in Central and South America. Tolu is solid, warm and cinnamon-floral; Peru balsam is a dark liquid, sweeter and heavier. Their scent, chemistry, uses and allergy reputation.
Mastic: The Tears of Chios
Mastic is the resin of Pistacia lentiscus, cultivated on the Greek island of Chios for two thousand years. Chewed, cooked, distilled and burned, it is clean, piney and faintly cedar-like.
Dragon's Blood: The Red Resin of Palms and Dracaena
Dragon's blood is a deep red resin from Daemonorops rattan palms and Dracaena trees. Used for colour, varnish, ritual and medicine rather than scent, it burns with a faint, sweet-woody smoke.
Amber: Fossil Resin vs the Perfumer's Amber Accord
The amber in a jeweller's window and the amber in a perfume have almost nothing in common. What fossil amber is, why it barely smells, and how perfumery built an 'amber' from labdanum, benzoin and vanilla.
Galbanum: The Green Resin of Ferula
Galbanum is the gum oleoresin of Ferula species from Iran. Intensely green, sharp and resinous, it is a perfumery material more than an incense, and one of the ingredients of the biblical Temple incense.
Dammar and Sandarac: The Varnish Resins That Also Burn Clean
Dammar from Southeast Asian dipterocarps and sandarac from North African cypress are the classic pale varnish resins. Both burn with a light, clean, piney smoke and make good bases for incense blends.