Tolu Balsam and Peru Balsam: Two Balsams From One Tree

Tolu and Peru balsam are what benzoin would be if it were a little more cinnamon, a little more floral and, in Peru’s case, liquid. They come from the same tree, Myroxylon balsamum, a tall legume of the American tropics, and they sit next to benzoin in every perfumer’s amber drawer.

The tree and the two products

Myroxylon balsamum is a large tree of the Fabaceae, native from Mexico to Brazil. Two varieties give two materials:

Tolu balsam (M. balsamum var. balsamum), from Colombia and Venezuela, named after the town of Tolú. The bark is cut in a V and the balsam collected in cups as it flows. It is soft and reddish brown when fresh and hardens to a brittle, amber-coloured solid with a crystalline fracture.

Peru balsam (M. balsamum var. pereirae), from El Salvador and neighbouring countries. The bark is beaten and scorched to stimulate flow; the balsam is absorbed into rags wrapped round the trunk, then boiled out and pressed. It is a dark brown, viscous, non-hardening liquid with a strong smell.

Chemistry

Both are cinnamate-benzoate balsams. The key components are benzyl benzoate, benzyl cinnamate (“cinnamein”, 60 % or more of Peru balsam), cinnamic and benzoic acids, vanillin, nerolidol and farnesol. Tolu has more free cinnamic acid and hardens because of it; Peru balsam is richer in the liquid esters. This concentrated mix is what makes them excellent fixatives and notorious sensitizers.

Scent

Tolu: warm, sweet, balsamic, with clear cinnamon and a floral, hyacinth-like note. Drier and more resinous than Peru. In dilution it has a lovely spiced-honey quality.

Peru: sweeter, heavier, more vanilla-cinnamon, with a smoky, almost tarry depth from the scorching. Some people find it too much undiluted; in a base at low levels it is rich and comforting.

Both are close cousins of Sumatra benzoin, which shares their cinnamates. See What does benzoin smell like? for the comparison.

Uses

Perfumery. Both are fixatives and amber-oriental base materials, and were staples of classical perfumery. IFRA restricts Peru balsam severely (the crude balsam is prohibited in fragrance; only a distilled or purified form within limits) and tolu less so. They pair with benzoin, labdanum, vanilla, rose and spices.

Pharmacy. Tolu balsam is the traditional flavour and mild expectorant in cough syrups (“tolu syrup”) and a component of compound benzoin tincture. Peru balsam was used in wound ointments and haemorrhoid preparations for its antiseptic and healing reputation, and still appears in some.

Flavouring. Small amounts have been used in tobacco, chocolate and cola-type flavours, which is one route by which people become sensitized.

The allergy question

Peru balsam is one of the most common positive reactions in dermatology patch testing. It is not that the balsam is unusually dangerous; it is that it contains, concentrated, the same molecules found across fragrance, spices, citrus peel and flavourings, so a Peru balsam reaction is a marker for the whole group. Anyone with a positive test is usually advised to avoid benzoin, tolu, storax, cinnamon and many perfumes. See Benzoin safety and allergies.

Buying

Tolu is sold as brittle amber pieces or as a resinoid; Peru balsam as a dark liquid in bottles. For incense, tolu is easier to handle and burns with a sweet, spicy smoke; Peru balsam must be absorbed into a base powder. Store sealed and away from heat.

• tolu
• peru balsam
• myroxylon
• balsam