BRAND NEW AND SEALED

Botanical Name: Styrax benzoin

Plant Part: Gum Oleoresin

Cultivation: Conventional

Use: Natural Perfumery. Always dilute.

Note: Base Note

Top Note: Thick smoke and leather

Aroma: Rich, intensely sweet, warm, powdery, balsamic, vanilla-like aroma, with a subtle spicy/cinnamon-like undertone; good fixative.

Contraindications: Skin sensitization (low risk); please see Safety Considerations.


Overeview

Styrax Essential Oil (Loban) (benzoin)


Loban Benzoin has been traded in the Middle East and North Africa for upwards of 5,000 years. It is believed that the Babylonians and Assyrians burned them during religious ceremonies. The ancient Egyptians bought entire boatloads of the resins from the Phoenicians, using them in incense, insect repellent, perfume and salves for wounds and sores; they were also key ingredients in the embalming process. 


Our Benzoin has a rich, intensely sweet, warm, powdery, balsamic, vanilla-like aroma, with a subtle spicy/cinnamon-like undertone. It is an effective fixative for the middle notes of perfume compositions, soaps, cosmetics and toiletries1,2, while the raw material is used extensively in the manufacture of incense.3 It is worthwhile to note that the addition of too much Benzoin can suppress the odor of other aromatic ingredients.4,5 'Sweet, but not sugary', 'rich but not heavy' are the reasons why perfumers prize Benzoin.6


Benzoin is a resinous tree in the Styracaceae family. The genus Styrax contains about 130 species of trees and shrubs occurring in tropical to temperate climates with three main areas of distribution: southeastern Asia, southeastern North America to South America, and a single species in the Mediterranean.7


To harvest Benzoin resin, farmers climb up to a height of 30 feet using rope ladders where an incision is made in the bark to make it 'weep' (release) the gum. After about ten weeks this exudate forms 'tears'. Apparently simple, but physically demanding, this is a skilled technique that will soon be lost, especially as synthetic chemicals replace real Benzoin. When 7-10 years old, one tree can provide an average of up to 0.5 kilo of resin per year. As it is, the yield is very low - 1.2 kilos of tears makes 1 kilo of Benzoin resinoid.8


PLEASE NOTE: Benzoin (30% ethanol, 70% Benzoin resin) is not recommended for Aromatherapy; it is intended for use in perfumery only. However, it has benefits for the psyche. Marguerite Maury states that it "creates a kind of euphoria; it interposes a padded zone between us and events."9 And some aromatherapists believe that it "heals the wounds of the soul," according to Mindy Green.10


For information regarding the use of Benzoin in perfumery, please see:


Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin, Steffan Arctander, 1960, pp. 87-91.

Artisan Perfumery - or Being Led by the Nose, Alec Lawless, 2009, p. 69.

Natural Perfumes - Simple Aromatherapy Recipes, Mindy Green, 1999, p. 53.

Perfumery Technology - Art: Science: Industry, 2nd ed., F. V. Wells and Marcel Billot, 1981, p. 112.

Perfumes of Yesterday, David G. Williams, 2004, p. 167.

Aromatic Profile: Rich, intensely sweet, warm, powdery, balsamic, vanilla-like aroma, with a subtle spicy/cinnamon-like undertone; good fixative.


Appearance: Brownish-red/orange, transparent, viscous mobile liquid. PLEASE NOTE: Not soluble in fixed (carrier/vegetable) oils.


Use: Natural Perfumery.


Blending Suggestions: Add drop by drop to your perfume blends until the desired effect is achieved. May need to be further diluted before using. This product is soluble in alcohol and insoluble in carrier or fixed oils.


Blends Well With: Bergamot, Black Pepper, Coriander and other spice oils, Cypress, Frankincense, Geranium, Ginger, Grapefruit, Helichrysum, Jasmine, Juniper, Lavender, Lemon, Litsea Cubeba, Myrrh, Myrtle, Nutmeg, Orange (Sweet), Palmarosa, Patchouli, Petitgrain, Rose, Sandalwood, Tuberose, Vanilla, Ylang Ylang. "It … can be a very useful constituent of, and fixative in, floral-balsamic, fougère, new mown hay and other blends."11 In carefully controlled amounts, it is used as a fixative for light, floral perfumes.12


Safety Considerations: Skin sensitization (low risk); avoid use on hypersensitive, diseased or damaged skin and on children less than 2 years of age.13 A maximum dermal use level of 2.0% is recommended.14 May need to be further diluted before using. A patch test should be performed before use for those with sensitive skin.


1 Lawless, Julia. The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils, 2013, p. 48.


2 Williams, David G. Perfumes of Yesterday, 2004, p. 9.


3 Hughes, Kerry. The Incense Bible - Plant Scents That Transcend World Culture, Medicine, and Spirituality, 2007, pp. 102-6.


4 Arctander, Steffen. Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin, 1960, p. 89.


5 Curtis, Tony and David G. Williams. An Introduction to Perfumery, 2nd ed., 2009, p. 242.


6 Industry communication.


7 http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/ac776e/ac776e08.htm


8 Naturals Compendium, International Flavors & Fragrances, 2009, p.24.


9 Maury, Marguerite. Marguerite Maury's Guide to Aromatherapy, 1989, p. 96.


10 Green, Mindy. Natural Perfumes - Simple Aromatherapy Recipes, 1999, p. 53.


11 Wells, F.V. and Marcel Billot. Perfumery Technology - Art: Science: Industry, 2nd ed., 1981, p. 112.


12 Curtis, Tony and David G. Williams. An Introduction to Perfumery, 2nd ed., 2009, p. 242.


13 Tisserand, Robert and Rodney Young. Essential Oil Safety, 2nd ed., 2014, p. 210.


14 Ibid.



About Our Products:

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How Best To Use These Oils:

There are many, many ways to use Essential Oils, here are just a few...

Oil Burners - One of the most popular ways is using them with an oil burner. Adding a few drops to your oil burner will create a lasting beautiful aroma, you can also mix oils to create your own smell.

Bath - Adding a few drops of our oils to your bath creates a heavenly, natural and pure aroma, and is proven to be a highly effective way get the most our of essential oils.

Massage - Our oils are strong, so please do not use them directly on your skin. Adding a few drops to a carrier oils (such as Grapeseed oil), and then massaging it on to your forehead, palms, neck, back, feet or other affected areas work wonders.

Making your own products - Many of you like create your own soaps, candles and beauty products, and these oils are perfect for that. They are of therapeutic grade, natural, pure and all hand bottled in the UK, making them ideal for you creative souls out there who make your own products.

Others - Other popular ways apart from the above include, de-humidifiers, diffusers, on your pillow at night, meditation, car air fresheners and in steam / saunas.

Warning:

* For external us only. Do not use essential oils internally. 
* Do not apply directly to skin (sensitive skin); always dilute with carrier oil. Do a small test first.
* Keep out of reach of children.
* Avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes.
* Avoid pro-longed exposure to direct sunlight.
* Use only pure essential oils
* Store essential oils and carrier oils properly to avoid degradation and rancidity. 
* Do not use on children, or when pregnant or while using medication.
* An essential oil should not be used instead of seeing a doctor for medical advice.
* Never self-prescribe and if in doubt please ask your doctor. 
* If an allergic reaction occurs or you get the oil in your eyes then wash away the oil with water and then seek medical attention straight away. 

Use by:  We suggest using your oil within 12 months of purchase. Some will last longer and some scents mature with age.

Please note: Eden Essential Oil accepts no liability for misuse of any of our products.