Castoreum resinoid

Latin name :

The beaver is an animal of the Castoridae family and of the genus Castor.

Botanical profile :

Data not available.

Geographic origin :

Data not available.

Chemotypes :

The Siberian castoreum pocket quality is known to be better than the Canadian one.

Extraction process :

Castoreum results from the extraction of a secretion located in the pocket of the American or European beaver, located near its anus. The beaver uses this secretion, in combination with its urine, to mark its territory and coat himself with an impervious layer to dive into the water. This pocket is both present in the male and the female. The beaver must be killed in order to collect the secretion pocket.
The resinoid results from drying the pocket for one to two years, grinding and then dyeing it in the alcohol. This dyeing is generally carried out by mixing about 20 parts of alcohol by weight depending on the mass of the bags. A small amount of potash can be added to promote the extraction. The overall yield of the extraction is relatively high: 45 to 75% castorum resin is soluble in alcohol.
Sometimes, the pockets drying is done with the smoke of a wood fire. This practice gives the extract a smokier and more violent smell, bringing it closer to the birch tar note.
The castoreum resinoid can be distilled to be bleached, without a great olfactory deterioration.

Major Components :

Benzoic Acid
Gaiacol
Créosol
Castorine
Cinnamic Acid