Sumatra benzoin resinoid

Latin name :

Benzoin is a resin gum from trees of the Styracaceae family and the genus Styrax.

Botanical profile :

Styrax benzoin Dryand.
Synonyms : Benzoin officinale Hayne // Styrax benjuifer Stokes

Geographic origin :

Data not available.

Chemotypes :

The Styrax family includes about 130 species found mainly in Southeast Asia or South America.
Two varieties of Benzoin are used in perfumery:
Styrax tonkinensis so called Siam Benzoin Resinoid
Styrax benzoin so called Sumatra Benzoin Resinoid
Sumatra benzoin is more used than the Siam Benzoin because it is spicier and has a softer vanilla scent.

Extraction process :

The benzoin producing trees are about 25 meters high and grow at more than 1500 meters altitude. Farmers start exploiting the trees when they reach the age of 8 for Siam and 25 for Sumatra, lasting about 10 years.
The gum-resin is obtained by a voluntary incision on the barks of the tree. This incision causes the exsudation of a milky resin which solidifies by oxidation when in contact with air. Harvesting is done by scratching the teardrops for a yield of 4 to 6 kg per tree per year.
Finally, the gums are extracted with organic solvent (ethanol) to obtain the resinoid by filtration after glazing (temperature gradient from 140 °F to 32 °F) the center.
It is very unusual to obtain an essential oil of benzoin by hydrodistillation.
The benzoin resinoid can be distilled to be bleached, without a great olfactory deterioration.

Major Components :

Cinnamic Esters (70-80%)
Cinnamic Acid (15-20%)
Vanillin (≈1%)
Plotter(s) : Ethoxy Coniferol (or Coniferyl Ethyl Ether) (≈2%)