What does benzoin smell like? Vanilla's resinous soul

Benzoin is one of perfume's quiet heroes. It rarely gets top billing, but it is the soft, sweet warmth inside countless amber, vanilla and powdery perfumes. It comes from the sap of a tree, has been burned as incense for centuries, and even gave its name to a whole branch of chemistry.

What does it smell like?

Sweet, warm and balsamic, like a softer, more resinous vanilla. In one breath you might notice:

• Vanilla: a gentle, creamy sweetness
• Caramel and candy floss: a soft, sugary fluffiness
• Resin: a sticky, balsamic warmth, like tree sap
• Powder: a dry, slightly dusty softness
• Cinnamon: a light spicy edge, mainly in some types

Benzoin feels cosy and comforting. It is less sharp than many resins and less sugary than pure vanilla.

Where it comes from

Benzoin is a resin from Styrax trees, which grow in Southeast Asia. Two main types are used:

• Siam benzoin comes from Styrax tonkinensis. It grows mainly in Laos, with smaller amounts from Vietnam and Thailand. It is lighter in colour and sweeter, with a strong vanilla-like smell. Perfumers usually consider it the finer grade.
• Sumatra benzoin comes from Styrax benzoin and related species on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia. It is darker and more balsamic, with a sharper, slightly spicy edge from cinnamic compounds.

In Laos, collecting benzoin has long been a small-scale, village-based activity in the highlands.

How it's made

1. Tapping. Collectors cut small notches into the bark of the tree.
2. Hardening. The tree responds by oozing a sticky resin, which hardens in the air into pale "tears".
3. Collecting. After several months, the tears are scraped off by hand.
4. Extraction. Raw benzoin is a hard solid, so perfumers dissolve it in solvents to make a resinoid, a thick, sticky material that blends easily into perfume. It can also be made into a tincture in alcohol.

Siam benzoin is rich in benzoic acid compounds and contains vanillin, the main smell molecule of vanilla. That is why it smells so sweet.

A short history of benzoin

• The name: "Benzoin" comes from the Arabic lubān jāwī, meaning "incense of Java". Over time, traders and European languages wore it down into benjoin and then benzoin. Arab merchants carried it along the spice routes to the Middle East and Europe.
• Incense: Benzoin has been burned for centuries in Buddhist temples, Hindu rituals, mosques and Christian churches. It is still a key ingredient in many incense blends, including the Arabian bakhoor.
• Chemistry: Benzoic acid was first isolated from benzoin resin in the 16th century. In the 1830s, chemists who made benzene from benzoic acid named it after that acid, and so, indirectly, after this resin. So benzoin is, in a way, the ancestor of many chemistry words.
• Medicine: Friar's Balsam, a traditional remedy, is a solution of benzoin in alcohol, used for steam inhalation and to protect small cuts. Benzoin tincture is also used in medicine to help dressings stick to skin.
• Papier d'Arménie: This famous French paper incense, made since the late 1800s, uses benzoin to scent rooms with a sweet, warm smoke.

Benzoin in modern perfume

Benzoin is a classic base note, meaning it appears late and lasts long. It also acts as a fixative, slowing down the evaporation of lighter materials.

You will find benzoin in:

• Amber accords: with labdanum and vanilla, benzoin forms the warm core of most amber perfumes.
• Powdery perfumes: alongside iris, violet and heliotrope, where it adds a soft sweetness.
• Gourmands: it boosts caramel and vanilla notes without making them too sugary.
• Incense perfumes: it softens smoky notes like frankincense.

Natural vs synthetic benzoin

Benzoin is still mainly a natural material. It is not rare or very expensive compared with materials like oud or orris. Perfumers sometimes support or extend it with synthetic vanillin, ethylvanillin or other balsamic molecules, but many perfumes use real benzoin resinoid.

Like many natural resins, benzoin can irritate very sensitive skin, so it is used within industry safety limits.

What benzoin pairs well with

• Vanilla and tonka bean: for a deep, gourmand sweetness
• Labdanum: together they make the classic amber accord
• Iris and violet: for a soft, powdery, vintage feel
• Frankincense and myrrh: for a warm, church-like incense
• Rose: for a rich, jammy floral
• Sandalwood: for a creamy, smooth base

Perfumes to try

• Prada Candy by Prada (2011): caramel, musk and a big dose of benzoin. Sweet, playful and very cosy.
• Ambre Sultan by Serge Lutens (1993): herbs over a dark, resinous amber of benzoin and labdanum.
• Infusion d'Iris by Prada: clean, powdery iris with a soft resin base.
• Interlude Woman by Amouage: a smoky, resinous, incense-heavy perfume for experienced noses.

How to wear benzoin

• Benzoin-rich perfumes are warm and comforting, so they suit autumn and winter best.
• Light, powdery benzoin perfumes can work all year and at the office.
• They last a long time. Two or three sprays is enough.
• Try burning a strip of Papier d'Arménie or a benzoin incense to learn the raw smell.

Who will love it

Anyone who loves vanilla but wants something softer, smokier and less like dessert. If you like amber, incense or powdery perfumes, you probably already enjoy benzoin without knowing it.