BENZOIN/STYRAX/STORAX RESIN EO Profile
By Jeanne Rose ~ Sept. 2018
Synopsis ~ The balsamic gum-resins contains both resin and a water-soluble gum. The ‘tear’ has no scent and can be handled like a rock. The confusing names have to do with historical references but are clarified in the article by Jeanne Rose that gives botany, yields, history and more. Read on for differences in the two.
Styrax and Benzoin from 1972-2018 – photo by Jeanne Rose
Common Name/Latin Binomial: BENZOIN & STYRAX ~
Benzoin. (See also Styrax) BENZOIN is an Asian gum resin, Styrax benzoin. In its natural state it is a ‘tear’ that is solid, has no scent, can be handled and rubbed and fondled like a small irregular rock. It is a called a resin and is extruded naturally from The Styrax Benzoin tree, Styrax tonkinensis, and other species of Styrax. In its raw state it consists of both a gum and a resin, sometimes with a small amount of EO. It is not water-soluble, as you would think a gum is. It can be burned on smoke like any incense. It is a preservative in skin care products or an addition to essential oil blends. It can be diluted with essential oil blends or alcohol for perfumery purposes. The scent is sweet, balsamic, woody, fruity and floral – it acts as either a base note or a fixative in perfumery. Benzoin resin from Styrax is also called gum Benjamin or simply gum Benzoin and the most common Asian species is Benzoin styrax.
Tincture of benzoin is a strong and pungent solution of Benzoin resin in ethanol. “A similar preparation called Friar’s Balsam or Compound Benzoin Tincture contains, in addition, Cape aloes or Barbados aloes and Storax resin. Friar’s balsam was invented by Joshua Ward around 1760”. Friars Balsam cannot be substituted for Balsam of Peru/Tolu to my knowledge. See the comparison of chemicals later on in the paper.
This is the very confusing world of words as the words Benzoin, Storax, Styrax are used interchangeably but are actually two different resins from several different trees named Styrax and Liquidamber. This is where thousands of years of using common names will totally confuse the novice resin user and make you want to tear your hair out by the roots.
Storax is a sweet-smelling exudate (from a tree) and in fact that is what the root word from the Arabic means. The word ‘Storax’ often refers to the solid resin only while Styrax is the scent in liquid form. But Storax comes from several species of Liquidambar spp.; Turkish Storax is Liquidamber orientalis while American Storax is Liquidambar styraciflua is from the southeastern USA, Mexico and Guatemala, and is similar to L. orientalis. (See also Styrax)
Styrax (STYRAX & STORAX) ~ (See also Benzoin) Storax is the word usually used for Liquidambar orientalis from Asia & Styrax for Liquidambar styraciflua from Central America while Benzoin is a balsamic resin from Styrax tonkinensis from Siam and Sumatra. [yes, I know this is totally confusing]
>This is an example of 3 ancient trees producing a resin but from different terroir and having similar genus names but specific species names. The name’s the same but the plants are not. Always know your plants by their correct Latin binomial and even terroir<.
Naming ~ Years ago, I wrote to Will Lapaz, the original owner of Eden Botanicals, in regards to the different looking Styrax/Benzoin that he had and I had and he responded as follows, “Styrax – which I prefer to call Liquidambar to keep it from being confused with Benzoin (even though it is still mostly known as Styrax in the industry) – is not very common and actually hard to find. Styrax we have is from L. styraciflua from Honduras and not the Levant Styrax (L. orientalis). This is one possible difference, it is worth noting that the two species do have significantly different chemical compositions. … It is a very viscous gum resin with an aroma that nearly matches airplane glue.” —Will Lapaz. Will goes on to say “I wanted to also mention (similar to Barbara’s note to you), that Herbs and Things was the very first herb book I ever bought and read back in the 70s. So, I guess that in some ways that book (and you by extension) helped to start me on a long study of medicinal plants, herbs and the quest for the perfect essence.”
Some of Jeanne Rose personal 50-year collection of Storax/Styrax
*More Common Name Information
This is an example of 3 ancient trees producing a resin but from different terroir and having similar genus names but specific species names. Always know your plants by their correct Latin binomial. Common names are common and similar to calling all brown-haired persons by the misnomer ‘Hey”.
Benzoin is also called Storax, not to be confused with the balsam of the same name obtained from another family. Although I have to admit it is most confusing and this is why you need to KNOW the Latin name and not just the common name.
Family name of the two main genus called Benzoin/Styrax/Storax
Family Hamamelidaceae include Liquidamber species of Turkish or American Storax and sometimes it is called Styrax
Family Styracaceae include Styrax species of Benzoin and Tonkin ‘Styrax’ resin
red Siam gum benzoin
COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN
Family Styracaceae – many names to confuse you.
Benzoin – Styrax benzoin or the Asian gum resin, the most common Asian species and commonly from Sumatra. Styrax benzoin is also from more humid Asian species, reported from India, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Java, Sumatra, and Malaysia
Styrax Benzoin tree – Styrax tonkinensis – gum resin from Thailand (Siam) and Sumatra
Benzoin is also called ‘Storax’ and not to be confused with the balsam of the Storax obtained from the Liquidamber trees of the Hamamelidaceae family. Please refer to the paragraph above called *More Common Name Information.
Family Hamamelidaceae
Storax – Liquidamber spp). is a common name that often refers to the powder or resin used in potpourri.
Storax, Turkish – Liquidamber orientalis from Asia Minor, is called Levant Styrax or Turkish sweetgum.
Storax, American – Liquidamber styraciflua from Central America is also called Styrax.
Eden Botanicals Harvest Location ~ Benzoin (Styrax benzoin) originates in Sumatra and is an alcohol extracted dilution of 70% resin and 30% ethanol.
Styrax (Liquidamber styraciflua) is solvent-extracted using ethanol and originates in Honduras.
Endangered or Not ~ “worries that the Liquidambar orientalis forest in the Eastern Mediterranean (i.e. the private & State-owned forest centered in S.E. Anatolia in Turkey) is now greatly reduced through wood-felling and resin extraction, to the extent that Topal et al. 2008 say the species is facing extinction). Cropwatch can therefore no longer support the use of commodities from Liquidamber orientalis in perfumery.” —Cropwatch
Liquidamber (Storax) is facing extinction.
Benzoin is considered critically endangered by FloraFaunaWeb4.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF PLANT HABITAT AND GROWTH, EXTRACTION ~
PORTION OF PLANT USED IN DISTILLATION, HOW DISTILLED, EXTRACTION METHODS AND YIELD ~
Liquidamber of the Hamamelidaceae family is a monoecious deciduous tree; and a cultivated ornamental with spectacular autumnal color. The oriental sweet gum L. orientalis is native to Asia Minor and forms large forests. The tree grows to a height of 20-40 feet, and some cases higher. The leaves are shiny bright green above and pale below. Styrax also called Storax, Liquidamber orientalis, the Levant Styrax is a natural balsam formed in the sapwood and bark tissue. The tree grows wild, the bark removed, and the sapwood is injured at intervals of several days, particularly in August and September but not in the rainy season.3 “The Styrax forms and is collected in cans below the wound and additionally the bark can be boiled to yield more of the precious substance. Water will collect at the bottom of the cans and needs to be removed.”1
The American Styrax tree, Liquidamber styraciflua has two varieties with either 3-lobed leaves or 5-7-lobed leaves. The tree grows to 100 feet and the wood is hard, close-grained and reddish brown in color. “The balsam has been long used by (native Americans); after the conquest by Cortes, it was exported to Spain in large quantities for use both as perfume and as a vulnerary.”3 (A vulnerary prevents tissue degeneration and arrests bleeding in wounds.) Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala produce the American Storax from L. styraciflua. “Here the balsam is a pathological product which exudes from the tree and accumulates in ‘pockets’ in older trees. Thus, incisions in the bark is not necessary.” — Steffen Arctander1
Liquidamber yield: Very dependent on the source, process and quantity of water in the original product.
American Styrax, L. styraciflua, will yield from 15-20% from steam distillation of the resin.
Liquidamber styraciflua –USA
“Benzoin trees are large and irregularly shaped. They are perennial, lived in mixed or disturbed forests, flowers are insect-pollinated, it is propagated by seed, the foliage is spirally arranged with stalked leaves. Styrax benzoin trees, that have been cultivated and left to mature for at least six years are harvested for this resin. First, triangular cuts are made into the bark and this causes the resin flowing within to pool out of these incisions and harden very quickly upon coming into contact with the air. The quick drying factor, combined with the gravitational force of flow, often results in a teardrop-shaped knob of hard resin left dangling from the tree. Depending on the species of tree, the resin collected ranges in color from pale yellow to dark amber. Once tapped, most trees will continue to yield a flow of resin for another three years.” — I wish I could find the original source of this paragraph. The latest place I saw it is at https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-benzoin.htm
Benzoin yield: Very dependent on the source and process by which obtained. And the product is often only the alcohol soluble resin.
Odor Description/ Aroma Assessment ~
Benzoin is considered an irritant. The scent is sweet, balsamic, woody, fruity and floral.
Styrax is an intense odor of pungent herb, hot tropical fruity subsidiary note with a back note that is animalistic and slightly civet-like. The scent is described by Guenther as a peculiar characteristic odor and a sharp, spicy taste. The eponymous scent is also resultant of the quantity of styrene which may boil off or change due to age of the product.
“Des Esseintes proceeded to turn about and warm between his hands a ball of Styrax, and a very curious odour filled the room, a smell at once repugnant and exquisite, blending the delicious scent of the jonquil with the filthy stench of gutta-percha and coal-tar. …” Against the Grain by J. K. Huysmans
Benzoin and Styrax, Fortunately, I have enough supply of these odors from original sources to always be able to supply my perfumery with these powerful pure scents that were once easily available and are no longer.
Benzoin resin from Sumatra, alcohol extract courtesy of Eden Botanicals
The right nostril processes navigational related odors. And people favor the right nostril when detecting and evaluating the intensity of odors, hinting at a broader olfactory asymmetry. So, if you are lost and wish to get home or wish to know the intensity of a scent, sniff the air with the right side. Left nostril smells the scent and right-side nostril smells the intensity.
Smell left for scent, smell right for intensity and then waft to get the entire scent experience.
Key Use ~ Perfumery. Styrax tonkinensis and Styrax benzoin from Thailand and Sumatra produces Benzoin for perfumery. Liquidamber spp. best use is as an odor fixative in perfumery.
Safety Precautions about Benzoin ~ The cruder the Benzoin the more potential to cause sensitization. “For those that do not know, sensitization is not just an irritation of the skin. It is an immune system response and can be temporary but can be with you for Life. Those that become cosmetic ingredient sensitized can have the most appallingly disfiguring skin conditions.” — Martin Watt
Safety Precautions about Storax (Liquidamber)~ Styrax also is apparently to be potentially abandoned by IFRA (International Fragrance Association) and is another aroma ingredient with an important place in the art of perfumery, being derived from a number of Liquidambar spp. including Liquidambar styraciflua L.; L. orientalis var. orientalis; L. orientalis var. integriloba & L. formosana.
GENERAL PROPERTIES
Properties and Uses ~ The properties are antiseptic and antibacterial. They are used for medicinal conditions and purposes. A tincture of Benzoin can be made from steeping the resin in an alcohol base and when administered as an inhalant, the tincture is said to be an effective natural cold remedy, as well as a treatment for bronchitis and other respiratory disorders.
In Mabberley’s Plant Book Benzoin is called styrax and properties are listed as above as well as for flavoring cigarettes and in ceremony. Some are cultivated ornamentals, S. officinalis a distinct variety in California has seeds used in beads. (this is interesting to me as I have one of these trees in my yard and have never seen it produce seeds).
“Liquidamber, is a valuable timber and aromatic balsam tree used in medicine and scent. L. orientalis is the source of the Levant Storax, and probably the balm (of Gilead) of the Bible”.2
Storax or Liquidamber spp. Is used as flavors, fragrances, and in pharmaceuticals called Friars Balsam as it has many uses. [Friars Balsam is a combination of Benzoin, Storax and Aloes]
American Storax resin (Liquidambar styraciflua) has also been chewed like gum to freshen breath and clean teeth.
Symbols from The Aromatherapy Book showing that Benzoin/Styrax
can be a skin irritant and to dilute before use.
Applications/ Skincare ~ When applied topically, the tincture of Benzoin is considered an excellent home remedy for a variety of skin disorders, including acne, psoriasis, eczema, and rashes. It was also used as an antiseptic to treat cuts, wounds, blisters, and even cold sores and ulcerations of the mouth and gums. In tropical America, Styrax tessmamanii crushed leaves are used against fungal infections of the feet. I have also read that application of tincture of Benzoin is used by the military in blister care — to drain a blister and attach the skin back to the body part and that it is called a ‘hot shot’ as it burns when applied.
Diffuse/Diffusion ~ Because the oils of Benzoin and Styrax are resinous they are not suitable for diffusion.
Emotional/Energetic Uses (AP or IN) ~ Jeanne Rose favorite use for Storax EO is simply by inhalation. This rich, resinous, sharp sweet scent is a reminder of my days in the laboratory at San Jose State University — my happy days there. For some it smells unpleasant with first smell but once it sits in your nose for a bit, the scent loses some of its sharpness and becomes rich and full.
In North Africa women burn Benzoin and Storax in broken pottery to access the divinity and for mystical purposes.
Benzoin AE & Styrax SE courtesy Eden Botanicals
Herbalism ~ In herbalism the compound tincture of Benzoin is already available in stores as it is difficult for a regular person to make it from the tears. Or, for perfumery the solvent-extracted absolute can be used diluted with alcohol. I use a 50•50 mix for perfumery. That means that I dilute the absolute with an equal amount of 95% neutral grape spirits. One can of course dilute it further for a less syrupy, less-viscous material that can be used in lotions or to preserve products (see Contraindications). A dilution of 30% absolute + 70% of the 95% alcohol will prolong a product and if this is about 10% of the total product then it acts as a preservative.
[I have mentioned Benzoin in various aspects in all of my books and assume that you know that it is a substance that leaks from a tree, solidifies and is sold as resin, is then treated and used in various ways. Benzoin also has been discussed many times — look at my books].
Burning Benzoin or Styrax Resin
Blends Best with ~ These two oils, Benzoin and Styrax blend with anything in the right proportion, especially spices like pepper, Clove and Nutmeg and Coriander and conifers like Cypress, Fir and especially with the citrus scents like Grapefruit and Litsea, herbal and woody odors like Atlas cedar and Tobacco and almost any rich floral odor such as Neroli, Osmanthus, Rose, Tuberose and Ylang-Ylang. Styrax is especially useful as a powerful bridge note in any Chypre formula (Labdanum and Oakmoss base) but the perfume needs to be aged before you decide whether you like the odor or not.
BLENDING with formula ~ I take my resin, either Benzoin or Liquidamber and dissolve it in neutral grape spirits before I use it in perfumery. Both are powerful fixative odor when used in perfumery, but I prefer Liquidamber as a fixative and Benzoin in Meditation blends.
A FLORAL CHYPRE PERFUME
Perfume with Styrax
Styrax can be hard to blend in a perfume because it takes TIME to integrate, sometimes as long as three months. So, if you make this perfume, make each note separately, then age for 2 weeks, then mix together as you wish, age again for 2 weeks, and lastly add the Styrax as a Bridge note. See the blog post for more information. https://jeanne-blog.com/gourmet-perfumery/
Styrax resin diluted 50•50 … Styrax (Liquidamber styraciflua or orientalis) is an aromatic balsam formed and exuded by the Storax tree when the sapwood is injured. The American Storax is preferred over the Asian or Levant type. See p. 108 of Herbs & Things. Take a small quantity of Styrax and dilute equally with neutral grape spirits. It will now be more fluid and easier to work with.
Benzoin/Labdanum Base Scent or Accord
- Dilute each of your Benzoin and Labdanum 50•50 with neutral grape spirits.
- Let the above age and meld for a week.
- Take 12 drops of Benzoin (50•50) and 3-4 drops of (50•50) Labdanum and mix together. Age it for 1-week.
- After it ages, you can add equal amount of grape spirits to make a 25% pure scent base to be used as a fixative or part of the base note.
HYDROSOL ~ I have not as yet seen or used any product that was called Benzoin/Storax or styrax hydrosol.
PLEASE NOTE: A true hydrosol should be specifically distilled for the hydrosol, not as a co-product or even a by-product of essential oil distillation. The plant’s cellular water has many components most are lost under pressurized short steam runs for essential oil, or by using dried material. We recommend that the producers specifically distill for a product by using plant material that is fresh.
STYRAX for Mounting Laboratory Slides.
Styrax was introduced as a mounting medium in 1883. Originally Styrax was used in the laboratory to mount microscopic animals on slides. They were fixed with alcohol or acetic acid and mounted in Styrax. Styrax has been used to mount all microscopic creatures onto glass slides and fix them so that they do not deteriorate. “Mount in Styrax. Unlike Euparal, this has a refractive index which is markedly different from that of siliceous diatom frustules and makes them stand out very clearly. At stage (4) single specimens can be selected and mounted individually if required.” — Techniques for the rapid preparation of permanent slides of microscopic algae by P.E. Brandham
Liquidamber Styrax ~ courtesy of Eden Botanicals
STYRAX ~ A TOMATO TALE
In the late ‘50s when I was at University as a Zoology major, I was keeper of the animal room (a euphemism I will explain at some later time) and I also used to collect my own invertebrate specimens from the sea near Santa Cruz, come home and then mount them onto slides. The best place to do this was in the basement of the University. There was a hot furnace for the glass-blowing studio and a very large cage of cockroaches across the room so that the bugs could enjoy the warmth. The furnace was very hot and warmed the entire basement, and the cockroaches were both amazingly smelly as well as noisy as they hissed constantly. I would first blow my own glass collecting tubes that would fit the tiny invertebrate creatures I had collected and then remove the cellular water by certain preservation techniques and then mount them onto glass slides – it was a Special Project. These small bits of animalia were placed on the slide and then fixed with Styrax and a cover slip placed atop. This scent will always remind me of my days in a science lab.
“The small creatures are fixed in 1:3 acetic alcohol, the coverslip immersed rapidly. Care should be taken not to overcrowd the cells and then they are mounted in Styrax. Owing to its content of high boiling constituents, Styrax acts as a most efficient odor fixative.” The oil is still used to fix slides and also used in all kinds of perfume compounds, particularly those of oriental character.
This is one of my most favorite evocative odors, when I smell the strong spicy, herbaceous and oily, aldehydic odor I am wafted directly back to the science lab at San Jose State University in 1957. For me, it is a relaxing luscious scent when used in modest amounts in a perfume, especially those of the Chypre sort. Here is one of my favorite early potpourri scents and bases since 1969.
Use this potpourri in closets or drawers to scent your belongings.
“Chypre: An important perfume in Roman times manufactured in Cyprus and made of Storax, Labdanum and Calamus, giving it a heady, oriental aroma. The style of perfume continued to be manufactured in Italy into the Middle Ages under a variety of formulas, retaining the name ‘Chypre’, and was also produced in France under the name of ‘Cyprus Powder’ with Oakmoss as a base. In 17th and 18th century-France there was a fashion for small models of birds, known as ‘Oiselets de Chypre’, molded out of Chypre perfume paste (one recipe required Benzoin (Benjamin), cloves, cinnamon, calamus and gum Tragacanth as ingredients) and contained in ornate hanging cages. —”The Perfume Handbook” by Nigel Groom:
BENZOIN Limerick
Benzoin is not very pretty
But it is a good smell for those in the city
It is brown
You put it down.
And it smells like vanilla, that’s the pity. —jeannerose2018
Benzoin ~ A Tomato Tale
From 1961 to 1969 I had this great Dane dog named George. He was a blue Dane and came from Kalmar Kennel in Georgia. He was kind, faithful and traveled with me everywhere. In those days, I had a 1956 white Thunderbird convertible. He was quite a sight in that car riding in the front seat. He was my first aromatherapy dog. George like all Great Danes lie about on their doggy elbows a lot and these elbows get all calloused and wrinkled, the hairs can get ingrown and the flesh sometimes really sore and irritated and sometime soft and mushy. If the callus breaks open, the dog’s skin is compromised and might get infected. For this dog, I obtained tincture of Benzoin (gum Benzoin liquified with alcohol) and would apply it to his elbows. This toughens the skin. The Benzoin would be applied in tincture form and when the alcohol vaporized, the Benzoin which is a resin would form a solid film over the callus and protect the skin. This would act both as a protectant as well as an antibacterial. This worked really well for him and I continued to use Tincture of Benzoin for this purpose when I moved back to San Francisco and Big Sur in 1963 and until he was gone.
A recipe for Dog Elbow Cream by Jeanne Rose
Big dogs lie on their elbows and these can develop blisters and sores. To soothe this, you can make a soothing cream for the elbow. Make an application with 90% Olive Oil, 9% Calophyllum and 1% tincture of Benzoin.
To enhance the healing effects, take Olive oil and infuse or macerate for three days with the three important “C” herbs of herbalism (Chamomile flowers, Calendula flowers, Comfrey root or leaf), press out the oil and remove the herbs to your compost. To the infused oil add 9% Calophyllum oil and 1% of tincture of Benzoin and then solidify with Beeswax. [salves are easy to make, and you will find exact recipes in my books and Herbal Studies Course). This will soothe your dog’s elbow skin, moisturize and condition it.
Historical Uses ~ Storax has been mentioned in ancient writings by many authors including Theophrastus, Aristotle and Herodotus. They were some of the first ones to mention the Storax tree and its balsam. In Greek, Styraciflua refers to “styrax or styrakos” which was the ancient name for a tree that produced a fragrant fumy resin that was called Storax by both Pliny and Vergilius. It means a point, spike, or maybe the spike at the lower end of the shaft of a spear.
My copy of Plinie’s Natural History – 1601
Pliny in his Natural History (Chapter XVIII. Paragraph C, page 371) notes the use of Storax as a perfume, saying, “Out of Syria they bring backe Storax, with the acrimonie & hot smell whereof, being burnt upon their herths, they put by and drive away the loathfomneffe of their owne odors, wherewith they are cloyed: for the Arabians ufe no other fuell at all for their fires, but fweetwood”…Ciris mentions Storax as a fragrant hair dye. Dioscorides (De Materia Medica) reports its use as incense, similar to frankincense, having expectorant and soothing properties.
Interesting Information ~ The Storax of the ancients was probably extracted from a different tree, seemingly from the Liquidambar orientalis which grows wild in northern Syria and may even have been grown in Israel; from it is extracted an aromatic sap with healing qualities called Storax liquidis. This may possibly be the biblical balm, though other sources conclude that the biblical balm is Opobalsamum.
Chemical Components ~ Purified Storax contains circa 33 to 50% storesin, an alcoholic resin, both free and as cinnamic esters. Contains 5 to 15% cinnamic acid, 5 to 15% cinnamyl cinnamate, circa 10% phenylpropyl cinnamate; small amounts of ethyl cinnamate, benzyl cinnamate, and styrene, some may contain traces of vanillin. Some sources report a resin containing triterpenic acids (oleanolic and 3-epioleanolic acids). —Wikipedia
Styrax has free cinnamic acid and thus IFRA requirements to produce a skin-neutral product devoid of free cinnamic acid, have resulted in main ingredients being chemically treated that are not as pleasant in scent as they once were. In my opinion, if the distinctive scent is gone then it is not Storax and it need not be used in the perfumery.
Physicochemical Properties: Oil of Styrax, Liquidamber, of family Hamamelidaceae has a lovely peculiar odor. The properties vary with the method of distillation used.
Solubility – soluble in ½ vol. of 80% alcohol, opalescent in 10 vol. of 80% alcohol. Some oils with a high percentage of esters is less soluble.
Specific Gravity – 0.89 to 1.06
THIS IS A VERY ROUGH CHART OF THE CHEMICALS IN THESE COMPOUNDS
If you can improve on it, please let me know.
Abstract/Scientific Data: this is an interesting collection of notes regarding Benzoin.
https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/benzoin#section=Top
Contraindications: Storax resin is “generally regarded as safe” (GRAS), but at low levels, for example, circa 15 ppm in candy and 25 ppm in baked goods.
Do not Ingest essential oils: Although some oils are important flavoring oils in the flavor industry and thus ingested in very small amounts in many foods, especially meats and sausages, it is not a good idea to use them yourself either in capsules or honey to take internally.
Safety Precautions in General ~ Do not apply the essential oil neat, especially to the underarms or delicate parts of the body. Most oils are not to be used on babies, children or pregnant women. Many aromatherapist suggest that there are some oils not be used at all. However, as with many plants, essential oil chemistry is subject to change depending on species and terroir.
Patch Test: If applying a new essential oil to your skin always perform a patch test to the inner arm (after you have diluted the EO in a vegetable carrier oil). —Wash an area of your forearm about the size of a quarter and dry carefully. Apply a diluted drop (1 drop EO + 1 drop carrier) to the area. Then apply a loose Band-Aid and wait 24 hours. If there is no reaction, then go ahead and use the oil in your formulas. —The Aromatherapy Book, Applications & Inhalations, p. 64
> USE THESE RESINS/OILS FOR YOUR HEALTH AND WELLBEING. <
Use them for physical health ~
Use them moderately and occasionally to balance and heal emotional trauma ~
Use them less frequently to ground yourself and to find awareness of your spiritual center ~
Use the whole plant resin first as an incense ~
and the essential oil/resinoid as a second choice ~
~ be a Conscious consumer, ecologically thoughtful ~
Alchemical symbol for healing
Sustainability: These items may not be sustainable in the amounts that are being used. My suggestion is to use only the actual resin as it was once meant to be, as incense, in small moderate amounts as needed and not use the essential oil at all.
References:
1Arctander, Steffen. Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin. 1960.
2Mabberley, D. J. Mabberley’s Plant-Book, 3rd edition, 2014 printing, Cambridge University Press.
3Guenther, Ernest. The Essential Oils. 1952
4https://florafaunaweb.nparks.gov.sg/Special-Pages/plant-detail.aspx?id=4752
Herbal Studies Course/ Jeanne Rose. 2017 edition. San Francisco, California
https://www.edenbotanicals.com/liquidambar-styrax.html
Jaeger, Edmund C. A Source-book of Biological Names and Terms. 1955.
Plinie’s. Natural History. My translation and book dated 1601.
Rose, Jeanne. 375 Essential Oils and Hydrosols. Berkeley, California: Frog, Ltd., 1999
Rose, Jeanne. The Aromatherapy Book: Applications & Inhalations. North Atlantic Books. 2000:
DISCLAIMER: This work is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for accurate diagnosis and treatment by a qualified health care professional. Dosages are often not given, as that is a matter between you and your health care provider. The author is neither a chemist nor a medical doctor. The content herein is the product of research and personal and practical experience. Institute of Aromatic & Herbal Studies – Jeanne Rose©
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This is wonderful Jeanne! Thank you so much! All the free information you share is absolutely amazing! So grateful! Thanks!
Thank you – lots of reading here.
What an extensive research as always! Will try out the “smell left for scent, smell right for intensity” technique.