Benzoin: origin, history, how to burn it and how to choose it

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What is benzoin?

Benzoin is a balsamic resin obtained from several trees of the genus Styrax. Two main types dominate the market:

• Sumatra benzoin, from Styrax benzoin (and related species), a tree 12 to 30 metres tall from the cool, rainy forests of the island;
• Siam or Laos benzoin, from Styrax tonkinensis, grown in Laos, Vietnam and Thailand.

Workers make light incisions in the trunk. A white sap oozes out and hardens on the bark for four to six months before being collected, then dried for several more months. The resin takes the form of tears resembling almonds (Siam) or brownish-grey blocks speckled with fragments (Sumatra). Benzoin is not the liquid “styrax” of old pharmacies (storax), which comes from a different tree; this difference in vocabulary causes confusion.

A little history

The word “benzoin” probably comes, via Italian, from the Arabic lubān jāwī, “incense of Java”: Arab merchants bought it in Sumatra and resold it along the incense routes. The word “benzene” shares the same root, because benzoic acid, discovered from this resin, gave its name to a whole family of molecules.

Benzoin has been used for centuries as incense, as a fixative in perfumery and as a flavouring. It is found in Orthodox churches, in homes in the Maghreb under the name jaoui, and in so-called “oriental” perfumery. It is also a component of Armenian paper, the scented sheets burned to perfume a room.

Its scent, described simply

Benzoin gives off a soft, enveloping smell, close to vanilla, with a balsamic and slightly powdery note. Its sweetness comes from small amounts of natural vanillin. Siam benzoin is creamier and more vanilla-like, sometimes with a hint of caramel. Sumatra benzoin is darker: spicy, cinnamon-like, with a slightly smoky base.

Burned alone, it can seem sweet; it shows its full interest in blends, where it rounds out harsher resins.

Traditional cultural uses

Benzoin is an incense for the home, for churches and for perfumers’ counters. In Indonesia the resin (kemenyan) is used in local practices. In the Russian Orthodox Church it is part of preparations for the censer. In the Maghreb, jaoui is burned to scent the home, often with other substances. In France it is also known through Armenian paper.

How to burn it

Benzoin melts at a low temperature, which makes it very easy to use:

• On charcoal covered with grey ash: two or three small grains. It bubbles and melts before smoking; do not place it on a bright red charcoal, which would burn it off in a single acrid puff.
• On an electric heating plate or a tealight-powered burner: excellent results, a fine scent, very little smoke.
• As powder, mixed with a drier resin: it burns faster and helps bind blends together.

Melted resin is sticky and very hot: do not touch it, and let the burner cool before cleaning it with hot water. Find the basic steps and equipment in Incense and smoke cleansing and in the burners and incense holders section.

How to choose well and spot imitations

Good benzoin is recognisable by its tears or pieces with a clear fracture, sometimes milky, and by its soft, clean smell when scraped. A few tips:

• ask for the type (Siam, Sumatra): the scent changes completely;
• be wary of very fine, uniform powder sold cheaply, which may contain fillers (sawdust, sand) or added fragrances;
• a very strong artificial vanilla smell that does not change when heated often indicates an added aroma;
• do not confuse benzoin tincture (an alcohol-based liquid sold in pharmacies) with the resin for burning: the liquid is not meant to be heated on charcoal.

Sustainability and ethics

Benzoin is among the resins whose harvesting raises the fewest problems, because the tree is tapped without being felled and can produce for many years. According to the literature, in Sumatra the tree is often grown by villagers in forest gardens, which makes it easier to trace than wild resins. We have not found an international assessment of the population status of the producing Styrax species, and we prefer to say so.

The points to watch lie elsewhere: the pay received by harvesters, and the deforestation affecting Sumatra’s mountain forests. Choose sellers who state the country and type, and burn small quantities. Benzoin is a good way to ease the pressure on more fragile resins such as frankincense.

Safety

Like all incense, benzoin produces smoke that degrades indoor air quality: burn little, in a ventilated room with a window slightly open, and air the room thoroughly afterwards. Avoid burning it in the presence of people with asthma, people sensitive to smoke, young children or birds; let dogs and cats leave the room freely. Some people have skin that is sensitive to benzoin: avoid direct contact with the hot resin or with the powder.

Place the burner on a heat-resistant surface, away from fabrics, and never leave it unattended.

Storage

Keep benzoin in a glass jar, away from heat: at 30 °C or above, the tears fuse into a single block. A cool place is enough. The resin keeps for several years and its scent remains stable.

Pairings with other incenses

Paired with	What you get
Frankincense	The lemon of frankincense on a vanilla base.
Myrrh	A sweetness that rounds off the bitterness of myrrh.
Sandalwood	A creamy, woody ensemble.
Lavender	A soft floral note on a sweet base.
Patchouli	A dark, sweet and more enveloping blend.

Frequently asked questions

Also read

The meanings mentioned belong to tradition and symbolism. They are neither promises of results nor medical advice. Back to Guide to incense and resins.