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Saturday 28 April 2012

Styrax / Storax

Perfumery ingredients often have fascinating names, sometimes confused by different usages and this is a case in point, in this case there are three different ingredients, all fixative base notes, that are easily confused:


Benzoin, used alone, or prefixed with Sumatra, usually refers to Styrax benzoin (also called Benzoin resinoid*), whereas Benzoin Siam is usually used to refer to Styrax tonkinensis - the latter has a sweeter smell that always reminds me of cream liqueur.  These two are from tropical trees.

Steffen Arctander has this to say about them (among much else):
The name Siam is attached to this type of benzoin merely because of the fact, that the merchandise is often exported via Siam (Thailand) in transit. Benzoin Siam comes in variable sizes of pebble- like, often tear-shaped pieces, hard and brittle, rarely agglutinated. The individual pieces are yellow-orange or yellowish-brown, and a characteristic feature is the almost white or cream-colored fracture. The odor is pleasant, sweet-balsamic with a distinct note of vanillin. 
Benzoin Resinoid is used very extensively in perfumery, particularly in soap perfumes (see above on discoloration) where its fixative effect is much appreciated. It is generally applicable, but it has a pronounced odor-depressing effect upon the perfumes in which it is incorporated. This effect is closely connected with the fixative effect, and it is enhanced by the rich sweetness and deep balsamic notes from the resinoid. Benzoin Resinoid is occasionally adulterated with Sumatra benzoin extracts, doctored up with vanillin (see above), or it is “stretched” with Acaroid Resinoid, abietic alcohols, methyl abietate, benzyl benzoate, copaiba balsam, amyris oil, etc.The addition of smaller amounts of diethyl phthalate as a plasticizer is considered normal  “for convenient handling”, and when clearly labelled so.

Storax is quite different again (though unhelpfully it is also sometimes called Styrax or Asian Styrax) and comes from a Mediterranean tree the term is rather generic but usually refers to the resin derived from Liquidambar orientalis:


There is a good Wiki article about this species that explains the various names used and their usual meanings.
Liquidambar orientalis


American Styrax is very similar to Storax and is produced from Liquidambar styraciflua.

Here is what Steffen Arctander says about the essential oil distilled from the balsam of Liquidambar orientallis):
True steam distilled styrax oil is a pale yellow to almost water-white, viscous liquid with an odor that is very rich, balsamic-sweet, floral and somewhat spicy, reminiscent of lilac, hyacinth, etc. although it has a distinct topnote of hydro-carbon character, unpleasant and actually not wanted. The topnote can be disposed of by leaving out the “heads” of the steam distillate but, on the other hand, many customers expect this styrene note and it also mellows in to a great extent after some time.
Its main constituent is Cinnamic alcohol.

________________
* I’ve written about the meanings of the various terms used to describe different extractions of natural materials in another post.

Friday 27 April 2012

IFRA Reveals a Fragrance Formula ... in Defense of Trade Secrets

At the European Parliament Expo on Trade Secrets, earlier this year, IFRA decided to publish a full fragrance formula ‘for the first time’ and copies of the formula and the fragrance made with it were given to politicians as part of a lobbying campaign to raise awareness of the importance of trade secrets to the fragrance industry.

That formula, along with an explanation of what is was all about now appears in an article in this month’s Perfumer and Flavorist Magazine and is available to anyone. I commend it to everyone interested in the way fragrances are really made, the way the fragrance industry works or in making their own fragrances.

Free Article Download: IFRA Reveals a Fragrance Formula ... in Defense of Trade Secrets

Wednesday 25 April 2012

IFRA Compliance - a summary

IFRA Standards
International FRagrance Association

I’m always being asked, by people starting out in the make-your-own-perfume business what these are and how they apply to fragrances. Most people not in the industry seem to find the IFRA website a bit difficult to navigate too, so I thought I’d make up a summary list for quick reference. 

Tuesday 24 April 2012

St George’s Day Fragrance

It’s the day after St George’s Day so I have a year to gather ideas, build a design and make it ready to release a fragrance for St George’s Day 2013.

This idea started when a friend of mine bemoaned the fact that St George’s Day isn’t much celebrated and wondered whether corporate sponsorship might change that . . . I rather flippantly asked if, failing a big corporation, a tiny one-man firm would do.

Soon we got to wondering what a dragon might smell like at which point I thought the discussion belonged here and made this post.
Ideas here please for what should go into a fragrance fit to celebrate England’s national saint?

Saturday 14 April 2012

The Spring Flowers Collection

Pell Wall Perfumes has launched a new collection of three fragrances each based on one of the classic Spring flowers of the English country garden.
Persian Prince is based on Hyacinth
Crowdsource is based on Daffodil and 
Deep Purple is based on Violet