Opopanax

image source: fungoceva.it

Opopanax (commiphora guidotti)

For millennia, Opopanax, or Sweet Myrrh, has been a key component in incense making, perfumery and ritual purification. The plant is native to Southern Europe and parts of the Middle East, where it thrives in warmer climate, thus, producing better quality and greater quantities of its fragrant sap. To extract the sap, the plant is cut at its base where it seeps out. Then, it is dried in the sun, producing hard, golden coloured chunks of resin. The resin is then steam distilled to obtain its essential oil. Its anti-septic quality is used to threat lung issues like asthma. It is also said to be spiritually grounding and calming when inhaled.

1. Scent impression – A balsamic, sweet, fresh, clean, crisp, dry, light, woody-aquatic bouquet with a cool, suave, earthy, slightly spicy, coniferous, fir-pine-like undertone of good tenacity.
2. Scent impact – 80
3. Scent life – 5 hrs
4. Scent category – Earthy / Spicy
5. Perfume note – Middle - Top
6. Perfume function – Fixative / Modifier
7. Average use in perfume composition – 1%
8. Suggestions for use in natural perfumery – leather bases, incense/oriental bouquets, woody accords, forest notes, chypre, fougère, heavy-floral perfumes.
9. Blending suggestions – agarwood eo & co₂, allspice eo, co₂ & abs, ambrette seed eo, co₂ & abs, amyris eo, angelica eo & co₂, anise seed eo & co₂, bay (west indies) leaf eo, benzoin eo & abs, bergamot eo, bois de rose eo, caraway eo, cassia bark eo & co₂, cassie (sweet) abs, cedarwood eo & abs, cedar (western red) leaf eo, cedar moss abs, cinnamon eo, co₂ & abs, clary sage eo & abs, clove bud eo, co₂ & abs, coffee eo, co₂ & abs, copaiba balsam eo, coriander seed eo, co₂ & abs, cypress eo & abs, cypriol/nagamortha eo, elemi eo & abs, fennel (sweet) eo & co₂, fir eo & abs, frankincense eo, co₂ & abs, galbanum eo *& abs, geranium eo & abs, ginger eo, co₂ & abs, grapefruit eo, guaiacwood eo, gurun balsam eo, hay abs, geranium (egypt) eo & abs, guaiacwood eo, hiba eo, hinoki eo, ho wood eo, jasmine eo, co₂ & abs, juniper berry eo, co₂ & abs, labdanum eo & abs, lavender eo, co₂ & abs, lemon eo, lemongrass, lemon balm eo & abs, lime eo, litsea cubeba eo, mandarin eo, mastic eo & abs, mimosa abs, myrrh eo, co₂ & abs, neroli eo, nutmeg eo, co₂ & abs, oakmoss abs, orange blossom abs, orange (sweet) eo, osmanthus abs, palo santo eo, patchouli eo, co₂ & abs, pepper (black) eo, co₂ & abs, peru balsam eo & abs, petitgrain eo, pine eo & abs, rose eo, co₂ & abs, sandalwood eo, co₂ & abs, spikenard eo & co₂, tangerine eo, thuja eo, tolu balsam abs, tonka bean abs, tuberose abs, vanilla co₂ & abs, verbena eo & abs, vetiver eo, co₂ & abs, violet leaf abs, wintergreen eo, ylang ylang eo, co₂ & abs, yuzu eo.