Benzoin

Sweet tears from the snowbell tree

 
 

With a vanilla-like, musky aroma, Benzoin can be found across Southeast Asia in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.  It is used in perfumes and for making incense. Sometimes it is also utilised as a scent for wood chips or in cosmetics, candles and incense sticks used in churches. It can also be applied as a flavouring for gum and baked goods, candies, and various beverages.

Historically, Benzoin has been used for perfume, incense and in medicines.  One story goes that it was burned as incense in Southern Arabia during the harvest of frankincense to drive away snakes that lived around the Boswellia plants.

Benzoin is a resin, obtained from the bark of several species of Styrax trees, commonly named Snowbell trees. The Benzoin is also sometimes called gum benzoin or storax.  In the perfume sector it is often used as a fixative. A fixative slows down or equalizes the vapors inside the perfume, thereby slowing how the essential oils are dispersed in the perfume and increasing its strengh.

Styrax trees can grow up to 14 metres tall, but some are as short as 2-3 metres. They are native to tropical regions in Eastern and Southeast Asia, but also can be found in the Americas. These trees have deciduous or evergreen simple leaves and hanging bell-shaped white flowers. They also bear small stone-like fruits that are oblong in shape and filled with hard seeds that germinate readily. 

Many of the trees grow along streams and need to have consistent moisture. Others grow as understory in the shade of larger trees. The trees are ‘tapped’ for the resin by collectors who climb the wild-growing trees and collect the Benzoin ‘tears’ or gum. 

In Laos, where UEBT member Agroforex Company sources Benzoin, the wood from Styrax trees has also been used as a building material in the highlands of the country. Indonesia and Laos have been the primary producers of Benzoin resin. Benzoin from Laos is highly prized for its quality and is used to impact a sweet note to fragrances and is also used in the higher-end fragrances available in the market. Tapping begins around when trees are around six years old. A study conducted found that in Laos, non-timber forest products play an important role in generating family income (accounting for 48% of family income) and ‘resin collection contributes up to 17% of total household income.’ (NAFRI 2020). Lao benzoin is sold primarily to France, Germany, India and the US.

Agroforex Company produces and exports Benzoin and other pharmaceutical and aromatic plant ingredients. They arrange the production with local communities who extract the tears from the Styrax tonkinensis (S.tonkinensis) trees by villagers in northern Laos. Agroforex works with the local communities to also intercrop the benzoin with upland mountain rice combined with planting new S. tonkinensis in long rotations of 16-18 years.  This ‘styraxiculture’ as they call it offers additional sources of income and is built on Agroforex having an on-site presence with the producer communities. The company also engages with the communities in annual monitoring and provides ongoing support through investment. Agroforex Company has been in business since 1992 and became a UEBT member in 2022. They also have held organic certification for the Benzoin since 2004.

Photo credits: Duc Phu

Duc Phu is another UEBT member that produces Benzoin. Based in Vietnam, they supply the cosmetics sector and have been a UEBT member since 2020. The Benzoin from Vietnam is called Siam Benzoin Gum and is collected from the wild by local villagers. The trees are tapped and then the Benzoin is dried and hardened to be ready for export to Europe and elsewhere. Duc Phu is currently working with two groups of collectors in Muong Lat and Quan Hoa (Thanh Hoa province) and upscaling Benzoin across approximately 300 hectares.  According to Duc Phu’s CEO Mr. Tran Van Phu, the company is working to share benefits with the local communities and has made a commitment to comply with UEBT requirements. 

 
 

Lien Hanh, UEBT South-East Asia Representative auditing Benzoin

“As a UEBT member we are working to promote ethical sourcing of natural ingredients to protect biodiversity and the environment. Our leadership is committed to develop the company to become a leading manufacturer and exporter of Benzoin in Vietnam under our motto of “Ethics – Fair - Biodiversity.
”
— Mr. Tran Van Phu, CEO of Duc Phu
 
 

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Nelly Debrilnonharvested