Choya loban

Resin smoke, burnt vanilla, warm balsam, light leather. Notes of burning incense and caramelised sugar; the sandalwood base softens the bite of the smoke.

Choya loban has no dedicated standard in the IFRA 51 index.

Products of pyrolysis can contain polycyclic aromatic compounds; published analytical data are very limited. With an S. album base the product contains santalols, an EU-labelled allergen under Regulation 2023/1545 above threshold. Resin constituents such as benzyl benzoate and benzyl cinnamate, if present, are also on the labelling list and IFRA-restricted (2020).

The sandalwood base oil must be legally sourced. Store dark, sealed and cool.

In Kannauj attar making, choya is the group of products made from roasted or burnt materials. The material is heated dry in a closed pot with no water; the smoke and vapour pass through a pipe into a receiver holding a base oil, usually sandalwood. The result is a smoky oil carrying the character of the raw material.

Choya loban uses loban resin. In Hindi and Urdu loban usually means benzoin (genus Styrax), while in Arabic luban means frankincense. Attar material distributors describe choya loban as benzoin pyro-distilled into sandalwood oil.

Benzoin has two main commercial sources: Sumatra benzoin from Styrax benzoin in Indonesia and Siam benzoin from Styrax tonkinensis in Laos and Vietnam. Sumatra benzoin is rich in cinnamic acid and its esters; Siam benzoin is rich in coniferyl benzoate and more clearly vanillic. The resin used for a given lot of choya is rarely disclosed.

Choya loban is seldom used alone. It supplies warmth and smoke in composite attars such as shamama, alongside many floral, spice and resin attars.

In perfumery outside India choya loban appears mainly in natural perfumery, in small amounts for incense, burnt balsam and leather notes. It is very strong and should be evaluated diluted.