Copal resinoid

Bright resin, lemon peel, conifer needles. A lightly sweet incense note. Dry, faintly balsamic base.

Copal has no dedicated standard in the 51st Amendment of the IFRA Standards and is not named in the EU fragrance allergen list.

Limonene and α-pinene, where present in the volatile fraction, are on the EU allergen list and must be labelled above 0.001 percent in leave-on or 0.01 percent in rinse-off products.

Because copal is a trade name for resins from several genera, the source species of each lot should be known. Store dark, sealed and cool.

Copal is not the name of one species. The word comes from Nahuatl and is used for resins from many trees. In Mexico and Central America, copal comes mainly from Protium copal and Bursera species of the torchwood family. In East Africa and South America it comes from Hymenaea of the legume family. Manila copal in South-East Asia comes from Agathis.

The resin is taken from cuts in the trunk or collected after it has hardened naturally. In Mexico, copal has been burned in ceremonies since pre-Columbian times and is still used today.

Composition varies by genus. Burseraceae copals have a volatile fraction rich in monoterpenes such as limonene and α-pinene, giving lemon and conifer notes. Hymenaea and Agathis copals are rich in labdane diterpenes such as communic and agathic acids, smell less and are used more in varnish.

The resinoid is made by extracting the resin with a solvent and removing the solvent. In perfumery copal is a minor material, giving a bright resin note in incense, woody and dry chypre structures.

Because the name is generic, the source species and harvest region should be stated at purchase. Two lots sold as copal can differ strongly in odour and composition.