Opopanax resinoid

Sweet balsamic resin, slightly powdery, with dried herb, liquorice and floral edges. Warmer and rounder than myrrh; a long drydown.

Opoponax has its own IFRA Standard (Opoponax, 49th Amendment, 2020, unchanged in the 51st) under restriction and specification. It covers gum extracts obtained by solvent extraction or distillation and sets maximum levels per product category because of skin sensitisation.

The EU scientific committee (SCCP) issued an opinion on Commiphora erythraea glabrescens gum extracts. Store dark, sealed and cool.

In fragrance trade opopanax means the gum resin of Commiphora guidottii from Somalia and Ethiopia. The name is easily confused with the umbellifer genus Opopanax, a different ancient resin source. In modern perfumery opopanax is almost always Commiphora.

A resinoid is a solvent extract of a dried resin or gum resin. After solvent removal it keeps both the volatile fraction and the non-volatile resin. It is therefore thick, dark, slow to evaporate and works as a fixative.

Unlike myrrh, opopanax is rich in bisabolenes and santalene, so it smells sweeter and less bitter. That suits it to vanilla, tonka and labdanum in amber structures.

In perfumery opopanax resinoid is a base material of many amber and oriental fragrances. Dosage must stay within the IFRA Opoponax Standard for each product category; for fine fragrance (Category 4) the limit is 0.43 percent. Suppliers usually state compliance levels in their IFRA certificate.

Supply relies on wild harvest in dry regions, often through chains of traders. Traceability and consistent quality are shared challenges for Horn of Africa resins.

Opopanax resinoid is often sold pre-diluted in a solvent such as dipropylene glycol or benzyl benzoate for easier handling. When calculating IFRA limits, the dilution must be known to work back to the actual opopanax content.