Raw Materials

Opoponax - Sweet Myrrh

10/06/11 14:37:35

By: Naheed Shoukat Ali

Commonly known as: Opoponax, Bisabol-myrrh and Sweet myrrh  

Plant family: Burseraceae

 Genus: Commiphora  

Species: Commiphora Erethraea , C. guidottii , C. kataf, C. holtiziana and C. pseudopaoli.  

Uses: incense, perfume,flavor agent and medicine  

Opoponax or sweet myrrh is a cousin of the healing Myrrh—Commiphora Myrrha—with a warm-balsamic and sweet, honey-like aroma. It is a natural oleo-gum-resin like myrrh and frankincense. The color of its resin is brown; however, good quality crude botanical resin is dark red. Opoponax has been a component of incense and perfumes since Biblical times. Talking of perfumery in particular, Opoponax qualities from several Commiphora are widely used, especially in oriental fragrances, to impart sweet balsamic notes.

Commpihora Erethraea var. glabrescens engle resin growing in Somalia, Kenya, E. Ethiopia, and S. Arabia and C. guidottii (Chiov) from S. Somalia and Ethiopia are regarded as the primary sources of opoponax of the plant family Burseraceae. The Burseraceae trees and shrubs are characterized by resins that are present within the plant tissue from the vertical resin canals and ducts in the bark to the leaf veins. Other species used as a source of opoponax include C. kataf (Forssk.) Engl., C. holtiziana Engl. spp. holtziana and C. pseudopaoli.

Image from biolandes.com

Talking further of Commiphora guidottii Chiov., it is also known as scented myrrh. It is a yellowish-red sweet-smelling resin. And of its use from Ancient Romans, they used it as incense in temples. It is fairly widespread in Somalia and in adjacent parts of the Ogaden in Ethiopia, and speaking of its export, Somalia is considered the major exporter of scented myrrh at present. Its shrub or tree grows up to 5 m tall and has greenish or brownish peeling bark. The leaves are composed of 3 or 5-7 leaflets, 2.5 x 10 cm long when fully mature and oval to broadly oval in shape. The flowers are cream in color and very small, being only a few mm wide at most. The fruit is rounded, about 1 cm in diameter and contains a single stone.

EXTRACTION METHOD

Extraction of the opoponax is done through the tapping of trees just as that of frankincense and myrrh by making incisions in the bark and also by breaking of the twigs. A gum seeps out of these incisions which then solidifies to brown lumps. Opoponax extract is obtained by solvent extraction or steam distillation from the gum exudate of the barks, which includes all types of extracts, tinctures, concretes, resinoids, pomades, absolutes, rectified extracts etc.

While the oil is distilled by dry-distillation or steam-distillation, flash pasteurization etc., it includes all types of essential oils obtained by the these methods. Opoponax oil is a useful material in perfumery which is sweet, balsamic and almost effervescent in character. It is mainly used in oriental accords and also gives a sweet lift to chypre fragrances as a top note. Whereas, its absolute is used as base note.

The olfactory difference between myrrh oil and opopanax oil is the vegetable-soup-like, slightly animalic-sweet odor of opopanax oil compared with the medicinal-sharp freshness of myrrh oil.

Author: Naheed Shoukat Ali (naheed)
Fragrantica Writer

Goldfinch

Thanks Naheed again for the great description. I love oppoponax, just perceived, that this note is there in 3 of my favourit frags:). It's so comforting and warm and like its image, too:)...

Dec
16
2011

ANGELICA07

Thanks for talking about myrrh and opoponax : I really like their smells.
It's like wrapping in oriental soft boldness !

Dec
16
2011

mseidoom

Thanks, Naheed. I've become fond of this perfume note.

Dec
05
2011

naheed

Thanks myb! I will try to find out the trusted resources from where you can get opoponax.

@ Vertigo: would be interesting for you and the readers that it is one of the raw materials in perfumery which is facing 'The Chop' from IFRA but hasn't come under the axe yet and its use has been restricted to a certain percentage in perfumes. It is expensive but not outrageously expensive. Buying for everyday use as an incense material it doesn't cost much, however, if speaking of perfumery, it becomes expensive as the use also varies.

Dec
05
2011

may.von bonin

Wow! Thank you Naheed, for such a wonderful and fascinating article on perfume raw material. Would love the touch and smell it but don't know where to get it in Switzerland...

Dec
05
2011

vertigo

Thank you Naheed! :)

One question: is opoponax an expensive material?

Dec
05
2011

naheed

Thank you all for your appreciative comments!

@melia:Perhaps I read your mind :)

Oct
08
2011

twinklestar.pa

Great article. I read that the Estee Lauder scent Spellbound is full of resins, including opponax. I made the mistake of applying too much when I tried it. Next time, just a drop.

Oct
08
2011

melia

Wow! I just posted a topic on the forum what oppoponax is and how it smells... So here is my answer! Thanks Naheed!

Oct
08
2011

Chickenboo

Naheed, thank you for this very informative and beautifully illustrated article. Best regards, ~ Chickenboo

Oct
08
2011

LunaPearl

mmmm the image with the large chunks of opponax look like peanut brittle! yum!

Oct
08
2011

pumpkintime

Just thanking Naheed for providing such helpful information about perfume ingredients. It's a lovely way of finding out more about a fascinating subject.

Oct
07
2011