Ingredient Guide
The two best-known sources of benzoin are Styrax tonkinensis from Siam and Styrax Benzoin from Sumatra; benzoin is the resin extracted from their trunks.
Also known in Japanese as ansokukō, the resin is a thick, sticky liquid that was once called “tears of benzoin.” Because the liquid seeping from the trunk formed teardrop shapes, people in the past believed the tree was weeping. Benzoic acid takes its name from this resin, of which it is a principal constituent.
It takes seven years from planting a tree before its resin can be collected, and in Laos, 40,000 farmers are involved in this work as one of their sources of income. The Summary of Product Characteristics for the UK benzoin-containing preparation Friars Balsam BP lists its uses as an inhalant to relieve cold symptoms and as a mild topical antiseptic. It is also one of the principal components of the incense used in Russian churches.
If you love the smell of incense, we recommend trying benzoin as well as frankincense and sandalwood ♪
In Armenia (formerly part of the Soviet Union), people had long burned benzoin indoors to give their homes a pleasant scent while also disinfecting and purifying them. When Auguste Ponsot learned of this in the late nineteenth century, he returned to France, added fragrance to dissolved benzoin, and soaked blotting paper in the mixture to create a paper that burned without a flame while releasing its scent. This was the origin of Armenian paper (Papier d’Arménie). Because Papier d’Arménie is a registered trademark, it is called “paper incense” or “incense paper” in Japan.
This paper incense inspired Guerlain’s Bois d’Arménie (2006). Remembering her mother burning Papier d’Arménie at home during her childhood, Sylvaine Delacourte worked with perfumer Annick Ménardo, who also loved the scent, to make it the starting point for the fragrance.
Papier d’Arménie was established as a brand in Paris in 1885 by Auguste Ponsot and his partner, Henri Rivier (official website). Francis Kurkdjian, who is Armenian, met Henri Rivier’s great-grandchild and created three candles for the brand.
Sweet but not cloying, rich but not heavy, this fragrant material contains a few percent vanillin.
What Does It Smell Like in Perfume?
In perfume, benzoin has a warm scent that layers sweet balsam and resin with facets of vanilla, spice, and almond. Siam benzoin resinoid, derived from Styrax tonkinensis, is characterized by a rounded vanilla-almond profile. The Sumatran material, derived from Styrax benzoin, is spicier and reminiscent of cinnamon, with powdery shading. Both are natural fragrance materials that lend body to amber and vanilla notes, leaving soft sweetness and a lingering resinous impression in the base. Their character varies with the plant species, origin, and form of extraction.
How to Choose Benzoin Fragrances
If you enjoy benzoin’s vanilla-like sweetness, amber and vanilla make familiar companions. Peru balsam and patchouli offer an alternative for those drawn to the resin itself. If you are expecting an incense scent, it helps to distinguish smoky effects from sweet resin.
Comparing Benzoin Fragrances
Benjoin Bohème Eau de Parfum (Diptyque)
The resins of benzoin and Peru balsam are joined by rockrose and patchouli. The perfume explores resinous depth as well as vanilla-like sweetness.
Grand Soir Eau de Parfum (Maison Francis Kurkdjian)
Warm amber and vanilla sweetness has a benzoin-like character, with labdanum, lavandin and cinnamon leaf. It offers an amber-vanilla direction rather than the resins and patchouli of Benjoin Bohème.
Find Your Next Fragrance
To explore more perfumes, open our Fragrance Finder. Choose “Favorite fragrances & notes” on the home screen, then search in the “Favorite notes” field. Select a note you like from the results and press “Next” to continue. You can start with notes even if you do not yet have a favorite perfume.
References
• Sylvaine Delacourte, “Bois d’Arménie : Benjoin et Papier d’Arménie chez Guerlain.” Published January 23, 2020; updated August 3, 2026.
• Sylvaine Delacourte, “Sylvaine Delacourte : l’experte derrière Le Guide du Parfum” (Bois d’Arménie: date and collaboration).
