Benzoin Tincture & Alcohol-Free Extract

Benzoin (Styrax benzoin), the Sumatra benzoin tree, is an evergreen tree of the storax family, Styracaceae, native to the rainforests of Sumatra, Java, and the Malay Peninsula, and grown in plantations in North Sumatra, where it is tapped from about seven years of age. It reaches 20 to 30 meters with soft grey bark, oval leaves that are white-felted beneath, and small, fragrant, white bell-shaped flowers followed by round, grey, felted fruits. Sap from cuts in the bark hardens over months into brittle, almond-shaped tears, cream to reddish-brown, with a warm, sweet, vanilla-like aroma; this is gum benzoin, the fixative of incense and perfume. We extract the dried gum.