Resins in perfume is an umbrella note for the sticky, aromatic exudates of trees and shrubs, such as frankincense, myrrh, labdanum, benzoin and the balsams. Together they give fragrances warmth, depth and staying power, and they form the heart of the amber family.

What does Resins smell like?

A resinous note is warm, rich and slightly sticky in feel. The group spans a wide range: frankincense and elemi are fresh, lemony and smoky; myrrh is bitter and earthy; labdanum is honeyed and leathery; benzoin, Peru balsam and tolu balsam are sweet and vanilla-like; styrax is smoky and leathery. When a fragrance simply lists resins, it usually means a blend of several of these, balanced to feel balsamic, ambery and softly incense-like.

How perfumers create Resins

Perfumers blend natural resin extracts, typically resinoids (solvent extracts of the raw gum), absolutes or distilled oils. A classic resinous base might combine labdanum and benzoin for sweetness, olibanum or elemi for lift, and myrrh or opoponax for depth, supported by vanillin, coumarin, benzyl benzoate and ambery-woody synthetics.

• Also known as: Resinous notes, balsams, gum resins
• Fragrance family: Amber (resinous)
• Type: Natural and synthetic
• Main origins: Horn of Africa and Arabia (frankincense, myrrh); Spain (labdanum); South-East Asia (benzoin); Central and South America (Peru and tolu balsams)
• How it's obtained: Tapping or collecting exudates, then solvent extraction or distillation

Resins in perfume history

Resins are among the oldest perfume materials: they were burned in temples and homes across Egypt, Mesopotamia, Arabia and the Mediterranean, and traded along the incense routes for millennia. In modern perfumery they became the backbone of the ambers and orientals that defined much of the 20th century.

Resins in modern perfumery

Resins are central to niche perfumery's interest in incense, amber and oud themes, and to warm designer fragrances. Several are wild-harvested in fragile regions, so sustainability, fair payment and traceability are increasingly discussed, and some crude balsams are restricted for allergy reasons.

How Resins wears and what it pairs with

Resins are base notes that emerge in the drydown and can last all day, fixing lighter materials. They pair well with vanilla, spices, rose, oud, patchouli, woods, leather and citrus top notes.