GET TO KNOW YOUR OILS
Peru Balsam
Myroxylon balsamum var. pereirae
Chemotype: cinnamein-rich crude balsam type
- PLANT PART
- balsam exudate from scorched and wounded trunk
- EXTRACTION
- crude balsam exudate
- AROMA NOTE
- base
LEARN AS YOU COMPARE
What’s inside this oil?
Constituents are the natural chemicals that give an oil its character. See the main ones, learn what they do, and explore differences between batches.
Meet the main constituents, then select one to see what makes it interesting.
FOLLOW YOUR SENSES
Aroma & character
A closer look at this oil's scent, strength, and staying power.
- Aroma intensity
- 85 / 100
- Note layer
- base
If you like this scent, explore
A LITTLE CARE GOES A LONG WAY
Using it thoughtfully
Read the full safety context before bringing this oil into your routine.
- Cited dermal maximum · leave-on
- 0%
- Phototoxicity
- Not flagged in this profile
- Oxidation risk
- medium
A cited maximum is a limit, not a suggested dilution. Missing restrictions do not establish safety.
No furocoumarin-driven phototoxic restriction was identified in the reviewed sources for crude Peru balsam; the binding safety issue is sensitization-based prohibition, not phototoxicity.
Contraindications & cautions
- majorCrude Peru balsam should not be used as a fragrance ingredient in any finished product application because of sensitization risk.
Explore measured chemistry from supplier batches
A supplier report describes a particular sample. Open this workspace to investigate measured constituents and their original documents.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SCENT
Inside the oil
An oil's character comes from its natural chemical composition. Explore each constituent to understand the connections.
About this composition
This record is for the crude Peru balsam itself, not the vacuum-distilled essential oil. EMA's assessment report and European Pharmacopoeia language describe Peru balsam as a cinnamein-rich exudate with 45-70% esters, especially benzyl benzoate and benzyl cinnamate. A directly readable secondary botanical reference citing Zitterl-Eglseer 2012 provides quantified GC-MS ranges for six commercial Peru balsam samples and is used here for constituent percentages.
| Constituent | Typical amount | Reported range | Chemical family | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| benzyl benzoate | 59.15% | 47.9–70.4% | aromatic ester | View sourceTinkturenpresse Myroxylon balsamum var. pereirae page citing Zitterl-Eglseer et al. 2012 https://tinkturenpresse.de/doku.php?id=myroxylon_balsamum_var._pereirae lines 56-57: hydrodistilled essential oil of six commercial Peru balsam samples, benzyl benzoate 47.9-70.4% |
| nerolidol | 27.6% | 19–36.2% | sesquiterpene alcohol | View sourceTinkturenpresse Myroxylon balsamum var. pereirae page citing Zitterl-Eglseer et al. 2012 https://tinkturenpresse.de/doku.php?id=myroxylon_balsamum_var._pereirae line 56: nerolidol 19.0-36.2% |
| benzyl cinnamate | 2.15% | 0.7–3.6% | aromatic ester | View sourceTinkturenpresse Myroxylon balsamum var. pereirae page citing Zitterl-Eglseer et al. 2012 https://tinkturenpresse.de/doku.php?id=myroxylon_balsamum_var._pereirae line 56: benzyl cinnamate 0.7-3.6% |
| alpha-pinene | 1.15% | 0.6–1.7% | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceTinkturenpresse Myroxylon balsamum var. pereirae page citing Zitterl-Eglseer et al. 2012 https://tinkturenpresse.de/doku.php?id=myroxylon_balsamum_var._pereirae line 56: alpha-pinene 0.6-1.7% |
| styrene | 0.95% | 0.3–1.6% | aromatic hydrocarbon | View sourceTinkturenpresse Myroxylon balsamum var. pereirae page citing Zitterl-Eglseer et al. 2012 https://tinkturenpresse.de/doku.php?id=myroxylon_balsamum_var._pereirae line 56: styrene 0.3-1.6% |
| (Z)-beta-ocimene | 0.85% | 0.2–1.5% | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceTinkturenpresse Myroxylon balsamum var. pereirae page citing Zitterl-Eglseer et al. 2012 https://tinkturenpresse.de/doku.php?id=myroxylon_balsamum_var._pereirae line 56: (Z)-ocimene 0.2-1.5% |
| ethyl benzoate | 0.85% | 0.5–1.2% | aromatic ester | View sourceTinkturenpresse Myroxylon balsamum var. pereirae page citing Zitterl-Eglseer et al. 2012 https://tinkturenpresse.de/doku.php?id=myroxylon_balsamum_var._pereirae line 56: ethyl benzoate 0.5-1.2% |
Profile source: EMA assessment report on Myroxylon balsamum var. pereirae; Hermitage Peru Balsam product page; IFRA Standard Peru balsam Amendment 49 · https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/draft-assessment-report-myroxylon-balsamum-l-harms-var-pereirae-royle-harms-balsamum_en.pdf ; https://hermitageoils.com/product/peru-balsam/ ; https://d3t14p1xronwr0.cloudfront.net/docs/standards/IFRA_STD_071.pdf
A TRADITION OF BOTANICAL CURIOSITY
Traditional & reported uses
These uses reflect the profile's reported traditions and literature. They are not established treatment recommendations.
- traditionally used in perfumery as a warm, sweet, vanilla-like resinous base note and fixative
- reported to support a sense of comfort and warmth in blends
- traditionally associated with historic use in balms and skin-care preparations
- used in flavoring for its sweet, cinnamon-vanilla character in small amounts
- valued for its rich, ambery-balsamic tenacity in fine fragrance compositions
For aromatherapy and wellness use only — not medical advice. Effect statements are traditional/reported associations, not treatment claims. The Synergy Rating scores blend craft, harmony and safety, not medical efficacy. Read the safety framework.
What we're still learning · 2 data gaps
Good decisions start with knowing what is — and isn't — in the evidence.
- Odor intensity 85 is an archive normalization of Hermitage's qualitative description of a rich, plush, warm, ambery-resinous crude balsam rather than a directly published 0-100 measurement.
- Missing public source type for a publish-grade tenacity value: a directly readable technical sheet or organoleptic study with measured persistence for the crude balsam rather than descriptive perfumery prose.