- Latin name
- Copaifera officinalis and other species
- Family
- Legume family (Fabaceae)
- Origin
- Brazil (Amazonia), Venezuela
- Parts used
- oleoresin from the trunk
- Raw materials
- copaiba balsam and essential oil
- Extraction
- collection of the oleoresin, distillation
- Olfactory group
- woody, balsamic
- Position in the pyramid
- base
- Synthetic substitutes
- beta-caryophyllene, woody bases
Copaiba balsam is the oleoresin of Amazonian Copaifera trees. It is obtained by drilling into the trunk — and a clear golden liquid flows from the tree as if from a tap. Local people have used it as a medicine for centuries.
How it smells: soft, woody and slightly spicy: warm resinous wood, a light peppery and honeyed shade, a faintly sweet balsamic quality. Copaiba sounds calm, quiet and velvety.
The main substance of copaiba is beta-caryophyllene, the same molecule that gives spice to black pepper and clove. But in copaiba it sounds softer and woodier, so it holds the base beautifully without drawing attention.
What it pairs with: with sandalwood and cedar — a warm woody base, with pepper — dry spiced wood, with vanilla and benzoin — soft amber compositions, with incense — resinous fragrances, with vetiver — an earthy natural base.
Good to know: several litres of oleoresin can be collected from a single copaiba tree, and it replenishes its supply within a few years — so harvesting does not harm the forest.
