In short
Gurjun balsam oil comes from the oleoresin of Dipterocarpus trees in South and Southeast Asia. It has a dry, woody-balsamic odour and is used as an inexpensive fixative.
What Gurjun Balsam Oil smells like
Gurjun balsam oil has a weak, wood-like odour, in one listing; a supplier review finds it woody, sweet, dry, balsamic and resinous with hints of pine, patchouli and camphor, and a database lists balsamic, spicy, woody, guaiacwood, patchouli, copaiba, pine and animal. A forum perfumer finds it faintly sweet, woody and pine-like, reminiscent of copaiba balsam and amyris oil, with a crude undertone. Composition varies with origin (copaene- or gurjunene-rich).
- Leading note
- Soft balsamic wood
- Supporting facets
- Pine, camphor
- Faint facets
- Patchouli-like, crude
- Character
- Faint, dry, soft
What makes Gurjun Balsam Oil distinctive
A quiet woody balsam that blends patchouli, pine and copaiba hints into the background.
How Gurjun Balsam Oil is used
Used as an inexpensive woody-balsamic fixative and blender, and sometimes to extend patchouli.
Typical role: fixative (slow to evaporate; helps a blend last and holds lighter notes); blender (smooths the joins between other materials).
How Gurjun Balsam Oil differs from similar materials
- Copaiba Balsam
- A forum perfumer finds gurjun reminiscent of copaiba; copaiba is drier and more peppery, gurjun faintly sweet and pine-like. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Amyris Oil
- A forum perfumer finds gurjun reminiscent of amyris; amyris is sweeter and more balsamic. (compared directly by a cited source)
An asterisk marks a difference that a cited source states directly. The others compare the published descriptions of each material. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.
Formulation considerations
Widely used to adulterate patchouli and other oils; its alpha-gurjunene shows up in analysis.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Essential oil
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Woody / Resinous
- Note position
- Base note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Viscous liquid
- Also known as
- Gurjun oil
- Botanical source
- Dipterocarpus spp.
- CAS number
- 8030-55-5
The CAS number was checked on 19 October 2026 against a PubChem substance record that gives it for this material. A natural material is a mixture, so it has no single formula; its composition varies with origin and processing.
Safety and compliance
This page is general information, not a safety assessment or a specification. Confirm identity, composition, IFRA status and allergen content from your supplier's documents for the lot you hold.
Materials it works with
-
Copaiba Balsam
Resinoid · Woody / Resinous — woody, balsamic, peppery, soft
-
Patchouli Oil
Essential oil · Woody / Chypre — earthy, woody, camphoraceous, dark
-
Cedrol
Natural isolate · Woody / Musky — woody, cedar, faint, dry
-
Vetiver Oil
Essential oil · Woody / Green — earthy, smoky, woody, rooty
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 1 published formula
Gurjun Balsam Oil is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula in the Formula & Accord Library.
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Gurjun Balsam Oil
Is Gurjun Balsam Oil natural or synthetic?
Gurjun Balsam Oil is natural. It is a volatile oil obtained from plant material by steam distillation or, for citrus peels, by cold expression.
What is the CAS number of Gurjun Balsam Oil?
8030-55-5, the registry number for the essential oil as a substance rather than a single molecule. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Gurjun Balsam Oil?
Gurjun Balsam Oil is used in 1 published formula in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: Rosewood Cello. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — substance 135290231, checked 19 October 2026.
- Hermitage Oils — Gurjun balsam — distributor's description.
- ChemicalBook — gurjun balsam (CAS 8030-55-5) — odour database.
- Basenotes — Gurjun balsam (forum) — published perfumery reference.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 21 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.