In short
Opoponax oil, also called sweet myrrh, is distilled from the resin of Commiphora guidottii. It gives a sweet, warm balsamic note.
What Opoponax Oil smells like
Opoponax (sweet myrrh) has a warm-balsamic, sweet, honey-like aroma that reads lighter, sweeter and more powdery than myrrh, in Lush's description; others give a honey-like, slightly smoky, earthy profile with a soft powdery warmth. A forum perfumer describes the resinoid as powdery, sweet, balsamic, woody and root-like, and a glossary finds it softer and less bitter than myrrh, with a liquorice-anise facet. Supplier descriptions vary widely, from mushroomy to animalic.
- Leading note
- Sweet honeyed balsam
- Clear facets
- Powdery
- Supporting facets
- Woody, root-like
- Faint facets
- Liquorice-anise, smoky, earthy
- Character
- Warm, soft, sweet, powdery
What makes Opoponax Oil distinctive
A sweet, powdery myrrh — honeyed and soft where myrrh is bitter and spicy.
Where the descriptions disagree: Supplier descriptions range from sweet, earthy and mushroomy to animalic, balsamic and woody.
How Opoponax Oil is used
Used in amber and oriental compositions for a sweet, powdery balsamic warmth.
Typical role: fixative (slow to evaporate; helps a blend last and holds lighter notes); modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Opoponax Oil differs from similar materials
- Benzoin Resinoid (Siam)
- Benzoin is a vanillic, powdery balsam; opoponax is honeyed and woody-rooty, with a faint anise.
- Labdanum Absolute
- Labdanum is ambery, leathery and animalic; opoponax is a softer, sweeter, powdery balsam.
- Myrrh Oil
- A forum perfumer finds myrrh spicier, without opoponax's woody, rooty note; opoponax is powdery and sweet. (compared directly by a cited source)
- Opoponax Absolute
- dsm-firmenich describes the absolute as warmer, sweeter and more long-lasting than the oil. (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
IFRA lists a Standard for opoponax; check it before use. Commiphora species have been listed in CITES Appendix II since March 5, 2026, and the listing covers essential oils, so importing or exporting the bulk oil needs CITES documents.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Essential oil
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Resinous / Amber
- Note position
- Base note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Viscous liquid
- Also known as
- Sweet myrrh oil
- Botanical source
- Commiphora guidottii Chiov. ex Guid.
- CAS number
- 8021-36-1
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
The IFRA Standards Library lists a Standard covering Opoponax Oil:
- "Opoponax" — type not stated in the library listing, 49th Amendment, published 2020-01
Limits differ by product category and are set out in the Standard itself; this page does not reproduce them. The list above reflects the library as read on 19 October 2026.
CITES: Commiphora spp. (listed from March 5, 2026) is listed in Appendix II. Extracts, including resins, gums and essential oils, and powder, except finished retail products such as perfumes. Checked on Species+ on 11 October 2026; see CITES and perfume materials.
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
-
Myrrh Oil
Essential oil · Resinous / Spicy — resinous, bitter, balsamic, medicinal
-
Labdanum Absolute
Absolute · Amber / Leather — amber, balsamic, leathery, animalic
-
Benzoin Resinoid (Siam)
Resinoid · Amber / Gourmand — vanillic, balsamic, sweet, warm
Opoponax Oil is also suggested as a partner on the pages for Opoponax Absolute.
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 2 published formulas
Opoponax Oil is an ingredient in 2 perfume formulas in the Formula & Accord Library.
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Opoponax Oil
Is Opoponax Oil natural or synthetic?
Opoponax 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 Opoponax Oil?
8021-36-1, 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 Opoponax Oil?
Opoponax Oil is used in 2 published formulas in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: Myrrh Lantern and Resin Atlas. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Is Opoponax Oil covered by an IFRA Standard?
Yes. The IFRA Standards Library lists a Standard covering it: "Opoponax" — type not stated in the library listing, 49th Amendment. The limits depend on the product category; read the Standard itself before formulating.
Sources
- PubChem — substance 135303853, checked 19 October 2026.
- IFRA — Standards Library, read 19 October 2026.
- CITES — Species+, checked 11 October 2026.
- Lush — Opoponax oil — published perfumery reference.
- Basenotes — Opopanax (forum) — published perfumery reference.
- Premiere Peau — Opoponax resinoid — published perfumery reference.
- The Good Scents Company — opoponax — odour database.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 24 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.