Benzoin is a tree native to South-East Asia. Its trunk exudes a gum well known for its strong astringent and antiseptic action.
Benzoin Gum, also sometimes called Gum Benjamin, is gelatinous when wet, and forms small, hard, water-soluble granules when dried, called crystals. They can vary in colour from brown to grey and with a granular texture
Primarily, Benzoin is used for incense and it has a sweet-balsamic odour with a distinct vanilla note. Benzoin is also an excellent choice to use as a fixative in perfumes as it holds onto the lighter notes.
Benzoin Styrax only softens when reaching a temperature of above 132 degrees C and can smell like burning plastic if then burnt at that temperature so it is almost always burnt as an incense over charcoal and is small amounts usually with other incense material. trying to set light to it will result in a disaster and be very unpleasant. You do not burn tree gums in an oil burner.
Resin Behavior:
Benzoin is a resin, which means it's a solid, dried exudate from a tree. Unlike crystalline solids that have a sharp melting point, resins soften and become more pliable as they heat up.
No Melting Point:
Benzoin doesn't have a defined melting point in the way that many substances do. Its behavior upon heating is more of a softening and eventual dissolution.
Dissolving:
Benzoin is soluble in some solvents like alcohol and slightly soluble in hot water, and it can dissolve in oil with prolonged heating, according to Nurture Soap.
Different Types:
There are different types of benzoin, such as Siamese and Sumatra benzoin, which may have slightly different properties regarding solubility and melting behaviour.
Active constituents are Benzaldehyde, benzoic acid, cinnamic acid, styrene, and vanillic acid.
History of Benzoin Gum:-
The resin is formed when when the tree, at least 7 years old, is axed and after a period of time the tree yields the liquid Benzoin. After it has run for a time, the tree is cut down and gutted for the remaining resin.
There are two principal types of Benzoin gum, Benzoin Siam and Benzoin Sumatra ( this product.)
Benzoin Siam is obtained from Styrax tonkinensis, found across Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
Benzoin Sumatra is obtained from Styrax benzoin, which grows predominantly on the island of Sumatra in Indonesia.
Unlike Siamese Benzoin, Sumatran Benzoin contains cinnamic acid in addition to benzoic acid.
In the United States, Sumatra benzoin (Styrax benzoin and Styrax paralleoneurus) is more customarily used in pharmaceutical preparations.
Benzoin Siam (Styrax tonkinensis) is used more frequently in the flavouring and fragrance industries
in Indonesia Benzoin is known as kemenyan. In Indonesian trade statistics, however, benzoin is misleadingly called frankincense, a term usually applied to the resinous exudate from Boswellia spp. of Arabia and Africa. It is possible that this use of the term frankincense derives from benzoin of Indonesian origin that was traded by the Arabs, who regarded it as a form of frankincense, at least 700 years ago.
In Malaysia, benzoin is also called kemenyan or kemayan. Malaysian trade statistics use the term gum benjamin. In Thailand it is known as kamyan or kumyan and in Lao Peples Democratic Republic it is called kam nhan, nyan or yan.
Payments
We accept direct payments through Etsy by credit/debit card or Paypal transfers to make it as easy as possible for you.
You have the right to cancel an order within 24 hours of placing the order or by request at any time prior to despatch.
Shipping from United Kingdom
We aim to despatch within 2 working days of receipt of order but will inform you if this differs for some reason for any product you may have ordered. We use a tracking service which requires your parcel to be signed for and you will be able, in many instances, to track the progress of your package from door to door.
Orders to destinations outside the EU will have a customs and excise declaration - customers from outside the UK should make themselves aware of any local restriction on imported plant material and the Natural Herbalist can accept no liability for custom and excise intervention in your order at transit or delivery stage.
PLEASE READ – IMPORTANT
ALL ORDER WILL ONLY BE DESPATCHED USING TRACKED AND SIGNED FOR DELIVERY WHERE APPROPRIATE (some countries provide tracked OR signed for only rather than both)
WE GO TO GREAT LENGTHS TO PROVIDE TRACKING ON YOUR PURCHASE SIMPLY SO THAT YOU CAN, AT ANY POINT ON YOUR PARCEL’S JOURNEY, AND WHERE APPROPRIATE AND APPLICABLE, CHECK ON YOUR PARCEL’S PROGRESS.
TRACKING NOT ONLY INFORMS YOU OF WHERE YOUR PARCEL IS BUT ALSO IF THERE ARE ANY PROBLEMS WITH DELIVERY THAT ONLY YOU CAN CORRECT SUCH AS MISADDRESSED PARCELS, NOT BEING IN WHEN YOU HAVE TO SIGN FOR THE PARCEL OR RE-ARRANGING A DELIVERY TO SUIT YOUR SCHEDULE.
AVOIDING USE OF TRACKING WILL ONLY LEAD IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES TO YOU LOSING YOUR ORDER WHERE YOUR ASSISTANCE IS REQUIRED BY THE CARRIER TO COMPLETE DELIVERY.
PLEASE USE THE TRACKING SERVICE – IT IS SIMPLE AND EASY TO USE AND WILL HELP YOU AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT
We hope you enjoy your purchase
YOU WILL BE REQUIRED BY YOUR DOMESTIC POSTAL SERVICE TO SIGN FOR YOUR PARCEL UPON ITS DELIVERY – IF YOU ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO SIGN FOR YOUR PARCEL YOUR DOMESTIC CARRIER WILL LEAVE A NOTICE FOR YOU TO CONTACT THEM REGARDING YOUR ARRANGEMENT FOR A MORE SUITABLE TIME FOR DELIVERY OR YOUR COLLECTION OF THE ITEM FROM THE SORTING OFFICE – THEY WILL NORMALLY ALLOW UP TO THREE WEEKS FOR YOU TO ACCOMPLISH THIS.
IF, FOR SOME REASON, YOU DO NOT RE-SCHEDULE A SUITABLE TIME FOR YOUR LOCAL CARRIER TO RE-DELIVER YOUR PARCEL, IT MAY BE RETURNED ULTIMATELY TO US. THIS IS BY NO MEANS CERTAIN AND ALWAYS TAKES LONGER THAN THE OUTWARD JOURNEY BUT ONLY UPON RECEIPT OF THE RETURNED PARCEL WILL A REFUND ON THE PURCHASE PRICE BE MADE. WE WILL NOT SEND THE ITEMS AGAIN NOR REFUND THE ORIGINAL CARRIAGE CHARGE.
Our Shipping Terms and Conditions are shown in detail here...
http://www.luminescents.net/information/shipping/
Our General Terms and Conditions are shown in detail here...
http://www.luminescents.net/information/terms-conditions/
No MSDS or COA certification is provided with your order as per our terms and conditions.
Returns & Exchanges
I gladly accept cancellations
Request a cancellation within: 24 hours of purchase
I don't accept returns or exchanges
But please contact me if you have any problems with your order.
Returns and exchange details
If your order is incorrect or has been damaged then send a photograph of the damaged goods and return them for which we will then make a refund. Return postage is the responsibility of the customer only where cancellations are concerned after an item has been despatched. Be aware that we have a reputation for despatching items very quickly (see reviews)
You have up to 6 weeks from the date and notification of despatch to report non delivery - limitations apply beyond that time and you cannot claim that something has not been delivered three months or more after despatch and certainly not when the carrier has proof of delivery
Privacy
GENERAL DATA PROTECTION (GDPR):-
The Natural Herbalist does not collect data on visitors to its website except where such a visit results in an order being placed in which instance the details entered by the purchaser of items being ordered and the billing and delivery addresses ( if different) are retained in order to fulfil the delivery of the order. This is quite normal.
When paying for the order the visitor is taken to a third party payment portal (PayPal or Etsy Payments) to make payment by whichever method is chosen. No-one at The Natural Herbalist can ever see your payment transaction details. You are returned to the The Natural Herbalist website after payment is authorised or refused.
You do not need to make an account to place an order you may do so as a guest.
The Natural Herbalist has never advertised and does not carry advertisements on its website nor does it cross or upsell its products. It does not e mail or operate an e mail list based upon its previous purchasers or enquirers through it “contact us” page..
The Natural Herbalist has never shared any details of any of its customers nor ever intends to do so with any third party other than as regarded by the GDPR rules, the sharing of your delivery address for an order placed with a third party carrier ( in this case the Royal Mail who may then share the information with other third party carriers if delivery is overseas) is regarded as sharing and is legal in the pursuit of our obigations to fulfil the item you have ordered.
The Natural Herbalist has never e mailed, nor ever intends to do so, any of its purchasers with promotional or marketing e mails but reserves the right to e mail those having registered their e mail address with an order to confirm despatch and delivery information for that order inpursuant with normal legal requirements in the operation of our business. Your agreement to our terms and conditions when placing an order confirms that you have accepted this. We use the Etsy site messaging service for this purpose and not any e mail address you may have advised to Etsy themselves.
The Natural Herbalist is happy to respond to those who might wish to check if we hold information given by them at any point in their commercial relationship with us and if so would like to exercise their “right to be forgotten” sometimes and also known as a “right to erasure”.
Simply ask for a data information request via the Contact Us page in the first instance. Your request will be acknowledged and you will be asked to provide documentary proof that you are who you say you are ( a photocopy of a recent (within the last 6 months ) utility bill or a driving license or passport will suffice. Any information will be despatched using tracked and signed for postage to an address provided on any one of the methods used to prove identity. A fee of £10 will be levied for each information request as per the ICO’s recommendations and all straight forward requests will be met with a response within 40 days of receipt of the requisite identifaction material and fee being received where possible.
Sharing Information:-
The Natural Herbalist relies on a number of legal bases to collect, use, and share your information, including the following:
As needed to provide our services, such as when we use your information to fulfil your order, to settle disputes, or to provide customer support;
When you have provided your affirmative consent, which you may revoke at any time, such as when contacting us via our “contact us” page
If necessary to comply with a legal obligation or court order or in connection with a legal claim, such as retaining information about your purchases if required by tax law; and
As necessary for the purpose of our legitimate interests, if those legitimate interests are not overridden by your rights or interests, such as 1) providing and improving our services. We use your information to provide the services you requested and in our legitimate interest to improve our services; and 2) Compliance with the our Terms of Use.
Service providers. We engage certain trusted third parties to perform functions and provide services to our shop, such as principally The Royal Mail and its overseas partners. We share your delivery information with these third parties, but only to the extent necessary to perform these services.
Business transfers. If we sell or merge our business, We may disclose your information as part of that transaction, only to the extent permitted by law.
Compliance with laws. We may collect, use, retain, and share your information if We have a good faith and a belief that it is reasonably necessary to: (a) respond to legal processes or to government requests; (b) enforce our agreements, terms and policies; (c) prevent, investigate, and address fraud and other illegal activity, security, or technical issues; or (d) protect the rights, property, and safety of our customers, or others.
Data Retention:-
We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to provide you with our services and as described in our Privacy Policy. However, we may also be required to retain this information to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations, to resolve disputes, and to enforce our agreements. We generally keep your data for the following time period: 7 years.
Transfers of Personal Information Outside the EU:-
We may store and process your information through third-party hosting services in the US and other jurisdictions. As a result, we may transfer your personal information to a jurisdiction with different data protection and government surveillance laws than your jurisdiction. If we are deemed to transfer information about you outside the EU, we rely on Privacy Shield as the legal basis for the transfer, as Google Cloud is Privacy Shield certified.
Your Rights
If you reside in certain territories, including the EU, you have a number of rights in relation to your personal information. While some of these rights apply generally, certain rights apply only in certain limited cases. we describe these rights below:
Access. You may have the right to access and receive a copy of the personal information we hold about you by contacting us using the Contact Us page in the first instance. Your request will be acknowledged and you will be asked to provide documentary proof that you are who you say you are ( a photocopy of a recent (within the last 6 months ) utility bill or a driving license or passport will suffice. Any information will be despatched using tracked and signed for postage to an address provided on any one of the methods used to prove identity. A fee of £10 will be levied for each information request as per the ICO’s recommendations and all straight forward requests will be met with a response within 40 days of receipt of the requisite identifaction material and fee being received where possible.
Change, restrict, delete. You may also have rights to change, restrict our use of, or delete your personal information. Absent exceptional circumstances (like where we are required to store data for legal reasons) We will generally delete your personal information upon request.
Object. You can object to (i) our processing of some of your information based on our legitimate interests and (ii) receiving marketing messages from us (should we ever decide to embark on this course) after providing your express consent to receive them. In such cases, We will delete your personal information unless we have compelling and legitimate grounds to continue using that information or if it is needed for legal reasons.
Complain. If you reside in the EU and wish to raise a concern about our use of your information (and without prejudice to any other rights you may have), you have the right to do so with your local data protection authority.
Reviews (2)
Average:
Jun 27, 2025
I am new to this here benzoin Gum and can't make a judgement to it's quality yet. The dispatch was fast and the customer service is one of kindness. Thank you.
eternal spirit
Jul 25, 2017
Robert Bugh