Opopanax Essential Oil

Opopanax is distilled from the resin of Commiphora guidottii, a small tree in the Burseraceae family. Ours is wildcrafted in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Somaliland, and comes to us either hydro-distilled or steam-distilled. The aroma is sweet, woodsy, warm, and balsamic.

What surprises people is how much of this oil is (E)-\u03b2-ocimene, a monoterpene, typically 22-42% in our batches. After that come the sesquiterpenes: (Z)-\u03b1-bisabolene at roughly 17-28% and \u03b1-santalene around 10-22%, with sesquiterpenes together making up about half the oil. That resin-and-sesquiterpene character is why Opopanax is valued for soothing, skin-supporting, antioxidant qualities, and why it works so well as a grounding base note that gives a blend depth and staying power.

Every batch we bring in is independently GC-MS tested, and the full report for each one lives right here on this page.