Copaiba

Copaiba is a balsam that flows like oil. Tap the trunk of the tree and a clear golden liquid runs out, so thin and abundant that it has been used as fuel for lamps. Its scent is warm, peppery and quietly balsamic, and it gives a base a softness that no resin can.

What copaiba is

Copaiba is the oleoresin of trees of the genus Copaifera, tall canopy trees of the Amazon. The balsam collects in cavities inside the trunk and is drawn off by drilling a small hole, which is then plugged so the tree can be tapped again in later years. The oil is steam distilled from the balsam and is dominated by caryophyllene, the same warm, dry, peppery molecule found in black pepper and clove, together with softer balsamic sesquiterpenes. It is gentle, long lasting and one of the most sustainable materials in my palette.

Where our copaiba comes from

Ours comes from Brazil, where copaiba trees grow across the Amazon basin and the balsam is tapped by forest communities as a traditional livelihood. Brazil is the principal source of copaiba, and the tapping is done without felling the tree, one small hole at a time. The warmth and humidity of the forest keep the balsam fluid and fragrant, and the Brazilian oil is prized for its clean, peppery, woody warmth.

How copaiba smells

Warm, balsamic, spicy and peppery. It opens with a dry, soft pepper, then settles into a smooth, slightly sweet balsamic wood that lasts on the skin for hours without ever growing heavy.

Copaiba in our chapter

• IHayalThe Crown · in the base

  In Hayal it is the softest of the base notes, the forest balsam beneath frankincense and labdanum that lets the crown of the tree end gently.

A note from the atelier

Hayal opens with pepper and ends with copaiba, which is pepper's quiet cousin. The chapter begins with a spark and closes with the same warmth spoken softly.

Questions about copaiba