Bois de Rose Oil

#### Bois de Rose Oil. Ranking only a few years ago among the 15 “biggest” essential oils in the world, **Bois de Rose**** ****Oil**** **to-day is fighting for survival in strong competition with other essential oils, and particularly with synthetic **Linalool**. **Bois de Rose Oil **is steam distilled, occasionally water-distilled, from the chipped wood of **Aniba**** ****Rosaeodora**** **and possibly other species of the genus Burseraceae belonging to the laurel family. The tree is a tropical, medium-sized, wild-growing evergreen from the Amazon basin. The wood is collected in Brazil, Peru and in the French Guiana (“**Cayenne Rosewood**”). In perfumery, the term **Rosewood**** **means only Bois de Rose of the above kind. The trade uses the term Rosewood for a multitude of lumberwoods, etc., e. g.: **Acacia Excelsa ****= ****Australian Rosewood**** ****Amyris**** ****Balsamifera**** ****=**** ****West**** ****Indian**** ****Rosewood** **Cordia**** ****Gerascanthus**** ****=**** ****Dominican**** ****Rosewood**** **(fragrant) **Dalbergia**** ****Latifolia**** ****=**** ****East**** ****Indian**** ****Rosewood** **Dicypellium Caryophyllatum ****= ****Brazilian Rosewood **(fragrant) **Myrospermum**** ****Erythroxylon**** ****=**** ****Japanese**** ****Rosewood**** **(see Oleo Vermelho) **Physocalumma Scaberrimum ****= ****Brazilian Rosewood **(odorless) **Pterocarpus Erinaceus ****= ****African Rosewood** **Thespesia**** ****Populnea**** ****=**** ****Polynesian**** ****Rosewood**** **(fragrant; grows in Central Africa and South Pacific islands). (See also the monograph on **Louro Brasileiro **and **Louro Nhamuy**, the latter being responsible for a high content of monoterpenes in **Bois de Rose Oil **which has been distilled from wood of “true” rosewood trees, more or less contaminated with the wood of the **Louro Nhamuy **tree). Distillation of bois de rose oil is carried out in more or less modern stills in the above three countries. During the past few decades, production has been rationalized considerably, resulting in better yields, higher quality of oil and lower prices. In post-war years, the Brazilian production has reached 500 to 600 metric tons of oil annually. Peru has produced increasing amounts of bois de rose oil since 1957. These facts have affected the market price significantly. Finally, the large-scale production of synthetic **Linalool **in the United States has resulted in a further drop in the price of **Bois de Rose Oil**. The oil is used mainly as a starting material for the isolation of natural **Linalool**, of which the oil contains over 70%. The linalool in turn is converted into linalyl esters for many uses in perfumery and flavor work. Linalyl acetate is sometimes produced by direct acetylation of bois de rose oil, and subsequent fractionated distillation of the neutralized reaction mixture. In the years of scarcity of bois de rose oil (1940 to 1950), other essential oils were utilized as starting materials for the isolation of linalool or linalylacetate: Japanese **Ho Wood Oil, Ho Leaf Oil,**** ****Lavandin**** ****Oil,**** ****Spike**** ****Lavender**** ****Oil**, and even **Petitgrain**** ****Oil**** **from Paraguay was used for isolation of linalyl acetate. Beyond any doubt, **Ho Leaf Oil **(see this monograph) is the major competitor of **Bois de Rose**** ****Oil**. The ho leaf oil is produced on a comparatively large scale in Japan. The oil contains more linalool (when the oil is rectified from the source), and its terpenes have a less harsh or penetrating odor. All these facts have contributed to the situation of unstable economy which presently rules in the producing areas in Brazil and Peru. **Bois de Rose Oil **is a colorless or pale yellow liquid of a refreshing, sweet-woody, somewhat floral-spicy odor. The topnote varies considerably with the origin and quality of the oil. It is usually somewhat camphoraceous-peppery, reminiscent of cineole and nutmeg terpenes. It is worthwhile remembering that **Bois de Rose Oil **can dissolve considerable amounts of water (up to several percent). Some water will “fall out” of the oil during shipment, particularly if the drums are exposed to cold temperatures. The water will usually remain undissolved thereafter. **Bois de Rose Oil **is also used as such (cleaned and free from water) in soap perfumes where the strong topnotes can be utilized to advantage. The isolated **Linalool **finds very extensive use in perfumery, e.g. of the floral types: lilac, muguet, neroli, sweet pea, etc. In respect to odor, the **Cayenne Rosewood Oil **is superior to the Brazilian and the Peruvian. Production in Cayenne has fallen below 10 metric tons per year, and the oil has little influence upon the **Bois de Rose **market. The Cayenne oil is produced mainly upon demand from a few French houses. The odor of the oil is mild, floral-woody, almost like a rectified Brazilian oil. (See also **Linaloe**** ****Wood**** ****Oil**** **and **Linaloe**** ****Seed**** ****Oil**** **(Mexico and India). **Bois de Rose Oil **is occasionally adulterated, although the tremendous drop in its price has made it difficult to find a suitable “cutting” material. Terpineol, myrcene and various fractions of pine oil have been used. More frequently, the **Bois**** ****de**** ****Rose**** ****Oil **has been contaminated with oil from admixed wood of Louro Nhamuy, a related and nearby growing tree (see the monograph on **Louro Nhamuy).** Considering the development in the production of **Bois de Rose Oils **and synthetic **Linalool**, described above, it is conceivable that the essential oil will slowly lose much of its importance in perfumery, and perhaps will find its place among the fairly low-cost soap perfumery raw materials. In this respect, the essential oil remains superior to the synthetic linalool.