Amyris Oil

#### Amyris Oil. **Amyris Oil **is steam distilled from the wood of **Amyris Balsamifera**, the so-called West Indian Rosewood. The tree grows in northern parts of South America, in Central America and in the West Indies. It has been introduced in many tropical zones all over the world. Distillation takes place mainly in Haiti, and to a lesser extent, in the neighboring Dominican Republic, in Jamaica and Venezuela. Occasionally the wood is exported in billets and distilled elsewhere (Europe, U. S. A.). The wood is an excellent furniture wood. **Amyris Oil **was earlier known as West Indian **Sandalwood Oil**. To avoid further confusion, this misnomer will be omitted from the monographs in the present work. **Amyris**** ****Oil**** **is a viscous liquid of pale yellow, yellow or brownish-yellow color. Its odor is faintly woody, not dry. It has a slightly oily-sweet, balsamic note, and occasionally displays a faintly peppery topnote, reminiscent of guaiacwood or cubeb. The body-odor is very tenacious, but it rapidly loses the rich, complex odor, fading out in a very weak, woody-balsamic note. The odor varies considerably, depending on the age of the oil and the age of the wood prior to distillation. **Amyris**** ****Oil**** **has recently become subject to extensive adulteration, particularly in the sense that certain fractions are sold separately, while other fractions are cut with cedarwood oil (type "Virginia") or with copaiba balsam. The natural unfractionated amyris oil has some perfumery value beyond its well-known fixative power. But its woody effect is far inferior to that of sandalwood oil, for example. **Amyris**** ****Oil**** **and its fractions are also acetylated to yield so-called "**Amyris**** ****Acetate**", a product of very ill-defined character. If the acetylated oil is isolated from the accompanying monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, a fairly interesting "amyris acetate" can be produced. The odor of this material is lighter, fresher, greener than that of amyris oil, and it is also less fatty-sweet. Amyris oil finds extensive application as a mild blender in numerous types of perfume, particularly in soap perfumes. It blends well with ionones, methylionones, lavandin oil, coumarin, oakmoss products, terpineol, citronella oils, sassafras or ocotea oils, amylsalicylate, etc. The oil is readily available in large quantities. During the past 10 years, the annual production has fluctuated between 15 and 75 tons. It's very low cost has made it a popular fixative for soap perfumes and other low-cost fragrances. In recent years, **Amyris Oil **has been used for the "official and conventional" cutting of Haiti Vetiver Oil. The "rule" is that 5% amyris oil is added to all locally produced vetiver oils before these are exported from Haiti.