Ho Wood Oil

#### Ho Wood Oil. From one of the many varieties of **Cinnamomum**** ****Camphora**, locally known as **Ho-Sho**, two essential oils are derived, both of which are quite important to the perfume industry: A "camphor oil" (see monograph on **Camphor Oils**) is distilled from the wood which, upon fractionation, yields about 20% of the so-called **Ho-Oil**** **or **Shiu-Oil**. Formosa and Japan are the major producers, while minor quantities are produced in Red China. Japanese **"Ho**** ****Wood**** ****Oil"** is a fractionated ho oil, while the Chinese oil is usually "natural" and contains more camphor than linalool. Before World War II, hundreds of tons of **Ho Oil **were produced annually, and most of it was exported to Europe where it was further processed into perfumery grade linalool, linalyl acetate and other perfume materials. It was not until quite recently that the essential oil from the leaves of the same tree became available in significant quantities. The latter oil has now greatly replaced the **Ho Wood Oil **as a source of **Linalool **(see monograph on **Ho Leaf Oil).** **Ho Wood Oil **is a pale yellow or almost colorless oil with a sweet-camphoraceous, somewhat woody- floral odor. There have always been several grades of ho wood oil, the best ones being virtually free from camphoraceous notes. These oils were offered at a lower price than Brazilian bois de rose oil even in the years prior to 1955. Only the better grades of **Ho Wood Oil **were used as such in perfumery, although the camphoraceous types could be used in soap perfumes where lavandin, aspic, rosemary and similar materials were already present. As mentioned above, ho wood oil is now slowly but steadily being replaced by the leaf oil from the same tree. The wood oil still finds use in the producing areas as a soap perfume material and as a source of linalool.