# Oil of guaiac

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**Oil of guaiac** is a [fragrance](/source/Fragrance) ingredient used in [soap](/source/Soap) and [perfumery](/source/Perfumery). Despite its name it does not come from the *[Guaiacum](/source/Guaiacum)* tree, but from the [palo santo](/source/Bulnesia_sarmientoi) tree (*Bulnesia sarmientoi*).[1]

Oil of guaiac is produced through [steam distillation](/source/Steam_distillation) of a mixture of wood and sawdust from palo santo. It is sometimes incorrectly called guaiac wood [concrete](/source/Concrete_(perfumery)). It is a yellow to greenish yellow semi-solid mass which melts around 40–50 °C. Once melted, it can be cooled back to room temperature yet remain liquid for a long time. Oil of guaiac has a soft roselike odour, similar to the odour of [hybrid tea roses](/source/Hybrid_tea_rose) or [violets](/source/Viola_(plant)). Because of this similarity, it has sometimes been used as an [adulterant](/source/Adulterant) for rose oil.[2]

Oil of guaiac is primarily composed of 42–72% [guaiol](/source/Guaiol), [bulnesol](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bulnesol&action=edit&redlink=1), δ-[bulnesene](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bulnesene&action=edit&redlink=1), β-[bulnesene](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bulnesene&action=edit&redlink=1), α-[guaiene](/source/Guaiene), [guaioxide](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Guaioxide&action=edit&redlink=1) and β-[patchoulene](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Patchoulene&action=edit&redlink=1). It is considered non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-[phototoxic](/source/Phototoxic) to human skin.

Oil of guaiac was also a pre-[Renaissance](/source/Renaissance) remedy to [syphilis](/source/Syphilis).

## See also

- [Guaiacum](/source/Guaiacum)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Guaiac Wood perfume ingredient, Guaiac Wood fragrance and essential oils Bulnesia sarmienti"](http://www.fragrantica.com/notes/Guaiac-Wood-36.html). Fragrantica.com. 1921-04-04. Retrieved 2016-01-14.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Guenther1992_2-0)** Guenther, Ernest (1992). [*The Essential Oils: Individual Essential Oils of the Plant Families*](https://books.google.com/books?id=mjTmAAAAIAAJ&q=%22Oil+of+guaiac%22). Krieger Publishing Company. pp. 28, 197–9. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780894647734](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780894647734). Retrieved 19 October 2017.

## Further reading

- D.L.J. Opdyke, 1974, Food Cosmet. Toxicol., 12 (Suppl.), 905

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