# copal



## Tabitha (Jan 12, 2011)

I am in love with copal. I had never even heard of it until I purchased a bottle from SOS last week. Here is the SOS description: based on the a ceremonial, pre-columbian resin copal is spicy, warm, smokey and unique. 

Copal is a very young amber that has not gone through the entire fossil process. It is used as jewelry but does not last as long and can craze because it has not had as much time to harden. It looks just like true amber & can contain bugs, etc. I am just discovering this resin, how has it eluded me until now?

It is used by native Central American people today, in sweat lodges.

I swear I smell black coffee (almost burnt) and bitter chocolate. SOS says it is similar to frankinsense but I don't get that myself.

Anyone familiar with it?


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## pixybratt (Jan 12, 2011)

I am not familiar with the FO but I've used and sold Copal Oro for years, I'm not sure I would compare it to Frankincense to me it has a much sweeter fragrance. I think it blends well with Myrrh.


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## Babette (Jan 12, 2011)

Hey, Tabitha -- Ohhh, you are so right.  I love copal, too, but I couldn't break down the scent chord without it right in front of me.  

I've crushed and ground it to add to rebatch (not for facial soaps). Fragrance wasn't strong enough, but I could've added infusions, too, etc.  Now that I'm trying to learn how to do CP, I want to go back and try again...  any suggestions?  I'm intimidated by fragrance in cp.  With rebatch, I could add in until I got what I thought would work.

I did have some luck infusing copal in a carrier oil once.  I believe that I used almond?  Have you had any luck with that? I crushed it into the oil and let it rest, tested and stirred it.  Cool, dark storage.  I remember thinking it turned out well, if a little on the light side.  I had trouble selling it online because there was not a lot of familiarity and sharing information about it wasn't enough to increase sales.  

Are there any medical reasons to not use it?  I was just reading about sweetgrass and the coumadin issue...coumadin is an anti-coagulant or something.

Take care. Thanks for this topic!


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## newbie (Jan 13, 2011)

Never heard of it, but now I really want to buy some! Is it an FO or a resin? It sounds like WSP sells it as an FO (you mention a bottle) but then sometimes people are commenting on using it as a resin. Is the WSP version a liquid or the resin?


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## Tabitha (Jan 13, 2011)

I purchased my fo from Save  On Scents.


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## newbie (Jan 13, 2011)

Excuse my poor retention! When you say FO, I assume you are getting a liquid scent and not resin that you have to infuse. People were talking about both in this thread.


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## Tabitha (Jan 13, 2011)

fo = fragrance oil, so it is an oil (liquid).

Not sure how you would use the resin.


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## newbie (Jan 13, 2011)

I know you think I'm an idiot asking about it being liquid or not, but the person before me, Babette, mentioned the copal but crushing/grinding it and infusing it in oils, so I wasn't sure if everyone was talking about the same thing.

Per BAbette: 

I've crushed and ground it to add to rebatch (not for facial soaps). Fragrance wasn't strong enough, but I could've added infusions, too, etc. Now that I'm trying to learn how to do CP, I want to go back and try again... any suggestions? I'm intimidated by fragrance in cp. With rebatch, I could add in until I got what I thought would work. 

I did have some luck infusing copal in a carrier oil once. I believe that I used almond? Have you had any luck with that? I crushed it into the oil and let it rest, tested and stirred it. Cool, dark storage. I remember thinking it turned out well, if a little on the light side. I had trouble selling it online because there was not a lot of familiarity and sharing information about it wasn't enough to increase sales. [/quote]


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## Babette (Jan 13, 2011)

Hi, I don't know what SOS is (am newbie), so I must have skimmed over the mention of the bottle.  Sorry about that.  My bad.  There must now be a fragrance oil that is scented like copal.  Yay!

Copal is a resin collected from trees as sap, then dried.  It's not a liquid.  The trees are 'milked' in a manner -- really ancient -- that frankincense an myrrh are, if I'm remembering this right and then the sap is dried.   

That being said, I have had some success using the actual dried copal resin to fragrance products.  The best result was oil infused by adding crushed copal resin.  That was just unforgettable.  I don't have any experience adding an oil infusion to rebatch or cold process soaps, though.  I'd love to hear back from anyone who wants to try fragrancing with the resin.  It's been a while since I made that infusion and I don't remember which carrier oil or how much resin I used or how long I infused for.  I did infuse in a temperature regulated and dark space. I apologize for not having more helpful detail here. 

Copal was burned ceremonially in pre-columbian cultures and is found in burial sites formed into shapes, even into shapes of corn and tortillas.  Some think it's associated with fertility and crop ceremonies.  It is still sold in rural South American markets today, sometimes wrapped in dried banana leaves. I've read that it is still burned in chapels in Mexico today because it was substituted by priests when frankincense and myrrh were not available.  It's believed that the scent welcomes positive spirits/the holy spirit. It smells a little like frankincense/myrrh, but is sweeter, as earlier post said.  

I have to look into the FO now, because it would sure be a lot more cost effective.... I'm a little wary of pthalates, but maybe this one doesn't have pthalates. 

Sorry about the confusion. HOpe this is helpful.


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## Tabitha (Jan 13, 2011)

newbie said:
			
		

> I know you think I'm an idiot asking about it being liquid or not.


[/quote]

LOL, no one thinks you are an idiot. I saw her post about crushing the resin, but that is way too labor intense for my taste.


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## newbie (Jan 13, 2011)

Well that's good, although I am occasionally an idiot. I thought it must be an FO but then I wasn't certain. 

Babette, SOS stands for Save on Scents and here's the link to copal. They also have copal deep and copal gold. They have so many scents it's a bit overwhelming!

http://www.saveonscents.com/product_inf ... ts_id/3637


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## Tabitha (Jan 13, 2011)

SOS has sniffies real cheap too. I think 5 for $3.00  & free shipping, maybe.


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## newbie (Jan 13, 2011)

Slightly off topic, I guess, but it says the sniffie is just over 1 ml but is extra concentrated. Have you found it's enough to make a single bar, say 4 ounces, as a tester? I don't know how concentrated they mean when they say that. It's a great thing to offer!


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## Tabitha (Jan 13, 2011)

I have never used sniffies to make anything. I retain them like a library. They may not be what I am looking for, for my current project, but by retaining them I can revisit them and they might work for a future project.

You could make a bar of M&P w/ the sample I suppose. It's fairly generous, like the glass vials of sample perfume they give out at perfume counters at the mall or through Avon.


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## Babette (Jan 14, 2011)

"Babette, SOS stands for Save on Scents and here's the link to copal. They also have copal deep and copal gold. They have so many scents it's a bit overwhelming!" 




Thanks.  Appreciate your info.  

Site Admin -  I'd encourage everybody to toss some copal in the blender and try it as exfoliant/fragrancer, whatever. It takes about as long as crushing oatmeal.


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## newbie (Jan 31, 2011)

I just got some copal in the mail today. Has anyone soaped it? Any accel or discoloration? Smells like might, but wondering how deep the discoloration might be. THanks!


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## Babette (Jan 31, 2011)

*Copal?*

What did you think of the f.o. and is it phalate free?


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## newbie (Feb 1, 2011)

It's intriguing, but not as smokey and earthy as I thought it might be, OOB, but how do you imagine a scent, really? I just soaped it tonight and it's in the garage, not gelling. I'll update how it smells once I bring it in and cut it up.  The little on the rim of the mixing bowl seems to be tanning and I assume it will discolor, but how much I don't know.

I looked through the data page on Save on Scents and I don't see phthalates listed, but there is nothing stating it's phthalate-free, either, which seems to be an advertising point for most scent makers. Will post again with pictures tomorrow!

Here are a couple pics of Copal. I didn't gel and it's just out of the mold. I don't know if it will continue to darken with exposure to air so... I did use a lot of hard oils, but not exclusively (maybe about 2/3 ? without calculating from my recipe), and I only hand whisked to emulsion, took about 5 ounces out for coloring and then hand whisked in the fragrance. It did trace pretty quickly, esp for only hand stirring, so with SB'ing, i think it would accelerate at least moderately. It smells much more intriguing in the soap, more like the description. It isn't as baked goods smelling- that's what it reminded me of OOB, but now it's earthy, a bit smokey, a bit sandalwoody. Very nice!


http://img31.imageshack.us/i/img2511v.jpg/

and one with white paper behind, for a better assessment of the color.

http://img545.imageshack.us/i/img2513n.jpg/

Well, I had my copal soap cut, restacked and wrapped to prevent it from drying too quickly and I just found it on the counter, getting warm/hot and trying to gel. Had it frozen in the garage overnight, in the fridge from this am to this afternoon, let it sit out for a little to thaw and cut and now, after finding it so warm and looking a bit oily, it's back in the fridge. FYI!


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## wardbond (Jun 4, 2018)

Tabitha said:


> I am in love with copal. I had never even heard of it until I purchased a bottle from SOS last week. Here is the SOS description: based on the a ceremonial, pre-columbian resin copal is spicy, warm, smokey and unique.
> 
> Copal is a very young amber that has not gone through the entire fossil process. It is used as jewelry but does not last as long and can craze because it has not had as much time to harden. It looks just like true amber & can contain bugs, etc. I am just discovering this resin, how has it eluded me until now?
> 
> ...




the resin,  yes I use it for incense.. which strength  did you get of the Copal?  "standard" "ultra" or "extreme"   the link for the version you left has 3 strengths
http://www.saveonscents.com/product_info.php/cPath/291_295_399/products_id/3637

thanks


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## IrishLass (Jun 5, 2018)

Warbond- you may want to check the date of this thread. Unfortunately, Tabitha hasn't been on the forum for about 6 years.


IrishLass


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