Dragon Blood

Dragon's Blood resin carries a documented history stretching back more than two millennia. Chinese texts from the Han Dynasty (206 BCE to 220 CE) describe it as "long-life wood," valued for treating wounds, stopping bleeding, and addressing respiratory ailments. The resin reached Europe through Mediterranean and Arabian trade routes, where apothecaries prescribed it as a styptic and astringent.

In South America, Croton lechleri yielded a similar red sap that indigenous communities in the Amazon basin used for centuries to seal cuts and treat infections. The name itself likely arose from the resin's vivid blood-red color, which ancient observers associated with vitality and protection. By the medieval period, Dragon's Blood appeared in European incense blends and ceremonial inks, including the red pigments used in illuminated manuscripts.

Its transition into modern perfumery began in the late twentieth century as niche perfumers sought unusual, historically rich materials. Today it appears in incense-style fragrances, leather accords, and compositions exploring smoke and resin themes, connecting contemporary scent-making to one of antiquity's most storied botanical materials.