There
has been little dedicated research into the medical properties of styrax resin,
but it has been used for long, and apparently with favorable results. It was
important in Islamic medicine; Avicenna (Ibn Seena, ابن
سینا) discusses S. officinalisit in his Al-Qanun
fi al-Tibb (القانون في الطب, The Law of Medicine). He indicates that
styrax resin mixed with other antibiotic substances and hardening material
gives a good dental restorative material. Benzoin resin is a
component of the "Theriaca Andromachi Senioris", a Venice treacle recipe in the
1686 d'Amsterdammer Apotheek.
Tincture of benzoin is benzoin resin
dissolved in alcohol. This and its numerous
derived versions like lait virginal and friar's balsam were
highly esteemed in 19th-century European cosmetics and other household
purposes; they apparently had antibacterial properties. Today
tincture of benzoin is most often used in first aid for small injuries,
as it acts as a disinfectant and local anesthetic and seems to
promote healing. Benzoin resin and its derivatives are also used as additives in cigarettes.
The antibiotic activity of
benzoin resin seems mostly due to its abundant benzoic acid and benzoic acid esters, which were named after the resin; other less well
known secondary compounds such as lignans
like pinoresinol are likely significant 
