Phenolic resins are a type of synthetic thermosetting resin invented by Dr. Leo Baekeland in 1907. The material was originally called Bakelite. This was effectively the first plastic to be sold commercially, and was typified by the old-style black telephonesNovus 1 is a plastic cleaner. The balls aren't plastic.
Heath Manning, the distributor I bought mine from, says to use two drops of Aramith Billiard Ball Cleaner, one each on the balls at 6 and 12 o'clock. Why use anything else?