Myrrh is a small thorny species of trees that grows in dry stony soil. The gum is yellow to opaque and gets white streaks in it with age. It is best known for its wound healing properties.
Myrrh resin along with Frankincense tree resin was one of the gifts the three wise men brought to the Baby Jesus according to the Bible in Matthew 2:11. In Egypt it was commonly used in embalming practices.
The Greek physician, Claudios Galenos, known as Galen for short, used myrrh to heal the wounds of gladiators in ancient Greco-Rome. Galen was the father of medicinal reductionism. All gladiators carried a pouch of myrrh paste into battle with them. Place bottle of essential oil myrrh into hot, warm water to liquefy before use because it is quite thick. Do not take myrrh essential oil internally. Never take resin essential oils internally.
| COMMON NAME |
MYRRH
|
| Latin Name | Commiphora myrrha |
| Family | Burseraceae(Torchwood Family) |
| Country of Origin | N. Africa, Middle East, N. India, Egypt |
| Volatility | Base /middle note |
| Extraction | solvent extracted from dried resin
|
| Colour | red, dark brown amber viscous liquid, like molasses
|
| Aroma | heavy, smoky, slightly bitter, drying, |
| Caution Contraindications | Do not use during pregnancy. Do not consume resins or solvent extractions internally. |
| Primary Uses | Place bottle of myrrh into hot, warm water to liquefy before use.
Skin: wounds, cuts, scrapes, eczema, dermatitis, stops bleeding, athlete’s foot, bedsores, boils,
Immune tonic
Meditation, healing work
|
| Properties | anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antimicrobial, antifungal, antibacterial, astringent, balsamic, carminative, disinfectant, diuretic, emmenagogue, cooling, expectorant, haemostatic, immune stimulant, stomachic, tonic, vulnerary
|
| Constituents | Monoterpenes: pinene, dipentene, cadinene, limonene, caryophyllene,
Phenylpropanoids: eugenol
Aldehyde: Cinnamaldehyde |
Myrrh resin is an age-old remedy from the Middle East with a long history. It was one of the gifts given by the wise men to baby Jesus along with golden frankincense resin. It is so healing it gets rid of any kind of infection, wounds, ulcers, pain and inflammation internally or externally. 
