Aromatherapy A-Z: Myrrh

Myrrh has a sweet, smoky, slightly musky, slightly spicy aroma with a warm, rich timeless quality. To some people, the incenselike odor smells medicinal; others consider it spiritual. Its taste may explain the origin of its name, which comes from an Arabic word meaning "bitter."

Myrrh oil comes from a thorny, sparse and scraggly shrub or tree, known as either Commiphora myrrha or Balsamodendron myrrha. There are several different varieties, growing to heights of about nine to fifteen feet in dry climates. The trees' sturdy branches are knotted with aromatic leaves and small white flowers.

Also called true myrrh or herrabol myrrh, this member of the Burseraceae family is native to Arabia, northern Africa, southwestern Asia and the region around the Red Sea, especially Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen. Historians believe that myrrh grew in the Tigris and Euphrates valleys, now thought to be the site of the biblical Garden of Eden. Today, most myrrh is obtained from the Middle East, particularly Iran. It is collected by making incisions into the gray bark of the trunks of myrrh trees. This encourages the exudation of its gum resin, a pale yellowish white fluid that hardens into reddish brown tears.

Steam-distilling the resin renders a pale yellow or amber oil. Myrrh oil may also be extracted from the tears of resin by means of alcohol or a chemical solvent such as hexane. Only steam-distilled or alcohol-extracted myrrh should be used in aromatherapy.

Beauty Benefits

Myrrh oil maintains healthy skin and reputedly prevents premature aging of the skin. Many people claim it wards off wrinkles. Myrrh oil soothes and softens rough, cracked or chapped skin. It stimulates the regeneration of skin cells, reduces inflammation, fights infection and helps to heal wounds. It improves circulation, imparting a healthy glow to the complexion and helping skin look smoother and more youthful. Myrrh oil also helps heal blemishes, skin ulcers and wounds.

Emotional Effects

Myrrh oil fortifies the nerves and emotions. It replaces feelings of apathy, weakness and lack of initiative with motivation, power and strength. Myrrh oil provides the clarity, focus and strength to pull through troubled times. Its cooling and calming effect subdues angry or inflamed emotional states.

Reprinted from Aromatherapy for Vibrant Health and Beauty by Roberta Wilson with permission of Avery Books, a member of Penguin Putnam Inc. Copyright © 1995 by Roberta Wilson.

source from http://beauty.ivillage.com