Looking for a natural skin care product that soothes, regenerates and comforts?Bitter myrrh essential oil, selected by Soin-et-Nature, is a precious ally for caring for your skin, relieving joint pain and supporting your emotional balance. Derived from a sacred resin used since ancient times, this powerful essence combines tradition and effectiveness in every drop.
Commiphora myrrha, native to the Arabian Peninsula (Yemen, Oman) and the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia), is an arid-climate thorny resinous shrub that can reach 3 meters in height. Its gnarled branches and aromatic resin make it an emblematic tree in ancient and contemporary pharmacopoeia. It is often associated withother resinous or woody essences, whose therapeutic uses share certain synergies or complementarities according to aromatic traditions.
Myrrh is without doubt one of the oldest medicinal and ritual substances. Mentioned in major religious texts (Bible, Koran, Vedas, Egyptian papyri), it was used as liturgical incense, funeral ointment, medicinal remedy or sacred perfume.
In ancient Egypt, myrrh tears were an integral part of embalming rites. Their ability to inhibit putrefaction was so highly prized that they were traded for gold and precious stones. Resin was used in the composition of kyphi, the famous sixteen-ingredient sacred incense mentioned by Plutarch.
The ancient Greeks incorporated myrrh into their perfumed wines and burned it in sacrifices dedicated to Poseidon or Apollo. In medicine, Dioscorides recommended applying it to the temples to relieve headaches, while Avicenna and Rhazes emphasized its effectiveness on wounds, urinary tract infections, uterine disorders and intestinal worms.
In ancient times, myrrh was more precious than gold. In Rome, it was used to make theriac, a universal remedy for respiratory and rheumatic ailments. At funerals, it accompanied the dead to guarantee immortality in the afterlife. Its spiritual and symbolic dimension was reinforced when it was one of the three gifts offered to the infant Jesus by the Three Wise Men, alongside gold and frankincense.
As early as the Renaissance, myrrh was distilled to create oriental perfumes. Its complex scent, at once balsamic, earthy and bitter, makes it invaluable in fine perfumery, as a base note or fixative.
In aromatherapy, myrrh essential oil ( Commiphora myrrha EO) is used for its healing, anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory and local analgesic action. It has applications in oral and dental care, chronic dermatological conditions and gynecological disorders.
Myrrh has several properties:
Myrrh has proven antibacterial and antifungal properties against various pathogenic germs. It is effective against Candida albicans, Staphylococcus aureus and other bacteria responsible for skin and ENT infections.
Its effectiveness justifies its use in eye drops (corneal ulcers), mouthwashes (gingivitis, mouth ulcers), and local applications on infected wounds or ulcers. It is also a natural solution for mycosis, dermatitis and chronic ENT infections.
Thanks to its high furanose-quiterpene content, myrrh essential oil stimulates tissue regeneration, reduces edema and promotes repair of damaged mucous membranes. It is therefore used in post-mouth surgery, to relieve hemorrhoids, or as a treatment for cracks, wounds, bedsores and oozing eczema.
Myrrh is traditionally used to promote menstruation, relieve menstrual pain and treat certain gynecological disorders. It acts on uterine smooth muscles, reducing spasms and facilitating the evacuation of stagnant secretions.
Used externally or as an olfactory agent, myrrh essential oil has a positive, tonic effect, boosting the body's natural defenses. It is useful in cases of chronic fatigue, prolonged stress or weakened immunity.
Traditionally associated with meditation and purification, myrrh is considered the oil of transcendence. It facilitates centering and letting go, and supports the process of mourning or inner transformation.
Myrrh carries a powerful symbolic charge. In Greek tradition, Myrrha, transformed into a tree after a moral transgression, sheds tears of bitter resin. This metamorphosis evokes expiatory pain, but also transformation and elevation.
Among the Egyptians, it was perceived as a sacred material, linked to immortality. Priests anointed their heads with it, the dead were embalmed with it, and temples were saturated with smoke. The Hebrews mixed it with wine as a ritual analgesic.
Myrrh essential oil is powerful, and its use requires certain precautions:
A versatile substance, myrrh has survived the centuries with its aura intact. Used as much for the body as for the mind, it occupies a place of choice in traditional pharmacopoeia, sacred rituals and contemporary aromatherapy. While its powerful fragrance can be disorientating, its therapeutic and symbolic properties make it a precious ally in holistic and spiritual care.
The Soin-et-Natureessential oil index contains a rigorous selection of single essential oils, identified by their common name and Latin botanical name. This index provides precise information on the properties, uses and precautions specific to each oil, based on the fundamentals of scientific aromatherapy. Each profile describes the biochemical characteristics of the oil, its therapeutic efficacy and recommended method of administration, with a view to natural, controlled health.
Through this index, Soin-et-Nature facilitates access to in-depth knowledge of the major essential oils, for controlled use in line with the best practices of modern aromatherapy. Each card provides a clear reference to guide the user towards precise, safe use, adapted to his or her health or well-being needs.
