Myrrh essential oil comes from the resin of the myrrh tree. Myrrh resin has been used as incense, in perfumes and in medicine for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. The essential oil (Commiphora myrrha or Commiphora molmol) is red, sticky and thick, and has a smoky earthy scent. It has the same healing properties as the resin and it also blends well with the other seasonal scent, Frankincense.
How to Use Myrrh Oil at Home
1. Make a healing foot cream for cracked heels: Myrrh is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and anti-fungal. In ancient Greece, soldiers used a paste made with myrrh to treat battle wounds. The essential oil has the same antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties as the resin, and it can be added to homemade creams from dry and cracked heels, and creams for athlete’s foot and other fungal infections. Use this base recipe for making your own hand or foot cream, and add the essential oils of Myrrh and Lavender to make a healing and nourishing foot cream.
2. Myrrh oil (like Frankincense) can be used to relieve respiratory problems. It has a way of getting things moving, and helps to remove mucus from the chest. Add a little Myrrh oil to a homemade chest rub or to a steam inhalation for coughs and chest congestion.
3. Burn Myrrh and Frankincense essential oils in your aromatherapy burner during the Christmas season. Add a drop or two of Myrrh oil and a few drops Frankincense oil into your burner especially if you’re feeling stressed or anxious, or have a busy mind. Both oils are meditative, calming, and grounding – their scents are quite earthy and strong so if you wish, add a couple of drops of Orange or Bergamot essential oil to the blend.
4. One of the main uses for myrrh is in healing gum infections and mouth ulcers. The antifungal and antiseptic properties of this essential oil are helpful for all kinds of infections in the mouth, and myrrh is a popular ingredient in natural mouthwashes and toothpastes. Myrrh tincture (available from herbal and aromatherapy suppliers and natural health stores) is a traditional natural remedy for mouth ulcers, and the tincture might be gentler to use than the essential oil. Apply the tincture directly on the ulcer using a cotton bud, or dilute it to use as a mouth wash.
Sources: Aromatherapy: An A-Z: The Most Comprehensive Guide to Aromatherapy Ever Published
Photo: Morguefile
I’m picky about adding to our eo shelf, but uses #1, 2, and 3 cement putting myrrh on my must have essential oils list.
Nice! I didn’t know you could get frankincense and myrrh essential oils! 😀