Updated 16 January 2024
Botanical characteristics
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Division: Magnoliophyta
- Class: Magnoliopsida
- Order: Sapindales
- Family: Burseraceae
- Genus: Commiphora
- Part used: Oleoresin or gum
- Country of origin: North East Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Libya, Yemen)
Precautions for use
Caution! Myrrh essential oil should not be used by pregnant or breastfeeding women, children under 3 months of age or children under 6 years of age.
The dermal route is the most appropriate.
Ingestion is reserved for therapeutic use.
Other precautions
Cutaneous use:
- It is preferable to dilute 20% myrrh essential oil in a vegetable oil (20% essential oil in 80% vegetable oil).
Ingestion:
- The oral use of myrrh essential oil is reserved for therapeutic prescription.
- On the other hand, it can be used as a gargle or as a gum massage.
Diffusion:
- Due to its very viscous nature, myrrh essential oil should be diluted to a maximum of 5-10% in other essential oils for diffusion.
Contraindications:
- Always consult a doctor before using myrrh essential oil in people with asthma and epilepsy.
Allergenic components:
Myrrh essential oil contains an allergenic biochemical component:
- limonene (≤ 0.2%)
Note: It is best to test the essential oil before use (two drops on the crease of the elbow for at least 24 hours to check for a reaction).
Authorised users
How to use
Risks of use
Properties
- Analgesic
- Anti-infective, antiseptic
- Antiviral
- Anti-parasitic (roundworm)
- Strong anti-inflammatory
- Balsamic, pectoral, expectorant
- Anti-sclerosing, dissolving
- Healing
- Endocrine regulator: slows down thyroid function, anaphrodisiac
Indications
- Bedsores, skin ulcer
- Hyperthyroidism
- Canker sores
- Gingivitis
- Stomatitis
- Bronchitis
- Wound
- Diarrhoea
- Dysentery
- Viral Hepatitis
- Catarrh
- Cough
- Tuberculosis
- Arthritic pain
- Muscular tension
- Sexual arousal and obsession
- Hyperactivity in children
- Enuresis
- Autism in children
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Stress
- Phobias
- Dystonia
Directions for use/usual dosage
- For catarrh, rub a few drops diluted in vegetable oil on the chest and upper back.
- To slow down the thyroid, massage 1 or 2 drops into the base of the neck 3 times a day.
- For gingivitis or aphthosis, 2 drops mixed with other essential oils, a dispersant and water as a mouthwash.
- To reduce sexual arousal, massage the lower back and abdomen with 2 drops of this essential oil diluted in a vegetable oil.
- To relieve arthritis pain, massage the affected areas with a mixture of this and other essential oils diluted in a vegetable oil.
- For skin problems, massage locally, diluted in a vegetable oil.
Interior use
- This essential oil has good antiseptic properties, making it ideal for diffusing into the air.
Find out more
The small yellow tears that flow from the blisters on the trunk are collected after they have dried in contact with the air. The resin is then distilled to produce a thin, yellow-orange essential oil. This essential oil is expensive and is often adulterated with myristate to make it more fluid, or with copahu balm. If it's reddish-brown in colour, it's probably because it's been distilled with a solvent.