For a long time, all I knew about myrrh was that it was one of the gifts that the Three Wisemen brought to baby Jesus when he was born.
Myrrh is an ancient plant that has been used in medicine in Asia and the Middle East for thousands of years. It comes from the Commiphora tree which grows in some of the harshest environments in parts of Somalia, Ethiopia, Yemen, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The word myrrh translates to mean bitter in Arabic.
The essential oil of myrrh is actually harvested by cutting into the tree trunk and steaming the resin that comes out.
The essential oil of myrrh has some incredibly powerful natural chemicals. It has some powerful antibacterial, anti-fungal and anti-parasitic benefits.
You can use it topically or internally. Alternatively, you can diffuse it or breathe it in.
However, I will add a word of caution about taking myrrh internally. Taking any essential oils internally is relatively dangerous because they are so potent. Therefore, please consult your doctor before you do it. There are, of course some brands of myrrh essential oil that are tagged as ‘’safe for internal use’’ but it is still essential that you consult your doctor.
Furthermore, if you are using it on your skin it for the first time, I recommend that you first do a patch test.
Here are 6 benefits of myrrh essential oil.
1 Skin Health
Myrrh essential oil is amazing for the skin. Myrrh essential oil has great cleansing and purifying properties. It is great for anti-aging. Add a drop of it to your moisturizer or lotion and use it for your night-time routine to rejuvenate the skin. It has properties that help to even out skin tone and give you a healthy glow.
Myrrh essential oil can help to regenerate scar tissue. It increases white blood cell function which results in significantly improving the healing time of cuts and also aids to clear athlete's foot, ringworm, eczema, acne and other skin irritations.
You can also put a couple of drops on to the knuckles of your hand and massage it in. This is especially effective whenever you're dealing with that dry cracked winter skin.
Although there are some people who put myrrh essential oil straight on the skin, I recommend diluting it. The more so if you are using it on a young child or if you're someone with sensitive skin. Despite what most people think, diluting essential oils does not make them less potent. In fact, whenever you add a carrier oil to an essential oil, it helps the oil to penetrate the skin even better.
You can also apply it onto the bottoms of your feet. In fact, the bottoms of your feet are a great place to apply your oils topically because that is where your largest pores are and that will allow the essential oils to enter the bloodstream faster.
2 Relaxation
Myrrh essential oil has some incredible relaxation benefits. Whether you put that in a diffuser or you just breathe it in, myrrh has amazing relaxing effects
It can really promote a better night's sleep. You can put myrrh essential oil in a diffuser together with other relaxing oils like lavender or roman chamomile, and you will have a very nice diffuser blend for good quality sleep.
Myrrh essential oil is great at calming the nervous system and helping the brain shut off before going to bed. You can also take a bit of it and apply it to your temples and to the back of your neck. This will help you drift off to sleep a little better.
Myrrh essential oil can be used for a soothing massage because it has properties that will help to relieve tension in the body. You can add it to some lotion and use it to massage anywhere on your body that you have tension.
You can also add a couple drops of myrrh to a nice warm bath, and it will help sooth your muscles.
Myrrh essential oil is also great for the digestive system. If you're dealing with cramps, bloating or any type of digestive discomfort, you can apply myrrh onto your stomach.
3 Minor Respiratory Issues
Myrrh is also excellent for the respiratory system. If you are dealing with any type of respiratory issue, you can take myrrh and dilute it in a bit of coconut oil or olive oil and just apply it onto the chest. It will help to open up airways and break up mucus.
Whenever you are dealing with any of those seasonal threats or a stuffy nose, you can boil a little pot of water on the stove and then add a couple of drops of myrrh essential oil to it. You then stand over the pot and breathe in the steam. This helps to clear sinuses and also alleviate some symptoms of asthma.
4 Gum Disease
As stated earlier, myrrh essential oil has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. You can make a really effective mouthwash by mixing it with or alcohol. It helps to fight and prevent gum disease.
You can also add a couple of drops to your toothpaste and brush your teeth with it. You put a bit in water and gurgle it in your mouth. It will do amazing things for your teeth because of its cleansing and purifying properties.
5 Digestive Issues
You can also take myrrh internally to help with any type of digestive issues and for easing an upset stomach.
If you have parasites or any kind of living organisms inside your body, it can actually help to fight those and help kill them. However, any oral consumption must be highly diluted and you may also do it via vegetable capsules.
6 General Cleaning
Myrrh essential oil is also great for cleaning surfaces. You can add a few drops of myrrh to a spray bottle and use this as a kind of spray on your counter tops to cleanse them.
Conclusion
Myrrh essential oil has several health benefits, but more research is still being carried out. Therefore, caution is still required. You must not abandon any treatment that has been prescribed for you and substitute it with myrrh essential oil without consulting your doctor. Furthermore, I highly recommend that any oral application must not be done without input from a qualified medical professional.
