Myrrh + Frankincense
Myrrh
Botanical Name : Commiphora myrrha
Common Name/s : Myrrh, More(Hebrew) Phun(Egypt)
Major Producers : Ethiopia, Somalia, Saudi-Arabia, Iran and Yemen.
Aroma : Balsamic top note with a musk flavour.
Part used : Resin from Bark.
Description and History : Myrrh was one of the earliest aromatic substances used by humans. Egyptian mummies were embalmed in Myrrh. The Bible has lots of references to Myrrh and Frankincense. Along with Frankincense Myrrh was among the gifts carried by the wise men to Bethlehem at the birth of Jesus. Myrrh has been used in perfumes, incense and embalming. Its astringent, antimicrobial and antiseptic properties have been used to treat acne and boils as well as mild inflammatory conditions. It finds specific use in the treatment of infections in the mouth such as ulcers, gengivitis, phyorrea, herpes as well as catarrhal problems associated with pharyngitis and sinusitis.
The essential Myrrh oil is distilled from the dry resin.
Principal Chemical constituents: Myrrholic Acid, Cinnamic and Cuminic Aldehydes, Cadinene, Pinene & Limonene
Aromatic / Medicinal properties: Astringent, Antiseptic, Disinfectant, Antispasmodic, Stimulant & Carminative.
Contemporary Applications: Aromatherapy, Cosmetics, Alternative Medicine, Perfumery & Incense.
Frankincense
Botanical Name : Boswellia Carteri (Thurifera)
Common Name/s : Frankinsence, Lavona(Hebrew) Olibanum(Indian/Lebanese)
Major Producers : Ethiopia, Somalia, Saudi-Arabia, Oman, Yemen and China.
Aroma : Woody, Spicy, Camphorric with lemonic undertones.
Part used : Resin from Bark.
Description and History: Frankincense, like Myrrh originated in the Middle east. Biblical references abound on Frankincense. It was widely used in ancient Israel and Egypt, prized at those times in weight of Gold. The modern word frankincense was derived from French-Franc. Together with Myrrh, it was the first gum to be used as incense, and was offered to Jesus at birth.
The essential oil is extracted from the resin by steam distillation.
Principal Chemical constituents: Cadinene, Camphene, a-Pinene, Actanol, Olibanol,
Aromatic / Medicinal properties: Astringent, Antiseptic, Disinfectant, Diuretic, Digestive, & Carminative.
Contemporary Applications: Aromatherapy, Alternative Medicine, Perfumery & Incense.
Incensum Myrrh + Frankincense Incense: For Incensum Incense, a fine blend of Myrrh and Frankincense resins are ground into our masala mixture, which also contains a local Indian resin from the tree Olibanum (Boswellia Serrata) which is a close relative of Frankincense (Boswellia Carteri). Both these plants produce resins with very similar constituents.
Myrrh being a softer fragrance is dominating the fragrance combination while Frankincense gives the base notes, sweetened a bit by the Indian resin Olibanum, resulting in a soft & toned down sweet balsamic fragrance. |