‘You pitiful fool! My life is not for any Earthling to give or take!’

Myrrh is your humble friend. Her hidden inner beauty reveals many virtues and strengths. Her presence will free you from worry and bring stillness and peace.

I love movies and Flash Gordon was a childhood favourite. An impossibly implausible plot – idiot football star defeats 1,000-year-old emperor of the universe – that is brilliantly redeemed by Ming the Merciless, Brian Blessed and Queen.

I liked Ming best, because he was the only character who wasn’t stupid. Sure, he was evil, but is it any wonder he was compelled to rule the universe? He was surrounded by unbelievably stupid people! Ming had presence, confidence and the best lines. If I had an evil nemesis, I’d want it to be Ming.

Brian Blessed as Voltan was a close runner-up for favourite character by virtue of his immortal catchphrase ‘Gordon’s alive?’, which is the only line that he doesn’t SHOUT.

What does any of this have to do with myrrh? Nothing except that ‘Myrrh The Merciless’ has a certain ring to it (no pun intended to Ming fans). I also felt that this humble and often overlooked essential oil needed some bigging up. Ok, it’s a tenuous link, but I haven’t had the opportunity to use a great movie quote since eucalyptus.

Just because.

‘Flash, I love you! But we only have 14 hours to save the Earth!’

When remembering the therapeutic properties of essential oils I find it useful to think of where the oils come from. Myrrh is extracted from the resin of a tough little tree growing on rocky terrain in desert regions of Somalia, Yemen and Ethiopia. The tree exudes the resin when its bark is damaged to seal the wound and to heal itself.

The essential oil has similar properties. Myrrh was traditionally used for wounds that were slow to heal, and it is extremely beneficial to dry, cracked or damaged skin because of its remarkable fast skin-healing actions.

I made a myrrh foot balm for a client to treat their cracked heels. The heels were so painfully cracked and dehydrated that they caused pain when wearing shoes and discomfort when walking. The client was advised to massage their feet, focusing particularly on the heel area, with the balm twice daily and then cover with clean cotton socks to allow maximum absorption of the balm into skin.

Significant improvements were seen within one week. The cracked heels were completely healed within one month. I recommended continuing treatment by massaging feet at night for a further two months and thereafter one to two times a week as a top-up to maintain results.

If your feet are in need of saving fast – follow the recipe below for a myrrh foot balm.

Myrrh rapid-healing heel balm

Ingredients

• 20g beeswax
• 80ml sweet almond oil
• 40ml distilled water
• 50 drops myrrh essential oil
• 50 drops benzoin essential oil

You will need:

• 2 heat-resistant glass bowls
• glass measuring jug
• measuring scales
• large saucepan
• wooden spoon
• hand blender
• 100ml dark glass jar
• labels

Method:

1. Stand the jug of distilled or flower water in a bowl of boiled warm water to gently warm it
2. Put the beeswax and oil in the heat-resistant glass bowl and place the bowl in a saucepan of shallow water
3. Slowly melt the beeswax in the oil over a low heat, gently stirring
4. Remove the bowl from the saucepan once the beeswax has completely melted in the oil
5. Use the hand blender to blend the distilled or flower water one drop at a time into the oil mixture
6. Mix the water and oil mixture thoroughly with the hand blender at the lowest setting
7. As the water and oil start to set (be quick as this will happen rapidly) pour in the essential oils and blend quickly
8. Before the mixture completely hardens into a balm pour and scoop it into a dark glass jar
9. Leave the jar open to allow the balm to completely cool and avoid condensation trapping in the lid. Then seal with a lid and label with the ingredients used and a three-month expiry date
10. Store in a cool dark cupboard or drawer out of direct sunlight to preserve the blend. The balm will melt on contact to body heat and can be scooped out with fingers to massage on your heels

Tip:

Distilled water or flower water can be bought from health food stores or you can make your own flower or herb water. For example, weigh 25g dried rose or orange blossom petals into a bowl and pour over 100 ml boiling water. Cover the bowl to ensure the volatile chemical constituents are not lost to evaporation and leave to cool. Filter into a dark glass bottle for use in the blend above, the remaining flower water can be stored in the fridge for a week and used as a facial toner.

‘Oh well, who wants to live forever? DIVE!!’

Myrrh is an excellent anti-aging oil, but frankincense is often a more popular choice because its smell is more appealing. The secret is all in the blending. Make the anti-aging facial oil below and massage on skin before bedtime for an overnight beauty treatment (avoid contact with eyes). Myrrh is also cooling and calming to skin which makes this blend particularly useful for hot summer nights.

Myrrh beauty sleep oil:

• 30ml rosehip oil
• 4 drops myrrh
• 4 drops frankincense
• 5 drops neroli
• 5 drops mandarin

As with all blends, store in a dark glass jar and out of direct sunlight. It has a shelf life of three months.

‘Later. I like to play with things a while before annihilation’

Patricia Davis states that myrrh has long been renowned for its anti-fungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory actions. A tincture of myrrh, available from health stores, is recommended for mouth, gum and throat infections. Apply a drop to the gums or gargle. You can also buy myrrh toothpaste or mouth wash from health stores or online to help treat gum infections. If symptoms do not improve within four to five days, see your GP.

‘Long live Flash, you’ve saved your Earth. Have a nice day’

In ancient times frankincense and myrrh were believed to have spiritual properties and were burned as incense during religious rituals. This may be because the vapors of both frankincense and myrrh slow and ease breathing, encouraging deepness of breath which aids meditation.

Burn the blend below to promote tranquility and stillness of mind:

• 2 drops myrrh
• 2 drops frankincense
• 3 drops mandarin

Myrrh is also beneficial for colds, coughs and bronchitis, and will help stimulate your immunity to fight respiratory infections.

This post is dedicated to my dad, because he is my superhero! Flash – aha!

Profile of myrrh:

Latin name: Commiphora myrrha
Plant family: Buseraceae
Plant type: resin
Perfume note: base

Extraction: steam distillation of the resin
Botany and origins: a shrub or small tree reaching 10m with sturdy knotted branches, trifoliate leaves and small white flowers; resin is exuded from the trunk as a pale yellow liquid that hardens into a reddish brown resin. Native to north east Africa and south west Asia, found particularly in Somalia, Yemen and Ethiopia
Chemical properties/active components: comprising 40% alcohols, indicating powerful but gentle-acting stimulating properties and anti-fungal and bactericidal action. It is also high in sesquiterpenes (39%), indicating antiseptic, anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties
Blends with: benzoin, cypress, frankincense, geranium, juniper, lavender, mandarin, neroli, patchouli, peppermint, pine, sandalwood
Key actions: anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, antiphlogistic (meaning reducing inflammation and fever), antiseptic, astringent, anti-viral, aphrodisiac (said to stimulate sexual desire), bactericide, calming, tranquilising
Common conditions: wounds (particularly those that are slow to heal), ulcers, weepy eczema, athlete’s foot, cracked, chapped skin, ringworm, mature skin; thrush; colds, flu, bronchitis; worry, mental restlessness and distraction
Contraindications: non-toxic, non-irritating and non-sensitising. Myrrh has been classified as an arbortifacient since ancient times, although there is no scientific evidence base. However, many aromatherapy texts advise to avoid this oil during pregnancy
Further reading: This profile is based on my own experience and knowledge of using this essential oil. Other aromatherapy texts will list a wider range of properties and uses. The most comprehensive essential oil profiles that I have read are given by Salvatore Battaglia’s The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy, Second Edition, published by Perfect Potion, 2003, Australia. ISBN:  0-6464-2896-9