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Myroxylon is Greek for “fragrant wood,” and this majestic tree thrives high up in the hill sides of El Salvador where balsam groves waft a wonderfully honeyed haze of Vanilla. The pleasantly pervasive Balsam Peru essential oil comes from this tree’s aromatic resin, which is harvested twice per year as part of local Salvadoran culture. This resinous soothsayer is steam distilled to release the benevolent balsamic, ambery ambrosial aroma that stems from the resin’s high levels of naturally occurring vanillin.
“This is a sweet aroma, soft like the innocence of a child, yet with an unconditional love and empathy that stems from an understanding of the human state of being. Its soft warm fragrance fills the spaces that have remained cold, untouchable, unreachable, allowing the opening up of the heart.”
~Valerie Ann Worwood, Aromatherapy for the Soul
Botanical Name: Myroxylon balsamum
Botanical Family: Fabaceae
Extraction Method: Steam distilled
Part of Plant Distilled: Resin
Country of Origin: Peru
Cultivation Method: Wild crafted
Composition: 100% Myroxylon balsamum
Consistency: Thick, amber-colored and at times crystalline.
Scent Description: Delectable aroma exuding soft-cinnamon-spice and caramel cues with a mellow balsamic base note, warmed by a powdery vanilla core.
Blends well with: Cedar, Cardamom, Cinnamon, Clove, Orange, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Ylang, Jasmine, Vetiver, Lemon, Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Spikenard, Sweet Vernal Grass, Petitgrain, Benzoin, Bergamot, Clary Sage, Narcissus, Orris Root, and Neroli.
Uses: Fabulous fixative in aromatic blends, candles and perfumes. Enjoyed in aromatherapy as a body and mind soother and softener. Soothes nerves and tension. Promotes tranquility and peaceful zzzzz’s. Add a drop to a diffuser or salt pipe to liberate your breath and boost your mood. In perfumery, use to soften the base and build accords of velvety vanillin. For an awesome aromatic accord, stack Balsam Peru, Benzoin, and Vanilla. From there you can take the formula into the forest with accents of earth and firs, into the sunshine with citrus, or into petaled poetry with Jasmine and Ylang.
Constituents: Esters of benzoic acid, cinnamic acids, vanillin.
Contraindications: Always dilute to use. Sensitive skin types should patch test before using.
Balsam Peru is an ancient oleoresin, and its essence plays a special note in the aromatic symphony of essential oils. The spirit of this scent soothes and softens both the body and the mind. This balsam’s natural compounds are especially cleansing and easing for the skin. When added to a salt pipe, it is a sweet breeze for the breath and gives a premonition of peace. Celebrated for its powdery Vanilla and balsamic-caramel scent, this is a generous fragrance and a long-lasting fixative in perfumes and products.
The beautiful balsam resin is traditionally used in Peru as a valued skin cicatrizer, antiseptic, fragrance fixative, and cherished ingredient of soothing syrups and lozenges. The trees are protected in the region by sound ecological practices regarding resin harvesting and replanting to ensure the health of the species and its surroundings.