Name
Myrrh
Latin name
Commiphora myrrha
Category
Resins and balsams
Information
Myrrh is one of the oldest natural perfume ingredients known since ancient times. Myrrh is a fragrant resin extracted from trees in a similar way to olibanum (frankincense). Balsam trees (Commiphora abyssinica, Commiphora kataf and Commiphora myrrha) are used for this purpose. The resin flows spontaneously from the trees in the form of reddish-brown drops and then solidifies.
Myrrh has been used for thousands of years, including in medicine, for embalming corpses, as a component of incense for rituals and in cosmetics.
According to the Scriptures, myrrh was one of the gifts given to the newborn Jesus Christ by the Wise Men from the East.
What does myrrh smell like?
Its fragrance can be described as warm, resinous, aromatic, intense, slightly medicinal, balsamic, spicy, slightly piquant. The smell is somewhat reminiscent of olibanum (frankincense), but is a little cooler, earthier and more bitter, which should not surprise anyone, since the name myrrh itself comes from a word that means "bitter".
