Besides the deep, relaxing scent of myrrh oil, it packs many benefits, making the reasons why you need to start using myrrh oil immediately!
If you are not familiar with the myrrh tree from the Bible, let us introduce you to the soothing, earthy tones of myrrh essential oil, which people have enjoyed and used for ages! From ancient Egyptian society to the modern world using this essential oil for its potential health benefits, here are the top reasons you need to start using myrrh oil.
Reasons Why You Need to Start Using Myrrh Oil
1) Has antimicrobial, antibacterial, and antifungal properties
Did you know that myrrh oil was very commonly used in ancient Egyptian society in combination with other essential oils to preserve mummies and prevent decay? Even then, it was believed that myrrh oil could offer protection against fungus in the skin.
One of the most important properties of myrrh oil is its antimicrobial properties, which protect against various bacterial and fungal infections. For example, myrrh oil can combat pure candida, a yeast infection that can occur anywhere on the body.
As suggested the antibacterial activity of myrrh oil increased when combined with frankincense. The additive and synergistic antimicrobial effects of myrrh and frankincense oil helped reduce the airborne bacterial count by 68%.
2) Offer Antioxidant Properties
In addition to antimicrobial properties, myrrh oil also shows antioxidant properties. Antioxidants help fight against free radicals, which are unstable compounds causing oxidative damage to your skin, causing aging symptoms like fine lines, wrinkles, etc. In fact, when oxidative stress becomes too high in your body, it can pose a serious threat to your health, increasing chances for issues like cancer, heart disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders.
A 2005 in-vitro study concluded that compared to vitamin E, a standard treatment for oxidative stress, myrrh oil proved to be much more effective and powerful as an antioxidant agent.
3) Relieves Pain and Inflammation
Several essential oils are known to have pain-relieving properties, but myrrh oil’s natural pain-relieving properties are somewhat unique. That is because rather than working to dull or reduce the source of pain, myrrh oil interacts with the opioid receptors in the brain. This essentially convinces the brain that there is no pain to respond to.
In the uproar and stress of daily lives, we often get tension headaches, while stress can aggravate inflammatory symptoms. To combat both these problems and discomfort, myrrh can be a great choice of essential oil. Myrrh oil can even help with pain and inflammation by blocking the production of inflammatory chemicals in the body.
4) Improves Skin health
With applications even in skincare, myrrh can aid in effectively remedying various ailments. Before using myrrh oil topically, ensure that it is diluted and that you have conducted a patch test with no adverse reactions.
You could use a few drops of diluted myrrh oil as a moisturizer to help prevent sun damage. Sun damage can cause oxidative stress in your body, which consequently causes aging symptoms.
Researchers also suggest that the topical application of myrrh oil can help elevate your skin’s white blood cell count, aiding in the quick healing of irritation and wounds.
5) Fights And Eliminates Parasite
Sometimes, when you come in contact with contaminated food or water and pets, parasites can start calling your body their home and cause various types of infections. Parasites may also be introduced into the body due to sexual activity. Due to this, research was conducted on an oral drug made from the sap of myrrh tree and its essential oil. It was concluded that this drug containing myrrh essential oil could be effective against sexually transmitted parasites such as trichomoniasis. In fact, the study showed massive success, meaning 85% of participants had been cured.
Another 2011 study on the same oral drug containing myrrh oil concluded that it had been able to treat giardiasis, a parasitic intestinal infection.
6) Helps Improve Oral Health
Oral health is something that we often ignore until it gets really serious. But saving up on dentist visits is not always a good idea! Inflammation from conditions like gingivitis can thus be a common occurrence. However, in-vitro studies on mouthwash containing myrrh essential oil showed that it could reduce inflammation around the gums, easing gingivitis symptoms.
The antimicrobial benefits of myrrh oil are such that many natural mouthwashes and kinds of toothpaste use it as an ingredient.
Ensure you are not healing from oral surgery before using mouthwashes or toothpaste containing myrrh oil. Also, take care not to swallow any oral products containing myrrh oil, as ingesting high quantities of myrrh can be toxic.
9) Help Support Liver Health
A study published by researchers from the Beni-Suef University in Egypt showed that myrrh oil can help detoxify the liver thanks to its production of several detoxifying and antioxidant properties. Detoxifying the liver helps prevent the buildup of toxic substances in the bloodstream, ultimately helping avoid various nervous and brain disorders.
Moreover, the buildup of ammonia in the bloodstream can lead to oxidative stress due to free radicals. This can also cause severe cell damage, which myrrh oil can prevent.
10) May Help Inhibit the Growth of Cancer Cells
A lab study was conducted on the effect of myrrh on eight types of cancers, especially gynecological cancers. It was then concluded that the proliferation or replication of human cancer cells can be reduced by the effect of myrrh essential oil. These initial tests, which showed promising results, throw light on myrrh’s anti-cancer abilities, which have produced some promising results.
11) Get Rid of Digestive Upsets
Researchers found that myrrh oil can be a safe and effective treatment for diarrhea when combined with chamomile flower extract and coffee charcoal. Another non-interventional study involving over 1000 patients with conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) also showed the efficacy of this combination for treating gastrointestinal disorders.
Ultimately, the study concluded that these positive effects were comparable to conventional therapies used in routine care.
12) Acts As a Decongestant
Myrrh essential oil is most commonly used to treat the common cold thanks to its powerful decongestant properties.
Widely used in aromatherapy, you can easily diffuse myrrh essential oil through a diffuser or inhale it through steam to relieve phlegm, congestion, coughs, congestion, and even bronchitis.
Caution Before Using Myrrh Essential Oil
- Avoid using myrrh oil if you have recently had any bodily or oral surgery, if you are pregnant, and also if you are breastfeeding.
- If you are using myrrh oil for the first time, dilute it with carrier oil and conduct a patch test. Wait for 24 hours to see if your skin shows any adverse allergic reactions. If it doesn’t, you can go ahead and use the oil topically.
- If you are using natural mouthwashes or toothpaste containing myrrh oil, do not swallow it, as ingesting a large amount can be quite toxic.