Sweet myrrh oil and myrrh essential oil are not the same oil, although they do have similar properties. However, myrrh essential oil is used more frequently in aromatherapy than sweet myrrh oil for many reasons.
Name
Sweet myrrh oil is also known as opopanax; myrrh essential oil is often known as common myrrh. The botanical name of sweet myrrh oil is Commiphora erythraea, and the botanical name for myrrh essential oil is Commiphora myrrha. In addition, there are several plant species with the prefix Commiphora that produce myrrh essential oil, according to Julia Lawless in her book "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils." These include African myrrh and Yemen myrrh.
Historical Use
Myrrh essential oil was used by ancient people--such as the Egyptians--as a medicine and perfume, according to Patricia Davis in her book "Aromatherapy An A-Z" and the website Botanical.com. Common myrrh was used by ancient Egyptians in the perfume Kyphi, which was also used for embalming. There is little recorded historical use of sweet myrrh but, according to Lawless in her book, sweet myrrh was also used as an incense ingredient in the Far East.
Extraction
Both oils are extracted from different plants, although they are closely related and belong to the same botanical family, Burseraceae. Sweet myrrh is steam distilled from the oleo gum resin, which is located in the bark of the tall, tropical Commiphora erythraea tree. Common myrrh essential oil is steam distilled from crude myrrh extracted from, primarily, the Commiphora myrrha species, which is a small, shrubby tree with white flowers.
Visual Appearance
Sweet myrrh oil is orange-yellow in color, whereas myrrh essential oil is pale yellow-amber in color. Both oils have a sweet-spicy, warm aroma, but myrrh essential oil is more medicinal in fragrance than sweet myrrh oil, according to Lawless in her book.
A resinoid is also extractable from both the oleo gum resin of Commiphora erythraea and the crude myrrh of the Commiphora myrrha species through solvent extraction (which is not "pure" myrrh oil in either species, due to the introduction of chemicals in the extraction process).
Properties
Sweet myrrh oil is antiseptic, expectorant, balsamic and antispasmodic, according to Lawless in her book. Common myrrh essential oil is antiseptic, astringent, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, balsamic, sedative, tonic, stimulant, carminative and an emmenagogue. Common myrrh essential oil contains more properties than sweet myrrh oil.
Aromatherapy Uses
Lawless says sweet myrrh oil might have similar aromatherapy uses to common myrrh essential oil. However, sweet myrrh oil is expensive and frequently open to adulteration. Common myrrh essential oil is used in skin care, for arthritis, asthma, coughs and colds, gingivitis, ulcers, flatulence, amenorrhea, diarrhea, eczema and wrinkles.
References
- "The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils"; Julia Lawless: 1995
- "Aromatherapy An A--Z"; Patricia Davis; 1999
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