- Other Names
- Canadian Balsam, Eastern Fir, and Blister Fir
- Farming Method
- Certified Organic
- Plant Part
- Needle
- Country of Origin
- Canada
- Application Method
- Bath, Diffusion, Inhalation, and Topical
- Scientific Name
- Abies balsamica
- Extraction Method
- Steam Distilled
About the Plant:
Balsam fir is a small to medium-sized, conic evergreen tree with silver-white bark that begins smooth and grey, and over time bursts with resin blisters, leading to a scaly effect on older trees. The leaves are one inch dark green, flat needle-like spikes arranged spirally on the shoot and the cones are 1.5–3 inches long, that transform from dark purple to brown, before they break apart and release seeds in September. On mountaintops, stands of Balsam fir occasionally develop in fir “waves” and frequently grow in mixed company with Black Spruce, White Spruce and Trembling Aspen. Balsam Fir provides food for moose, American red squirrels, crossbills and chickadees, as well as shelter for moose, snowshoe hares, white-tailed deer, ruffed grouse and other small mammals and songbirds. The needles are also food for certain types of moths while in caterpillar-stage.
Where it Grows:
Balsam Fir is native to north European mountainous regions and is mainly cultivated in Switzerland, Poland, Germany, France, Austria and Yugoslavia. Balsam Fir also grows in most of eastern and central Canada, the northeastern United States and south into the Appalachian Mountains as far as West Virginia. Balsam Fir is even found in mountainous regions of Asia and the Himalayas. Amrita® Aromatherapy is proud to receive Balsam Fir from Canada.
Traditional Uses and Lore:
Native Americans and early American settlers used Balsam Fir and it’s pure oil to heal coughs and respiratory ailments, muscular and rheumatic aches and pains, and for the treatment of sores, cuts and burns. Fir Balsam was also applied to wounds during the American Civil war, and before the advent of chewing gum, was sold as a confection. Additionally, Balsam Fir oleoresin has been, and is still, used as an adhesive in the preparation of permanent mounting of microscope slides and optical lenses.
Balsam fir boughs were also historically used as travelers’ camping mattresses, using the springy, freshly cut limbs and soft needles to lift bedding off the wet ground and create a pleasantly fragrant mattress or scattered over the floors of houses and churches as a clean scented covering during winter months.
To the Irish Celts, the Balsam Fir was a tree of birth and thus it signified the birth of the new year. Because of this, Balsam was probably the original yule log and the uplifting fragrance was likely intuitively chosen to help overcome winter blues and encourage feelings of contentment and joy. In Greek mythology, the god Attis was dying from a wound, so Cybele turned him into a fir so that he would remain evergreen.
- USDA Certified Organic
- Pain-Relieving
- Soothes the Respiratory Channels
- Stress Relieving
Balsam Fir Organic Essential Oil is used for chest colds, bronchitis, and asthma. Balsam Fir can also help with arthritis, rheumatism, and joint pain. Balsam Fir is best-known as the smell of a fresh-cut Christmas tree: the life hidden just beneath the snow. This oil enlivens by relieving stress, pain, coughs and more, while soothing with its warm scent.
Due to the soothing properties, Balsam Fir Essential Oil is commonly used in anti-anxiety blends.
Topical Application (for use on the skin):
|
||||
|
|
|
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blends Well With:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Safety Precautions:
- Certified Organic Balsam Fir Essential Oil is a non-toxic, non-irritant, and non-sensitizing oil.
- However, in high concentrations, use caution with sensitive skin.
- Always use caution and consult your doctor and/or homeopath before using essential oils if you are pregnant, nursing, or planning your labor.
General Safety Precautions:
- Use essential oils only in diluted form on the skin and never internally.
- Always be careful when using essential oils with children.
- Give them only low doses, or better, consult a qualified aromatherapy expert before using.
- Use essential oils with care and only under the proper guidance of an expert while pregnant or if you have liver damage, epilepsy, cancer, or other serious health problems.
Certified Organic Balsam Fir Essential Oil is steam distilled from the needles and twigs of the Canadian and Northeast American Balsam Fir tree. It has been used for centuries by Native Americans for medicine and in religious ceremonies. It is used for chest colds, bronchitis and asthma, and other conditions of the upper and lower respiratory tract. It may also help with arthritis, rheumatism, and other forms of joint pain. Balsam Fir is used in anti-anxiety blends due to its elevating, strengthening quality. Its wonderful scent purifies the air and is often included in blends to diffuse over the holidays.
The following is a list of conditions which Balsam Fir Essential Oil addresses by category:
|
|
|
|
Click the link below to view GC Analysis