About Wildcrafted Balsam Peru Essential Oil

Our Balsam Peru Essential Oil (Myroxylon pereirae) from El Salvador is ethically wildcrafted. Unlike many of the products sold today as “Balsam Peru essential oil”, it’s a true essential oil distilled from the resin. We find it to have a wonderful vanilla-like aroma. It flows nicely and has a warm amber color. The aroma, “flow”, and amber color of our wildcrafted Balsam Peru Essential Oil are features that distinguish it from many other products sold as “Balsam Peru essential oil”  which are actually thick resinoids rather than true essential oils. The color of these resinoids is very dark (almost black) and the aroma does not have as much vanilla smell as does the true essential oil. Balsam Peru liquid resinoid is less expensive to produce than our true Balsam Peru Essential Oil. Wildcrafted Balsam Peru Essential Oil is widely prized for its aroma, which has been described as warm and comforting. In the past, it was widely used in perfumes and creams but despite this history, Balsam Peru essential oil is a known skin sensitizer (see below) and therefore we do not recommend it for use on the skin. Balsam Peru Essential Oil has been claimed by some aromatherapists to have a relaxing effect that helps to soothe the mind. If you want to see if you respond to the aroma in this way, we suggest diffusing it in small amounts through a low-output diffusing method.

Alternative to Balsam Peru Essential Oil

We also stock Balsam Peru Resinoid, pourable. The cost is about half that of our steam distilled Balsam Peru, the color is much darker, the thickness/viscosity is similar to olive oil, and the aroma is similar to that of the essential oil but not as sweet and vanilla-like. This cheaper alternative is suitable for craft applications, such as candle making, but should not be chosen for use in any application in which it will come into contact with the skin or be used for therapeutic purposes.

Today, we know that the resinoid presents a significant risk of causing skin sensitization reactions if used topically and  is even more likely to do so than the essential oil.

How to Use Balsam Peru Essential Oil with Adults

The use of essential oils with children under 16 years of age is a specialized topic; please consult an aromatherapy reference book or, better yet, a properly trained professional aromatherapist, before using essential oils with children (see www.naha.org for appropriate training standards for aromatherapists and for help in locating a professional aromatherapist).

Due to its reputation as a moderate skin sensitizer, we feel that Balsam Peru Essential Oil is best used for diffusion, where it will not come in contact with the skin.   This is a good essential oil to use in an aromatherapy inhaler; being careful to avoid skin contact, put 3 drops or less on the cotton in the inhaler cartridge and inhale briefly when you want to experience the aroma. We recommend that you not use this essential oil in any application where it will touch the skin unless you are a professional perfumer or aromatherapist who has proper skills and equipment for making accurate measurements when diluting this product (see below for more information).

Safety Considerations

Follow general essential oil safety considerations (access via the link below). In addition, the following specific safety recommendations are given:

Because Balsam Peru essential oil carries a moderate risk of producing skin sensitization, IFRA recommends a maximum concentration of 0.4%  for topical use.  Due to difficulties in making accurate measurements of concentration based on number of drops, we recommend that you not attempt using this essential oil on the skin unless you are a professional perfumer or aromatherapist who has proper skills and equipment for making accurate measurements when diluting. Since traditional steam inhalations, steam baths, facial steams, and saunas can result in essential oil being deposited on the skin, this essential oil is not recommended for use in these applications. It is also not recommended for use in baths or bath products. For diffusion, use 3 drops or less on a simple fan diffuser; we do not recommend diffusing larger amounts using high-output diffusers; do not diffuse for long periods.