Myrtle

Myrtle Essential Oil

Myrtle oil has fresh, strong and sweet notes, and is equally at home in an aromatherapy blend as a perfumery one.

Product Information

Myrtus communis

Myrtaceae family

Harvested and steam distilled in Tunisia from leaves and flowers of organically grown plant material.

Myrtle is a bush/small tree native to the Mediterranean area.

Throughout most of recorded herbal history, myrtle was a recognized medicament and macerated in wine.

Arctander says

Myrtle oil is a pale yellow to orange-yellow or pale amber-colored mobile liquid of strongly camphoraceous-spicy, but also sweet-herbaceous and fresh body-notes. The better oils (of which this is one) are very fresh and strong in topnotes, and yet display an almost floral sweetness and little or no reside note. Myrtle oil belongs unquestionably to the “topnote” materials and not to the fixative oils. It blends excellently with bergamot, lavandin, lavender, rosemary, clary sage, hyssop, the artemisias, petitgrains, bay leaf oil, etc and is thus an interesting item for colognes also those of aldehydic type.

Furthermore, Myrtle oil is used in flavors where it has found some popularity in meat sauces, seasonings, etc in combination with spice oils and herb oils. In this respect, it blends well with clove bud oil, laurel leaf oil, cinnamon oils, cardamom oil, etc giving freshness and lift to the heavy spices. It enhances the effect of ginger and it modifies nutmeg oil in a pleasant way. By itself, it is somewhat bitter and sharp, but well blended, it acts favorably as a fresh and appetizing agent in many spice blends.

Battaglia says

He disagrees with Arctanders flavor description but I think the point is that it will not be the best oil to add a drop to your pasta salad, but is important when formulating a flavor blend.

Aromatherapeutic properties

Antifungal

Anti-inflammatory

Anti-microbial

Anti-oxidant

Anti-viral

Hypoglycemic

Insecticidal

Expectorant

As always, if you have a keen interest in the aromatherapeutic properties of Myrtle, then that’s great—have a look at The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy by Salvatore Battaglia.