Today’s essential oil spotlight shines on galbanum essential oil.
Finding a single word to capture the essence of an oil doesn’t always come easily to me. They are complex and subtle individuals, after all. It’s like those annoying personal growth or business team building exercises where you have to sum yourself up in three words. But in galbanum’s case, harmonising sprang easily to mind.
This oil is steam distilled from the gum/resin that comes from stems and branches of the Ferula gummosa plant, found on the mountainous slopes of Iran. It belongs to the botanical family Apiaceae along with a cast of many, including: agelica, anise, caraway, carrot, celery, chervil, coriander (cilantro), cumin, dill, fennel, hemlock and giant hogweed, which sounds like it would be at home in Harry Potter’s world.
Galbanum — or /’ɡalbənəm/ for those up to speed with phonetics — has been long known and highly treasured as an aromatic with both medicinal and spiritual properties. Which frankly, can be said of most oils, pretty much.
Ancient Roman herbalist and historian Dioscorides noted several of its uses in his records. Hippocrates and Pliny were very taken with its charms and considered it to be highly potent.
Galbanum is also referenced in the Old Testament: “And the Lord said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight.” (Exodus 30:34) This was a recipe for making an incense offering. Galbanum tastes bitter, and medieval French rabbi Rashi concluded in the 12th century that it was included in the recipe as a reminder of unrepentant sinners. I doubt that’s why bitterness is a flavour found in beer.
With a very strong and unusual musky green scent, galbanum is generally used sparingly, whether in commercial fragrances or pure essential oil blends. I’m talking authentic, genuine pure, not ‘pure because loose label laws allow us to take dastardly liberties and dangle the word like a carrot on the bottle’. It can be found in French perfumes produced by such houses such as Cartier, Balmain and Guerlain, where it’s used to impart a distinctive smell. Note that this kind of galbanum oil would have been produced for the fragrance industry. It’s not ‘the real deal’ in quality and efficacy, so I beg of you, please don’t head off to buy expensive perfumes to get your galbanum fix.
Updated August 2019: Galbanum is not available from Young Living as a single oil or as an ingredient in any of its blends at the present time. If you find galbanum essential oil available elsewhere, please check its source and authenticity very carefully.
You will, however, find genuine galbanum in several Young Living essential oil blends, some of which I love using as my 100% natural fragrance. They are suitable for both men and women so you can multitask and share them with your special someone. They are Gathering™, Gratitude™ and Highest Potential™. Apply a touch behind the ears and on pulse points to smell amazing and feel harmonised and balanced all the while.
This will also connect you up with The Good Oil Team for our personal support and coaching. We'd love to help you on your journey to vibrant well-being the natural way!
Any questions? Please get in touch via our Contact page.
Galbanum essential oil is high in the constituents alpha-pinene and beta-pinene (totalling around 60% of its makeup), which are both monoterpenes. What does that mean? Lots of things, but not the least, they support and amplify the benefits of other constituents. Adding galbanum to frankincense and sandalwood has been found to have a dramatic increase in the frequency of the blend. You’ll find the synergy of this trio in particular in Gathering™ and Highest Potential™.
These blends including galbanum are beautiful in your diffuser. Try them as a highly effective accompaniment to your meditation and yoga sessions.
You can also apply them to chakra points and meridians, some of which are conveniently located in your wrists and hands. Maybe that’s why I also love putting a drop in my hands, then smoothing them gently together, cupping them over my nose and inhaling deeply. So centering and relaxing.
Galbanum as a single oil is highly potent so dilute it well, use it sparingly and be very sure to follow all the precautions on the label. You’ll find a small amount well-diluted with a good quality carrier oil like V-6 Enhanced Vegetable Oil Complex and used regularly can be nourishing for the appearance of the skin.
All Young Living oils are guaranteed pure from seed to seal, unlike so many brands out there in the marketplace. You really do get what you pay for. You can check it out with your own eyes in this short video.
This will also connect you up with The Good Oil Team for our personal support and coaching. We'd love to help you on your journey to vibrant well-being the natural way!
Any questions? Please get in touch via our Contact page.
