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Amber Oil
Although often considered a gem, amber is a wholly-organic material derived from the resin of extinct species of trees. In the dense forests of the Middle Cretaceous and Tertiary periods, between 10 and 100 million years ago, these resin-bearing trees fell and were carried by rivers to coastal regions. There, the trees and their resins became covered with sediment, and over millions of years the resin hardened into amber. Although many amber deposits remain in ocean residue, geological events often repositioned the amber elsewhere.
Amber essential oil is produced from the fossilized sap of the giant conifer Pinus succinifera found primarily washed up on the shores of the Baltic Sea, in Poland, Germany, and also along the North Sea coasts of Denmark, Holland, and England. The resinous, warm and smoky odour with an undertone of floral citrus allows it to blend well with: geranium, pine, spruce, cedarwood, myrrh, galbanum, frankincense, cypress, clove, aniseed, lemon, orange, cistus, rose absolute, and benzoin. The Ancient Romans and Greeks used it to treat ailments such as asthma, rheumatism and internal problems. Its purported healing powers have extended to epilepsy, jaundice, kidney and bladder complaints and even the plague.
| Botanical Name: | Pinus succinefera fossil |
| Family: | Various |
| Synonyms: | Amber, styrax. |
| See Also: | |
| Parts Used: | Resin |
| Extraction Method: | Dry Distillation. |
| Appearance: | Amber viscous liquid |
| Aroma Description: | Resinous, warm and smoky odour |
| Perfume note: | Middle to Base |
| Consistancy: | Light |
| Strength of Initial Aroma: | Medium |
| Blends well with: | Rose, jasmine, patchouli. |
| Historical Uses: | The Ancient Romans and Greeks used amber to treat ailments such as asthma, rheumatism and internal problems. Its purported healing powers have extended to epilepsy, jaundice, kidney and bladder complaints and even the plague. It has also been used as an aphrodisiac and to guard against witchcraft. |
| Modern Uses: | Amber oil is mostly used for perfumery, some fixative properties. Some reports of calmative, analgesic, antispasmodic, expectorant, febrifuge properties. Oil of amber has properties resembling those of oil of turpentine, and is sometimes given internally in the treatment of asthma and whooping cough. Mixed with an equal quantity of olive oil, or as Linimentum Succini Compositum, it is used to rub the chest in bronchitis and whooping cough. |
| Cautions: | No known toxicity, may cause sensitization and irritation of skin and membranes in some people if used in high concentration. |
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