One of the most often posed questions I receive is, "What exactly is Balm of Gilead, and for what is it used? " The name seems familiar, and often people remember some vague reference or think they've heard of it but can not seem to place the text or understand how this oil became so popular.

The word Popular means "People," and the buds produced by the Popular Balsam tree and has a long and glorious history both for early healing practitioners and for use in religious rites. Those luxuriously sweet buds produced each spring belong to us all.

Not just a setting for modern literature, Gilead is a place in Israel with great historical value. The resin from the Populus balsamifera tree created incense for the temple in Jerusalem, and the term Gilead became associated in that this area of Israel created the most significant production in Israel, and this town's name became synonymous with its oil. Referenced multiple times in the Old and New Bible Testaments, the term Gilead came to be associated with ideal healing. Thus it became a term to reference Jesus in the Bible. The resin created in this region was a valuable export to Egypt and other areas for and esteemed of great value for its supposed medicinal qualities.

This golden oil created from the Populus balsamifera tree has a glorious history. Queens sought it, trees were planted at the behest of kings, priests used it in ancient religious rites, and healers used it as medication. The original trees are lost to us, while botanists work on reviving this actual strain of Balsam, and the current source is a hybrid Balsamifera strain. It is still a prized component in cosmetics, perfumes, religious celebrations, spiritual rites, anointing, and healing services. It also makes the most fantastic skin conditioning body oil.

Pliny the Elder, a first-century AD author, and Roman military commander, mentions the balsam bud as an ingredient in the Parthian Empire's ( modern-day Iran) " Royal Perfume." A thousand years earlier, The Queen of Sheba introduced this oil to Israel when she made a gift of Balsam tree to King Solomon. The cultivation of these trees created a sizeable cosmetic industry under the control of King Herald in Israel during the height of the Roman empire. The Romans took advantage of the agricultural and cosmetic industry in this region and exported the balsam tree's physical and economic qualities.

Cleopatra VII invested heavily in the cosmetic industry and supposedly wrote a book on the subject, and she commissioned or personally developed perfumes and beauty products. Her love for Balsam oil was so great that she either manipulated her Roman benefactor or out of his great love for her, Roman General, Mary Antony, gained control of King Herod of Israel's balsam production factories. Balsam was an essential element for her to have risked so much political capital on tree sap.

The Romans took this Balm of Gilead Oil from the Middle East as they conquered the world. When the Roman Empire fell, so did their Middle-Eastern cosmetic industry.

The scent created while crushing the buds in processing is almost other-worldly. It is intoxicating for many off=putting for others. The resulting fragrance produced is often a base in the creation of perfumes, as the smell is a vibrant, sweetly mysterious, deeply warming, which is both earthly and heavenly. It is the earthiness of this oil which draws people in and many purchase it to formulate their customized perfume base. Our Balm of Gilead oil was not intended as a fragrance base, but rather a tool for health, ceremony, and well-being.

When seeking dry skin relief, Balm of Gilead Oil isn't just another pretty oil, but a sturdy resin-based, "do everything," potion with vast holistic benefits. Some of the most impressive health qualities of Balm of Gilead include its ability to reduce inflammation, soothe the skin, aid in the elimination of pain, speed healing, soothe the source, and detoxify.