Fir balsam, Abies balsamea
Abies balsamea
Fir balsam
Pinaceae
History and Origin
Fir forms an important part of our cultural heritage. Around this evergreen tree, our families
gather to celebrate love, abundance and warmth in the middle of winter.
When life used to be in the woods, it saved numerous lives in the camps. Natives, settlers, and
wood runners used it to cover the cold ground and get a comfortable and aromatic bed or to
build lodges covered with a thick layer of insulating snow. In the woods, it also makes it easy to
build a fire since the high concentration of essential oils in its needles makes it very flammable,
even on rainy days. Besides, fir has always been an important element of traditional medicine in
French Canada.
Balsam fir is also used by Native Americans in pomades for superficial wounds and mosquito
bites, as a laxative and analgesic, for cardiac, renal and pulmonary disorders, for irregular
menstruations, as well as to treat gonorrhea, cancer and rheumatisms.
Today, it is used in construction and its resin is used in optics.
| pH |
3.8-4 |
| Aroma and Taste |
A woodsy taste and fragrance. Slightly musty and simultaneously wet and
dry in smell. The taste is slightly flat and better in warm, sweetened drinks than in cold
beverages. |
| Stability and Shelf Life |
Stable; good for fourteen to sixteen months, although the aroma starts to fade around twelve months. |
| Properties and Applications |
A good general system tonic, balsam fir is antiseptic and seems to boost the immune system. It is of great benefit to sufferers of seasonal affective disorder (add ¼ to ½ cup to the bath or shower for two or three times a week). Mucolytic and expectorant (respiratory, renal and
reproductive systems), balsam fir can be used as a diuretic. It can also help remove fluid from joints and is a good topical compress for rheumatic, arthritic, muscular, and joint pain. Balsam fir is gently stimulating to circulation while calming the mind, being energetically expansive and opening. For chest congestion, use balsam fir in a compress, on its own or in combination with
essential oils. |
Précautions d’usage
Non toxique et non irritant. Aucune contre-indication connue aux doses physiologiques normales.
References
Hydrosols, The Next Aromatherapy (Suzanne Catty), The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils,
La Flore Laurentienne, Native American Ethnobotany, and the personal notes of Lucie Mainguy.
Discharge
Aliksir strongly recommends that you consult with a physician or aromatherapist. It is important to inform
yourself concerning contraindications or incompatibilities with other substances. Hydrosols are powerful, and they must be used according to the physiological doses.