Myrrh is a small tree/shrub with knotted branches, aromatic leaves, and white flowers. Myrrh essential oil is steam distilled from the harvested resin of the tree. The myrrh tree is native to Arabia, northern Africa, South Western Asia and the region around the Red Sea, especially Ethiopia, Somalia and Yemen. Historians believe that myrrh grew in the Tigris and Euphrates valleys, now thought to be the site of the biblical Garden of Eden. Today, most Myrrh is obtained from the Middle East, particularly Iran.

Myrrh essential oil is considered a precious oil and has been treasured by almost every civilisation for over four thousand years. Myrrh was used in embalming by the Eygptians and has a long history of use in both traditional Chinese medicine and Indian Ayurvedic practices.

In modern aromatherapy Myrrh essential oil is best known for its beneficial effect on the skin, but it also has an affinity with the respiratory system and is believed by many to stimulate the immune system and fight viruses and bacteria. It is therefore a popular essential oil to use in winter time.