Guide To Opopanax Essential Oil and Its Benefits and Uses

Opopanax essential oil (Commiphora guidottii or Commiphora erythraea) is closely related to myrrh essential oil and sometimes called sweet myrrh or bisabol myrrh. The two essential oils have similar aromas, but opopanax has a lighter and sweeter scent that some people prefer over myrrh's more intense aroma.

Opopanax (also spelled opoponax) oil isn't common in aromatherapy and is mostly used as a fixative in perfumes. In 2018, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species listed Commiphora guidottii as vulnerable to becoming an endangered species. Look for oils from a sustainable source.

Plant family: Burseraceae

Production: Steam distilled from the gum resin of the tree. You can also buy the resin to use as incense.

Aroma: Resinous with deep, warm, sweet, and spicy notes.

Perfume/Aromatic note: Base to middle.

Is opopanax safe to use during pregnancy? Consult a professional.

Is opopanax essential oil safe for children? Do not use on the skin of children under age 2.

Cautions: Moderate risk of skin sensitization. Opopanax was once thought to cause photosensitivity, but this has been disproved.

Main components:

• (E)-beta-ocimene    33%
• (z)-alpha-bisabolene 22.2%
• alpha-santalene      15.8%

Source: Essential Oil Safety, 2nd Edition

Opopanax Essential Oil Uses and Benefits

The Heart of Aromatherapy: Use opopanax for daily skin care, rejuvenating damaged skin, soothing skin irritation, reducing inflammation, natural perfumes, and meditation and contemplation. The aroma is comforting, encourages your mind to release worries, and helps you feel grounded and present.

Relaxing Inhaler

Drop the following essential oils onto a blank wick of an aromatherapy inhaler:

• 6 drops opopanax
• 4 drops yuzu
  
• 3 drops palmrosa
• 2 drops basil ct. linalol

The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (updated edition): Opopanax has uses similar to myrrh, including skin care.

Aromatics International: Use opopanax for oily, acne-prone skin. Suggested blends:

• For a moisturizer, dilute a few drops essential oil in hemp seed oil.
  
• To relieve muscle soreness, make a massage blend using Trauma Oil.
  
• To support breathing, use an opopanax inhaler to open up a tight, constricted chest and encourage deep, healthy, natural breathing.

150 Ways to Use Essential Oils: For a mature skin spritz, add the following essential oils to a one-ounce spray bottle:

• 2 drops opopanax
• 2 drops cistus
• 2 drops neroli

Fill the bottle to its shoulder with hemp seed oil. Shake well. Spritz over freshly cleansed skin.

The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy, Third Edition, Vol. 1: According to the principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine, opopanax oil is warming and drying. The oil is recommended for conditions associated with excess damp, such as chronic wounds and respiratory problems involving phlegm and mucus. Suggested essential oils to blend with opopanax:

• To promote wound healing: frankincense, helichrysum, or lavender.
• To balance the first chakra and help strengthen the connection between the first and seventh chakras: frankincense, patchouli, sandalwood, or atlas cedarwood.

Aromatherapy and Subtle Energy Techniques: Opopanax helps heal physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual wounds and provides psychological and physical protection. Use the oil for the sixth chakra to promote wisdom and understanding and for the seventh chakra to help prepare for receiving mystical wisdom.

Stillpoint Aromatics: Use opopanax to support the first chakra (survival and support), second chakra (relationships, creation energy), fourth chakra (unconditional love), and seventh chakra (introspection, meditation, connection to source energy).

Sacred Oils: Opoponax teaches you to follow the path of the heart. The oil helps re-establish balance and harmony, promotes clarity of thought, and has an affinity with the base (1st) chakra.

Mixing Essential Oils for Magic: Use opopanax oil to clear negativity when preparing sacred space and to ground energy after ritual. The oil releases emotional and spiritual blockages, facilitating healing, renewal, and transformation. This essential oil is also associated with abundance, growth, longevity, and vitality.

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Photo Credit: Maša Sinreih in Valentina Vivod, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons