Galbanum Oil – Steam Distilled

Common Name – Galbanum Essential Oil
Botanical Name – Ferula galbaniflua
Country of Origin – Turkey
Parts Used – Gum
Extraction – Steam Distillation

Galbanum is a large perennial herb with a smooth stem shiny leaflets and small flowers. It contains resin ducts that exude a milky juice, a natural oleresin. Essential oils is extracted through steam distillation.The whole plant abounds with a milky juice, which oozes from the joints of old plants, and exudes and hardens from the base of the stem after it has been cut down, then is finally obtained by incisions made in the root.
The juice from the root soon hardens and forms the tears of the Galbanum of Commerce. The best tears are palish externally and about the size of a hazel nut and when broken open are composed of clear white tears. Distilled with water it yields a quantity of essential oil, about 6 drachms, to 1 lb. of gum. It was well known to the ancients and Pliny called it ‘bubonion.’ Galbanum under dry distillation yields a thick oil of a bluish colour, which after purification becomes the blue colour of the oil obtained from the flowers of Matricaria Chamomilla.