Myroxylon Balsamum Balsam Oil is an oily compound obtained from the resin of Balsam Peru tree that grows in El Salvador Myroxylon balsamum (L.) var. pereirae, Leguminosae. This resin, composed of about 250 constituents, repairs cracks in the tree. The same plant is used to make a cosmetic product called Tolu Balm or Tolu Balsam with almost similar characteristics but different INCI names.

Cosmetics

It is used on all continents for different purposes, but the most popular use is perfuming in cosmetic products. It is a restricted ingredient as a Relevant Item in the Annexes of the European Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009 or not subject to restrictions. It depends on the composition.

Perfuming. Unlike fragrance, which can also contain slightly less pleasant or characteristic odours, the term perfume indicates only very pleasant fragrances.

The following products are on the market, with and without restrictions, bearing in mind that the cosmetic safety rating expressed may differ from study to study, composition to composition. As can be seen from the table below, only 4 out of 9 ingredients have no cosmetic restrictions, but even for these, the safety considerations I outline below apply.

Safety

It is considered an allergen even though not all of the main allergens have yet been identified because in addition to benzoic acid, cinnamate, eugenol, at least 10 others are unidentifiable. However, the allergic contact dermatitis it causes (1) is known to be among the most frequent sensitisers that can cause periocular contact dermatitis (2).

See     Balsam of Peru

References_____________________________________________________________________

(1) Nanda, A. and Wasan, A., 2016. Allergic contact dermatitis to balsam of Peru. Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, 117(2), pp.208-209.

(2) Temesvári E, Pónyai G, Németh I, Hidvégi B, Sas A, Kárpáti S. Periocular dermatitis: a report of 401 patients. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2009 Feb;23(2):124-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-3083.2008.02949.x.