Balsam of Peru

Type of tree balsam

Balsam of Peru

Balsam of Peru[1] or Peru balsam,[2] also known and marketed by many other names, is a balsam derived from a tree known as Myroxylon balsamum var. pereirae; it is found in El Salvador.

Balsam of Peru is used in food and drink for flavoring, in perfumes and toiletries for fragrance, and in medicine and pharmaceutical items for healing properties. It has a sweet scent. In some instances, balsam of Peru is listed on the ingredient label of a product by one of its various names, but it may not be required to be listed by its name by mandatory labeling conventions.

It can cause allergic reactions, with numerous large surveys identifying it as being in the "top five" allergens most commonly causing patch test reactions.[3][4] It may cause inflammation, redness, swelling, soreness, itching, and blisters, including allergic contact dermatitis, stomatitis (inflammation and soreness of the mouth or tongue), cheilitis (inflammation, rash, or painful erosion of the lips, oropharyngeal mucosa, or angles of the mouth), pruritus, hand eczema, generalized or resistant plantar dermatitis, rhinitis, and conjunctivitis.

## Harvesting and processing

[edit]

Balsam of Peru is obtained by using rags to soak up the resin after strips of bark are removed from the trunk of Myroxylon balsamum var. pereirae, boiling the rags and letting the balsam sink in water.[1][5] The balsam is an aromatic dark-brown oily fluid.[1][5]

## Composition

[edit]

Balsam of Peru contains 25 or so different substances,[6] including cinnamein, cinnamic acid, cinnamyl cinnamate, benzyl benzoate, benzoic acid, and vanillin.[7][8] It also contains cinnamyl alcohol, cinnamaldehyde, farnesol, and nerolidol.[9] A minority of it, approximately 30–40%, contains resins or esters of unknown composition.[8]

## Uses

[edit]

Balsam of Peru is used in food and drink for flavoring, in perfumes and toiletries for fragrance, and in medicine and pharmaceutical items for healing properties.[8]

In some cases, it is listed on the ingredient label of a product by one of its various names.[7] Naturally occurring ingredients may contain substances identical to or very closely related to balsam of Peru.[7]

It has four primary uses:

* flavoring in foods and drinks such as
* caffeinated drinks (flavored coffee, flavored tea)
* alcoholic drinks (wine, beer, gin, liqueurs, apéritifs)
* soft drinks (cola, root beer)
* preserved citrus (candied fruit peel, marmalade)
* tomato-containing products (Mexican and Italian foods with red sauces, ketchup)
* sauces (chili sauce, barbecue sauce, chutney)
* pickled vegetables
* sweets (baked goods and pastries, pudding, ice cream, chewing gum, candy)
* fragrance in perfumes, cosmetics, and toiletries, including colognes, deodorants, soaps, shampoos, conditioners, after-shave lotions, lipsticks, creams, lotions, ointments, baby powders, sunscreens, suntan lotions. Peru balsam listed as one of the main notes in such perfumes as Tom Ford Lost Cherry, Montale Red Vetiver,[10] Chopard Iris Malika, HFC Pink Moon.
* antiseptic and flavoring in medicinal products such as
* over-the-counter products (toothpaste, mouthwash, hemorrhoid suppositories and ointment, cough medicine/suppressant and lozenges, diaper rash ointments, oral and lip ointments, tincture of benzoin, wound spray [as it has been reported to inhibit Mycobacterium tuberculosis as well as the common ulcer-causing bacteria H. pylori in test-tube studies], calamine lotion, surgical dressings)
* professional dental supplies (dental cement, eugenol used by dentists, some periodontal impression materials, treatment of dry socket)[7][8][11][12][13][14][15][16]
* glue, typically as a mounting medium for microscope specimens[17][18] because of purified balsam of Peru's optical properties, specifically its transparency and refractive index of 1.597, very close to that of many glasses used in optics[19]

It also can be found in scented tobacco, cleaning products, pesticides, insect repellants, air fresheners and deodorizers, scented candles, and oil paint.[11][20][21]

## Allergy

[edit]

A number of national and international surveys have identified balsam of Peru as being in the "top five" allergens most commonly causing patch test reactions in people referred to dermatology clinics.[13][22][23] A study in 2001 found that 3.8% of the general population patch tested was allergic to it.[24] Many flavorings and perfumes contain components identical to balsam of Peru.[25] It may cause redness, swelling, itching, and blisters.[26]

People allergic to balsam of Peru or other chemically related substances may experience a contact dermatitis reaction.[8] If they have oral exposure, they may experience stomatitis (inflammation and soreness of the mouth or tongue), and cheilitis (inflammation, rash, or painful erosion of the lips, oropharyngeal mucosa, or angles of their mouth).[8][13][22] If they ingest it, they may experience pruritus and contact dermatitis in the perianal region, possibly due to unabsorbed substances in the feces.[13][27] It can cause a flare-up of hand eczema.[8] Among the other allergic reactions to balsam of Peru are generalized or resistant plantar dermatitis, rhinitis, and conjunctivitis,[13][28] In a case study in Switzerland, a woman who was allergic to balsam of Peru was allergic to her boyfriend's semen following intercourse after he drank large amounts of Coca-Cola.[29]

This T.R.U.E. (Thin-Layer Rapid Use Epicutaneous) Patch Test [30] result shows strong reaction to balsam of Peru (#10) and mild reaction to the standard fragrance mix (#6)

A positive patch test is used to diagnose an allergy to balsam of Peru.[8][12][27] Positive patch test results indicate that the person may have problems with certain flavorings, medications, and perfumed products.[8] Among foods, the most commonly implicated are spices, citrus, and tomatoes.[31]

People allergic to balsam of Peru may benefit from a diet in which they avoid ingesting foods that contain it.[13] Naturally occurring ingredients may contain substances identical to or very closely related to balsam of Peru, and may cause the same allergic reactions.[7] In some instances, balsam of Peru is listed on the ingredient label of a product by one of its various names, but it may not be required to be listed by its name by mandatory labeling conventions (in fragrances, for example, it may simply be covered by an ingredient listing of "fragrance").[7][32][33][34][35] To determine if balsam of Peru is in a product, often doctors have to contact the manufacturer of the products used by the patient.[36]

Before 1977, the main recommended marker for perfume allergy was balsam of Peru, which is still advised. The presence of balsam of Peru in a cosmetic will be denoted by the INCI term Myroxylon pereirae.[9] Because of allergic reactions, since 1982 crude balsam of Peru has been banned by the International Fragrance Association from use as a fragrance compound, but extracts and distillates are used up to a maximum level of 0.4% in products, and are not covered by mandatory labeling.[25]

In March 2006, the European Commission, Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General, Scientific Committee on Consumer Products, issued an opinion on balsam of Peru.[2] It confirmed that crude balsam of Peru should not be used as a fragrance ingredient, because of a wide variety of test results on its sensitizing potential, but that extracts and distillates can be used up to a maximum level of 0.4% in products.[2]

## History

[edit]

The name balsam of Peru is a misnomer.[37] In the early period of the Spanish conquest of Central and South America, the balsam was collected in Central America and shipped to Callao (the port of Lima) in Peru, then shipped onward to Europe.[37][38][39] It acquired the name of "Peru" because it was shipped via there.[37][38] Its export to Europe was first documented in the seventeenth century in the German pharmacopoeia. Today it is extracted under a handicraft process, and is mainly exported from El Salvador.[40] Another balsam, balsam of Tolu, is extracted from Myroxylon balsamum var. balsamum in a different way.[5][41]

## Alternate names

[edit]

Among the alternate names used for balsam of Peru are:[8][42]

* balsam Peru
* Peru balsam
* Peruvian balsam
* bálsamo del Perú (Spanish)
* balsamum Peruvianim (Latin)
* baume du Pérou (French)
* baume Péruvien (French)

* baume de San Salvador (French)
* black balsam
* China oil
* Honduras balsam
* Indian balsam
* Surinam balsam

|

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Ikhlas A. Khan; Ehab A. Abourashed (2011). Leung's Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients: Used in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 9781118213063. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
2. ^ a b c European Commission, Health and Consumer Protection Directorate-General, Scientific Committee on Consumer Products (March 28, 2006). "Opinion on Peru Balsam" (PDF). European Commission. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 11, 2014. Retrieved March 10, 2014.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
3. ^ de Groot, Anton C.; Frosch, Peter J. (1997). "Adverse reactions to fragrances". Contact Dermatitis. 36 (2): 57–86\. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0536.1997.tb00418.x. ISSN 0105-1873. PMID 9062742. S2CID 9630684.
4. ^ Schäfer, T.; Böhler, E.; Ruhdorfer, S.; Weigl, L.; Wessner, D.; Filipiak, B.; Wichmann, H. E.; Ring, J. (2001). "Epidemiology of contact allergy in adults". Allergy. 56 (12): 1192–1196\. doi:10.1034/j.1398-9995.2001.00086.x. ISSN 0105-4538. PMID 11736749. S2CID 3953011.
5. ^ a b c Flückiger, Friedrich August; Hanbury, Daniel (1874). Pharmacographia: A History of the Principal Drugs of Vegetable Origin, Met with in Great Britain and British India. London: Macmillan and Co. pp. 177–184\. Archived from the original on November 10, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
6. ^ J. K. Aronson (2009). Meyler's Side Effects of Herbal Medicines. Elsevier. ISBN 9780444532695. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
7. ^ a b c d e f Alexander A. Fisher (2008). Fisher's Contact Dermatitis. PMPH-USA. ISBN 9781550093780. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Balsam of Peru contact allergy". Dermnetnz.org. December 28, 2013. Archived from the original on March 5, 2014. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
9. ^ a b M. H. Beck; S. M. Wilkinson (2010), "Contact Dermatitis: Allergic", Rook's Textbook of Dermatology, vol. 2 (8th ed.), Wiley, p. 26.40
10. ^ "Купить духи Montale Red Vetiver — цена туалетной воды, фото, отзывы, описание аромата". Montale (in Russian). Retrieved March 25, 2025.
11. ^ a b "Dermatology; Allergy to Balsam of Peru" (PDF). bedfordhospital.nhs.uk. October 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 9, 2012. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
12. ^ a b Food Additives, Second Edition Revised And Expanded. Routledge. 1999. ISBN 9781135569471. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
13. ^ a b c d e f Thomas P. Habif (2009). Clinical Dermatology. Elsevier Health Sciences. ISBN 978-0323080378. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
14. ^ Leslie Carroll Grammer; Paul A. Greenberger (2009). Patterson's Allergic Diseases. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. ISBN 9780781794251. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
15. ^ Charles W. Fetrow; Juan R. Avila (2000). The Complete Guide To Herbal Medicines. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 9780743400701. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
16. ^ Martin Rocken; Gerhard Grevers (2011). Color Atlas of Allergic Diseases. Thieme. ISBN 9783131647719. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
17. ^ "Peru balsam", Sigma-Aldrich catalog. Accessed: December 15, 2014
18. ^ Peter Hanelt (April 10, 2001). Mansfeld's Encyclopedia of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9783540410171. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
19. ^ Edward Nugent (1870). Optics: Light and Sight Theoretically and Practically Treated, with Their ... Strahan & Co., Publishers. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
20. ^ Gerald W. Volcheck (2009). Clinical Allergy: Diagnosis and Management. Springer. ISBN 9781597453158. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
21. ^ Myron A. Lipkowitz; Tova Navarra (2001). Encyclopedia of Allergies. ISBN 9781438120911. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
22. ^ a b Gottfried Schmalz; Dorthe Arenholt Bindslev (2008). Biocompatibility of Dental Materials. Springer. ISBN 9783540777823. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
23. ^ Edward T. Bope; Rick D. Kellerman (2013). Conn's Current Therapy 2014: Expert Consult. Elsevier Health Sciences. ISBN 9780323225724. Archived from the original on January 10, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
24. ^ T. Platts-Mills; Johannes Ring (2006). Allergy in Practice. Springer. ISBN 9783540265849. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
25. ^ a b Jeanne Duus Johansen; Peter J. Frosch; Jean-Pierre Lepoittevin (2010). Contact Dermatitis. Springer. ISBN 9783642038273. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
26. ^ Regional Office Who/Europe (1995). Allergic Hypersensitivities Induced by Chemicals: Recommendations for Prevention. CRC Press. ISBN 9780849392269. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
27. ^ a b Richard J. G. Rycroft (2001). Textbook of Contact Dermatitis. Springer. ISBN 9783540668428. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
28. ^ Pamela Brooks (2012). The Daily Telegraph: Complete Guide to Allergies. Constable & Robinson. ISBN 9781472103949.
29. ^ Harlan Walker (1990). Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery, 1989: Staplefoods: Proceedings. Oxford Symposium. ISBN 9780907325444. Retrieved March 7, 2014.
30. ^ US Food & Drug Administration (December 16, 2019). "T.R.U.E. TEST". FDA. Archived from the original on September 29, 2019. Retrieved March 5, 2022.
31. ^ Klaus Peter Wilhelm; Hongbo Zhai; Howard I. Maibach (2010). Dermatotoxicology. CRC Press. ISBN 9781420009774. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
32. ^ Jeanne Duus Johansen; Peter J. Frosch; Jean-Pierre Lepoittevin (2010). Contact Dermatitis. Springer. ISBN 9783642038273. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
33. ^ Phyllis A. Balch (2002). Prescription for Herbal Healing. Penguin. ISBN 9780895298690. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
34. ^ William D. James; Timothy Berger; Dirk Elston (2011). Andrew's Diseases of the Skin: Clinical Dermatology. Elsevier Health Sciences. ISBN 9781437736199. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
35. ^ Hongbo Zhai; Howard I. Maibach (2004). Dermatotoxicology (Sixth ed.). CRC Press. ISBN 9780203426272. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
36. ^ Ronald Marks; Gerd Plewig (1991). The Environmental Threat to the Skin. CRC Press. ISBN 9781853170577. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
37. ^ a b c Murray Galt Motter, National Institutes of Health (U.S.); Martin Inventius Wilbert (1908). Digest of Comments on The Pharmacopoeia of the United States of America and The National Formulary for the Calendar Year Ending December 31. Treasury Department, Public Health and Marine-Hospital Service of the U.S. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
38. ^ a b The Pharmaceutical Journal ...: A Weekly Record of Pharmacy and Allied Sciences. J. Churchill. 1864. Archived from the original on July 25, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
39. ^ Encyclopaedia Perthensis; Or Universal Dictionary of the Arts, Sciences, Literature, &c. Intended to Supersede the Use of Other Books of Reference. Vol. 4\. John Brown. 1816. Retrieved April 28, 2014.
40. ^ "The best quality and experience in Peru Balsam–Inicio". Riverabalsam.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012. Retrieved August 30, 2012.
41. ^ "Assessment report on Myroxylon balsamum (L.) Harms var. pereirae (Royle) Harms, balsamum" (PDF). European Medicines Agency. Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). May 31, 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2021.
42. ^ "Peru Balsam: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings". WebMD. Archived from the original on February 16, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2014.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Myroxylon balsamum var. pereirae.