What is Balm of Gilead?

Balm of Gilead is a sticky salve, oil or tincture made from balsam poplar buds. The buds come from Populus balsamifera, a tree of northern North America. They are resinous, golden and strongly fragrant.

The buds are picked in late winter or early spring, before they open. They are then steeped in oil, fat or alcohol. Most products you can buy are meant for the skin.

The name is borrowed from the Bible. The biblical balm came from a different plant of the Middle East. Several poplar species are sold under this same name.

Folk healers and Eclectic physicians used it on cracked skin, scrapes and sore joints. Some older formulas put it in cough syrups.

Human evidence is very thin. Almost nothing about this remedy has been tested in people. Long use in tradition is not proof that it works, and it is not proof that it is safe.

How does Balm of Gilead work?

The proposed action rests on two things: salicylates and resin.

In laboratory tests, poplar bud extracts slow the growth of some bacteria and fungi. Whether that happens on living human skin is not established.

In test-tube and animal work, the extracts lower markers of inflammation. That is a lab signal, not a proven effect in people.

The buds hold salicin-type compounds, which are chemical cousins of aspirin. In theory they could ease pain and swelling. This has not been shown for the salve in human trials.

Much of the comfort people report may come from the base. Oil and wax soften dry skin and hold water in. That effect is real, well understood, and does not depend on the buds.

What forms does Balm of Gilead come in?

Most Balm of Gilead is sold for use on the skin.

- Salve or ointment: buds steeped in oil or fat, then set with beeswax. - Infused oil: buds soaked in olive, sunflower or almond oil. - Tincture: buds soaked in alcohol.

- Cough syrup blends: older folk formulas, now uncommon. - Bud tea: rare today, and very bitter.

Labels may list it as balsam poplar bud, black poplar bud or Populi gemmae. Some makers use related poplar species. The product you buy may not be Populus balsamifera.

Strength is almost never stated. Homemade versions are common.

Where it comes from:

Northern peoples used poplar bud salves long before written records. Cree, Ojibwe and other nations applied them to wounds, chapped lips and sore chests.

Trappers and settlers copied the practice. Jars of the salve were a winter staple in cold regions.

Eclectic physicians in 19th-century America listed balsam poplar buds in their materia medica. They described ointments for cracked skin and aching joints. Some wrote it into cough and chest formulas.

The remedy slipped out of medical use in the 20th century. It survived in home craft and small herbal shops. Today it is mainly a skin salve.

What does Balm of Gilead help with?

• Dry, cracked or chapped skin: This is the most common modern use. The oil and wax base does soften skin and hold water in, and that part is well understood. The bud extract itself has no human trial behind it for this.
• Minor cuts and scrapes: Folk healers packed the salve onto small wounds. In lab tests, bud extracts slow some bacteria. No human study shows faster healing, and deep, dirty or infected wounds need proper medical care.
• Sore muscles and stiff joints: Eclectic writers rubbed it on aching backs and joints. The salicylates are aspirin relatives, so pain relief is plausible on paper. No human study has tested this product for pain.
• Itchy or irritated skin: Tradition used it on rough, itchy patches. A greasy base can calm mild dryness and itch. The buds themselves also cause allergic rashes in some people, so the picture cuts both ways.
• Coughs and chest congestion (older folk use): Old syrups used the buds for winter chest colds. The resin smells warming, which may feel soothing. There is no human evidence that it clears a cough, and swallowing it brings aspirin-like risks.

Which foods are rich in Balm of Gilead?

Balsam poplar buds are not a food. No ordinary food contains this remedy.

What are the side effects of Balm of Gilead?

• Allergic skin rash, redness or itching
• Burning or stinging where it is applied
• Blistering or weeping skin with repeated use
• Cross-reaction in people allergic to propolis, balsam of Peru or benzoin
• Stains on skin, clothing and bedding
• Stomach upset or nausea if swallowed
• Rare whole-body allergic reaction with swelling or trouble breathing

Good to know:

Skin allergy is the main problem, and it is not rare. Poplar bud resin is a known contact allergen.

Most reactions are mild and settle once you stop. They can also build up slowly over weeks of use.

Serious reactions are uncommon but do happen. Swelling of the face or lips, or trouble breathing, is an emergency.

How much Balm of Gilead should you take?

• Recommended daily: Skin salve labels usually say to apply a thin layer to a small area, once or twice a day. That is a label norm, not advice for you. There is no established safe amount for taking it by mouth. Older syrup recipes used doses that were never tested. This page gives no internal dose.
• Best time of day: Time of day does not matter much. Many people use skin salves at night, since they are greasy and can mark clothes.
• With or without food: This does not apply to skin use. It is not a food, and this page does not support taking it by mouth.
• Time to effect: If it helps dry skin, that usually feels better within minutes to a day. Any effect on pain, healing or a cough is unproven. It may do nothing at all for your problem. If there is no change after about a week, it is reasonable to stop.
• How long to take it: Skin products are typically used for short spells of a few days to a couple of weeks. Long, repeated use over large areas raises the chance of an allergic rash. It also raises how much salicylate your skin takes in. There is no tested safe length of use.