Norway Spruce Resin is collected sustainably from Picea Abies trees, also known as European Spruce and Norway Spruce, and is a mainstay of traditional medicine in ancient and modern Northern Europe.
Traditionally, a salve prepared from Norway Spruce Resin with animal or vegetable fat/oil is used to treat wounds, ulcers and other skin issues. You will find many modern studies online that examine the efficacy of this ancient medicine.
Like most other Northern Conifers, Norway Spruce Resin makes an excellent base for chest rubs that address myriad respiratory issues and is also effective as a rubefacient and anti-inflammatory for muscle and joint pain.
The resin when purified and filtered makes an excellent chewing gum that stimulates the gums and freshens the breath. These are only a few of the many uses our ancestors found for this beautiful tree.
Norway Spruce resin makes lovely incense on its own or when blended with other aromatic materials.
As a natural perfume ingredient, this resin can be tinctured in alcohol. I believe freezing the tincture before filtering may reduce some of the inherent stickiness.
In oil-based perfumes, Norway Spruce resin dissolves readily in warm carrier oils and lends a beautiful fragrance to perfumes and other products that is both grounding and uplifting.
Let me not forget to mention that this resin also makes a wonderful base for moustache and beard products.
On my blog- http://apothecarysgarden.com, ( In the drop-down menus at the top of the page), you will find recipes for moustache waxes and various healing salves and balms using fresh Pine, Fir or Spruce sap. You will also find instructions for building your own still and how to distill essential oils from resins.
A tip for easily removing these sticky saps from the plastic sleeve I ship them in, is to put them in the freezer for 1/2 hour or so first. When cold they will peel easily from the plastic and you won't loose any in the process.
Dan
Materials: Spruce resin, Spruce Pitch, Picea Abies, Norway Spruce.