Myrtle

What is myrtle? 

Myrtle is a herbaceous flowering shrub which has over 600 different types found all over the world but originates from the mediterranean and is associated with innocence and purity historically. Some examples of variants found in skincare are myrtle, lemon myrtle, bog myrtle or sweet gale. 

How is myrtle made into a skincare ingredient?

You can take extracts of myrtle from the bark, leaves and stems as well as the delicate white flowers. These extracts are then usually steam distilled making it a naturally derived ingredient in natural and organic beauty products. 

What are the skincare benefits of myrtle?

• Sweet gale oil is typically used to naturally fragrance natural beauty products 
• Lemon myrtle is rich in citral and is known for its sweet lemony fragrance
• Myrtle oil is beneficial for combating acne and breakouts because of its astringent and anti-septic properties

Myrtle is made up of the constituents myrtenol, myrtenol-acetate, limonene and linalool. For more information on oil constituents click here.

What skin types is myrtle suited to? 

Because of its abilities to help acne and problematic skin as well as its antibacterial and anti-septic properties, myrtle is suited to oily and combination skin. 

You may wish to avoid using myrtle on the skin whilst pregnant. 

What type of products will you find myrtle in?

Myrtle is often used in organic cleansers and facial oils because of its balancing and anti-septic properties. It can be deodorising too so you may also find it in deodorants or merely to add natural rather than synthetic fragrance to natural and organic beauty products. 

What are the INCI names for myrtle? 

Myrtus communis - myrtle

Backhousia citriodora - lemon myrtle

Myrica gale - sweet gale

Shop natural beauty products with myrtle

Sources

• Winter, Ruth. A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, 7th Edition. Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale.  

• Milady Skincare and Cosmetic Ingredients Dictionary 4th Edition; M. Varinia Michalun, Joseph C. Dinardo

• https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Myrica+gale

Whilst we hope the pages are informative it’s important to remember we’re organic beauty enthusiasts not scientists so the information is detailed here to the best of our knowledge or research we have conducted from third parties.  Whilst we are continually updating our content based on new research, it may not always be up to date and as such it is the readers’ responsibility to conduct their own research in order to independently verify the information and make an informed decision on their beauty regime/lifestyle. Any opinion expressed on the efficacy of a product is based on tests performed by our team. As everyone has different skin types and concerns, please be advised that what works for them might not work for you but we try to give as much subjective information as possible which we hope you will find useful. If in any doubt, please consult a medical professional.