Mastic Oil History & Abundant Benefits
Mastic has been gaining ground in the world of organic health, beauty, and well-being. Scientifically tested and proven, mastic provides antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, astringent and healing properties making it the cutting edge in beauty by use of its essential oil.
The Pistasia Lentiscus (mastic) tree is slow-growing and produces a fragrant cultivation for a short time each year surviving drought conditions by sustaining itself on minimal morning dew. There have been many attempts around the world to cultivate this valuable resin, but so far the attempts have been fruitless due to the unique soil & climate of the island. (Protected Designation of Origin).
The resin is extracted by creating small shallow incisions into the bark known as 'Kentos' with a sharp tool. The trees initiate a natural response of healing themselves with the resin by forming 'tears' to protect it from external damage, thus giving its famous title 'Tears of Chios'. Currently it is being used in medicine and pharmacology and is now certified by the US Food and Drug Administration, The Agency of (South) Korea & The Agency of Canada, with research and development centres being created as it offers a myriad of health benefits.
Mastic gum can notably improve the health of your skin by reducing the appearance of pores, controlling the excretion of sebum, refining and clearing the skin, soothing irritated skin, eliminating comedones and microcysts, as well as reducing shine to reveal smoother looking skin. It's antiseptic and antifungal properties protect the lipid barrier from external pollutants.
In addition to its newer use in skincare and its common popularity as a dental cure-all, it’s traditionally shown fantastic efficacy in the treatment of peptic ulcers and other gastrointestinal issues. It has been used to reduce inflammation and heal wounds, as a powder to treat irritable bowels and ulcers, as a smoke to manage asthma. In fact it has over 60 therapeutic purposes that are currently being researched.
In the 1st century A.D. Physicians such as Hippocrates, Father of Medicine & Dioscorides, the renowned Pharmacologist of Antiquity, lists all therapeutic and cosmetic properties of mastic known at the time in his De Materia Medica (About Medical Substances) treatise quotes: “It’s good for face creams, because it promotes skin radiance".
Dioscorides also noted that, among its numerous medical uses, “It cleanses the face and gives it the colour of health”. Emperors of all over Europe would source it as it was worth it's weight in gold and only the upper - class ladies who could afford this remedy used these beauty creams which contained mastic.
Christopher Columbus also announced both the discovery of the New World and mastic in the same sentence in a letter to Luis De Saint Angel, the treasurer of Aragon. During the Byzantine Empire it was of such importance that the villages of Chios that produced were usually spared by conquerors and given special privileges so they could continue to produce it even while the inhabitants of other towns were massacred and sold into slavery.
The villages that grew mastic were transformed into fortresses to protect the product from the invasion of pirates and other dangers and the villages were only permeable via a ladder.
The benefits of mastic are abundant and we are excited to share our range of eco-luxe of products that detoxify, nourish and revitalize your skin, delivering visible results while restoring your skin to its optimal health. We love what we have created and we’re excited for you to experience our products.