What is Tiger Balm made from?
A Chinese herbalist living in Rangoon developed a balm made from essential oils using an ancient formulation originally developed for Chinese emperors. He sold it from his Rangoon medicine shop and after his death one of his two sons began selling the product in Malaysia and Singapore. As a symbol of the potency of the balm, he would travel with a tiger – the symbol of strength and vitality in the East. During the 1920’s, his sons established a manufacturing base in Singapore and named the product Tiger Balm. Tiger balm does not contain any animal parts. The active ingredients are camphor, menthol, cajuput oil, mint oil and clove oil. Camphor – Has a strong penetrating, fragrant odour and acts as a rubefacient and numbs the peripheral nerves. Menthol – Has a local anaesthetic action. Cajuput Oil – Acts as a stimulant to produce a sensation of warmth. Clove Oil – Acts as an irritant and a local anaesthetic. The active ingredients in camphor and the essential oils in Tiger Balm dilate th
