Day 238 / 365
A few weeks ago I was in a Boots, one of London’s biggest pharmacies, and was
both surprised and pleased to see Tiger Balm on the shelves. In my head, the
existence of this in the most conventional of places meant the world was
becoming slightly more conscious. But as it turns out, it meant the product was
actually slightly more corrupt.
Tiger balm has been a family favourite for muscle pain and congestion for as
long as I can remember. It hails from the ancient courts of a Chinese
emperor whose herbalist, named Aw Chu Kin, created it in the late 1870s.
After nearly 100 years working its magic in over 100 countries it became
a trusted healer despite its mass production, all over the world.
Of course in the ways our commerce currently works, good things never last. And
as I found out last week via Clean’s
The New Black, that statement is true for Tiger Balm too.
The Problem With Tiger Balm (et al.)
I once read a case in marketing class about a chocolate company called Clodhoppers. They
were delicious chocolates made with graham wafers, which were produced in my
home city of Winnipeg, Canada. The recipe was passed on to a guy named Chris
Emery’s great aunt and he and one of his high school buddies, another local
dude named Larry Finnson decided to start packing that recipe for sale. In 1996
the clodhoppers were made with real ingredients, but in 1998, they signed a
distribution contract with Walmart and the product changed from something pure
made with whole ingredients to what was essentially a chemical mess. The reason
this happened is that when the boys, or rather clodhoppers, became victim of
target costing, the very thing which makes Walmart able to have those ‘always
low prices’. This brought the cost price of their product from (around)
0.25 cents to around 0.10 cents per package, forcing them to reduce the quality
of their ingredients. And presto chango the product went from what it was (a
wholesome-esque family recipe) to what it became (a non- natural version
of the former).
It would seem Tiger Balm has been a victim of the same process, the profit over
product game which has brought the swift demise to many a wholesome items which
once lined the shelves of natural healing stores with hope. Tiger balm is now
made with petroleum jelly which is a derivative of crude oil, a non
renewable resource. Even worse, according to David Suzuki “petrolatum
(petroleum jelly) can be contaminated with polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons (PAHs). Studies suggest that exposure to PAHs, including skin
contact over extended periods of time, is associated with cancer. On this
basis, the European Union classifies petrolatum carcinogen and restricts
its use in cosmetics. PAHs in petrolatum can also cause skin irritation
and allergies.”
The Solution
While Tiger Balm is still a better option for your body than vicks vapor rub or
any of the other non-natural (toxin filled) decongestant or muscle
rubs, the best option is to just make it yourself, and luckily the recipe
is out there and not too hard to re create: you can click HERE for
Humble Bee’s recipe and HERE for
the Practical Herbalist’s recipe.
any of the other non-natural (toxin filled) decongestant or muscle
rubs, the best option is to just make it yourself, and luckily the recipe
is out there and not too hard to re create: you can click HERE for
Humble Bee’s recipe and HERE for
the Practical Herbalist’s recipe.
Photo: Shane
Woodward
Woodward
Thanks for sharing this informative write up Holly! And I love that I can make the balm myself!!
XO
Sameena | Dressing Well Doing Good