This Was Never Just Another Salve

There are ingredients that seem to follow mankind through history. These key benefits are listed through studies in Healthline, WebMD, American Journal of Tropical Medicine, PubMed and the National Institute of Health (NIH). 

Frankincense 

Key Health Benefits:

Joint and Arthritis Relief: Helps decrease knee pain, reduce swelling, and improve mobility in people with osteoarthritis.

Respiratory Support: May lower leukotriene production to ease bronchial constriction and reduce asthma symptoms.

Digestive Wellness: Supports individuals managing inflammatory bowel conditions like ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

Skin Health: Promotes skin elasticity, helps calm irritation, and diminishes the appearance of fine lines when applied topically.

Myrrh.

Kills Harmful Microbes: Combats infectious bacteria, fungi, and parasites. When burned as incense with frankincense, it can reduce airborne bacteria by over 60%.

Eases Pain and Swelling: Contains terpenoids that interact with opioid receptors in the brain to dull pain perception and lower inflammatory markers.

Supports Wound Healing: Stimulates white blood cells and enhances collagen deposition to repair damaged skin and soothe ulcers.

Cinnamon Bark

Anti-Inflammatory Properties: Rich in polyphenols and cinnamaldehyde, it fights cell damage from free radicals.

Antimicrobial Effects: It helps combat certain bacteria, fungi, and viruses.

Brain Health: Early studies suggest it may support cognitive function and protect nerve cells.

Their stories reach back thousands of years—through traditional botanical practices, ancient cultures and, of course, the account of the Magi in the Book of Matthew.

That history is where the idea for 3 Magi began.

But I wasn't interested in these botanicals simply because they were old.  The ample studies of each oil and their value to issues like pain, joint discomfort, inflammation and more was intriguing to me. So the research and development started.

I wanted to understand why people had continued using them generation after generation.

What was in these plants and resins?

Why were they traditionally incorporated into oils and topical preparations?

And could those ideas be brought together into a practical modern salve?

That curiosity became 3 Magi.

— Shane

Why I Created 3 Magi

I originally became interested in Frankincense, Myrrh and botanical oils because of their long history in preparations connected with massage, hardworking bodies and physical discomfort.

Rather than simply blending essential oils together, I built 3 Magi around a rich carrier system.

Organic Olive Oil became the foundation.

It gives the essential-oil blend a substantial carrier and provides the working time needed for a slow, deliberate massage.

Beeswax gives the salve body and staying power.

Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter and Avocado Oil add richness and help leave the skin feeling conditioned and moisturized.

Then come the three botanicals that give 3 Magi its identity:

Boswellia serrata Frankincense.
Commiphora myrrha.
Cinnamomum zeylanicum Cinnamon Bark.

Today, GC/MS analysis lets us look beyond the names on the ingredient list and see some of the naturally occurring compounds actually present in those materials.

And that's where ancient botanical history and modern analysis start to meet.

Frankincense

Boswellia serrata

We don't use the word Frankincense generically.

The Frankincense essential oil selected for 3 Magi is specifically Boswellia serrata. The supplier's representative GC/MS identifies that exact material.

Its analyzed volatile profile includes naturally occurring compounds such as:

α-Phellandrene — 2.51%
Δ3-Carene — 2.22%
Limonene — 1.52%
Methylchavicol — 1.03%
Terpinen-4-ol — 0.49%

along with α-pinene, myrcene, linalool and numerous other constituents.

Why that interests us

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health documents the long history of Boswellia serrata in Ayurvedic practice, including traditional use associated with arthritis, inflammation and pain. NCCIH also makes an important distinction: although Boswellia has been studied, the evidence is not sufficient to establish topical Boswellia as a proven treatment for a health condition.

Researchers also continue investigating individual compounds found in essential oils. A preclinical study examined α-pinene, 3-carene and limonene and reported effects involving inflammatory pathways and pain behavior in experimental models. That was not a study of 3 Magi or Boswellia serrata oil, so we consider it constituent-level research, not proof of our salve.

Terpinen-4-ol has separately been studied in activated human monocytes, where researchers observed effects on production of several inflammatory mediators. Again, this is constituent research—not a clinical study of 3 Magi.

Myrrh

Commiphora myrrha

Myrrh's connection to the Magi is part of the product's name, but its botanical story goes much deeper.

The material we actually use is Commiphora myrrha Essential Oil, steam-distilled from the resin.

And the GC/MS you provided is particularly interesting.

Its representative profile reports:

Furanoeudesma-1,3-diene — 38.39%
Curzerene — 25.88%
Lindestrene — 8.39%
2-Methyl-8,12-Epoxygermacra-1,4,7,11-Tetraene — 6.69%
β-Elemene — 3.29%.

Why those names matter

A published human pilot study of a standardized Commiphora myrrha extract involved 184 adults and specifically characterized the preparation by three compounds:

Curzerene
Furanoeudesma-1,3-diene
Lindestrene

—the same three major named furanodiene constituents appearing prominently in our supplier's representative Myrrh GC/MS.

The study examined participants experiencing several categories of pain, including joint pain and muscle aches.

There is an important difference:

That study used an oral standardized Myrrh extract. It did not study our essential oil or 3 Magi Salve.

We share it because it helps explain why Commiphora myrrha continues to attract scientific interest—not because it proves a therapeutic effect for our finished product.

Cinnamon Bark

Cinnamomum zeylanicum

The Cinnamon Bark in 3 Magi isn't there simply to make the product smell spicy.

Our supplier identifies the organic Cinnamon Bark oil as Cinnamomum zeylanicum, steam-distilled from the bark.

Its representative GC/MS profile is dominated by:

E-Cinnamaldehyde — 69.83%

with additional naturally occurring constituents including:

Cinnamyl Acetate — 4.70%
β-Caryophyllene — 4.29%
Eugenol — 4.07%
Linalool — 3.05%
β-Phellandrene — 3.17%
p-Cymene — 2.98%.

Why that interests us

Cinnamaldehyde and eugenol continue to be studied for biological activity.

One laboratory study used peripheral blood mononuclear cells obtained from people with rheumatoid arthritis. Researchers observed effects from cinnamaldehyde and eugenol on inflammatory cytokines and oxidative-stress markers in those cultured cells.

That's interesting chemistry.

But again:

Cells in a laboratory are not the same thing as a person applying 3 Magi Salve.

We think customers deserve to know both sides of that distinction.

Why Organic Olive Oil?

Olive oil wasn't chosen merely because it sounded natural.

It serves a practical purpose in 3 Magi.

The Organic Olive Oil provides the primary carrier base for our essential-oil blend and gives the salve enough working time for slow massage.

Rather than disappearing immediately from the skin, the oil-and-wax base allows you to warm a small amount between your fingers and work it gradually across the desired area.

Combined with Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter, Avocado Oil and Beeswax, it creates the rich texture that has become a defining part of 3 Magi.

The formula is deliberate.

Botanical oils + carrier oil + slow massage.

That was part of the thinking behind 3 Magi from the beginning.

Three Botanicals. One Formula.

Frankincense

Boswellia serrata

Selected for its ancient botanical history and complex natural terpene profile.

Myrrh

Commiphora myrrha

A historic resin whose essential oil is particularly rich in naturally occurring furanodiene compounds.

Cinnamon Bark

Cinnamomum zeylanicum

A powerful aromatic botanical whose representative GC/MS is dominated by E-cinnamaldehyde.

Organic Olive Oil

The rich carrier at the foundation of the salve.

Old-world botanical knowledge. Modern analytical chemistry. Made with purpose.