If you're a Pinoy GenXer like I am, you probably spent a great deal of time with the baby boomers in your family as a young kid. Me, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents, aunts, and elder cousins while I was a kid, especially during summer breaks. In my time with them, I observed that my Lolas (grandmothers) and Titas (aunts) liked slathering us young kids with different balms, oils, and ointments. I remember Lola pours coconut oil on my back and tummy before my bath. If I got rashes, there is a balm for that, or if I had a headache, colds, or flu, a generous amount of ointment is spread on my temples, chest, and back. Back then, I liked the balms and ointments, especially the menthol-scented ones. Now an adult, I carried on my elders' tradition. I place small jars of balms around the house—in my study/work table and under my pillow. I also have it in my bag, and that balm is like magic, it helps me with anything! From headaches to tummy aches or insect bites, the balm is always helpful.
Last February, I was glad to hear that my friend Kitchie and her husband have launched their own line of balms. Kitchie, a trained and licensed acupuncturist attended a seminar on herbal medicine under the expert hands of Dr. Jaime Galvez-Tan (or Doc Jimmy to his loyal listeners and followers). Doc Jimmy is a well-known doctor and advocate of primary health care, sound nutrition, and integrative medicine in the Philippines. In the seminar, Doc Jimmy mentioned that the Philippines has our own great herbal tradition that is comparable to the Chinese. The seminar – and the fact that Kitchie has to buy expensive balms in Singapore to help her during migraine episodes – inspired Kitchie to develop her own line of herbal medicine in the form of balms, and Kalyana Soothing Balm was born.
Kalyana Soothing Balms are essential oils-based blends that ease body pains and aches. What is Kalyana? Why Kalyana? Kalyana is the Hindi and Nepali word for "wellness." Kitchie chose the name Kalyana for her balms from her belief that an individual can also avail of natural healing modes to help maintain a positive level of health and wellness. Kalyana offers products for non-invasive body healing.
According to Stephanie Tourles, herbal skin and body care expert and author, "a balm is an external healing agent. When applied to the skin, it softens with body temperature and provides an emollient, vulnerary, nourishing, healing, protective effect. The balm's base oil, being compatible with the skin, delivers medicinal herbal components down deep within the tissues where they are needed. The wax or butter component solidifies and gives firmness to the finished product for ease of application plus offers additional skin-conditioning benefits."
The Kalyana Soothing Balms are available in three variants for Relaxation (blue), Muscle and Joint Pain (yellow/orange), and Headache (green). To ensure high quality, Kitchie carefully makes their soothing balms in small batches at their home.
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| Kalyana Soothing Balm for Relaxation |
Kalyana Soothing Balm for Relaxation has lavender and peppermint essential oils. Both oils are traditionally used as relaxation agents and they help users achieve a positive mental state. This balm's other ingredients are coconut oil, menthol, Vitamin E, and beeswax.
I tried applying this balm on my temples, forehead, and nostrils before a massage and it was amazing! The balm helped me feel relaxed, and the scent of lavender and peppermint oils sent me to sleep, and I don't usually fall asleep during a massage! I also discovered that on nights when sleep is hard to come by, this Relaxation balm is such a big help.
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| Kalyana Soothing Balm for Muscle and Joint Pain |
Kalyana Soothing Balm for Muscle and Joint Pain is formulated to help relax the muscles, ease pain and inflammation, and stimulate blood circulation in the affected area. To use, massage balm onto the painful area. Kitchie warns that it is not to be used on open wounds, and by pregnant or breastfeeding women. This balm contains turmeric and the yellow color in the balm may stain clothes.
Of the three Kalyana Soothing Balms, this is the only one I haven't tried yet. I'm sure it will come in handy when I start my afternoon walks again and I'll get sore thighs and legs.
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| Kalyana Soothing Balm for Headache |
Kalyana Soothing Balm for Headache is said to help address different types of headaches such as tension, migraine, sinusitis, and cluster headaches. It has beeswax and lauric oil which have analgesic properties. These two are combined with key essential oils, i.e., peppermint, eucalyptus, and lavender, to address different kinds of headaches. To use, apply a small amount to temples, forehead, or base of the neck.
This is my favorite Kalyana balm, it's always in my bag, and goes with me wherever I go. I have chronic sinusitis, and when I get a headache from sinusitis (or any headache), I dab a little amount of Kalyana Soothing Balm to my temples and nostrils. It helps me feel better after a couple of minutes. Or if I feel uncomfortable, I place the balm near my nose for that fresh, minty, relaxing feel-good sniff.
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| Kalyana Soothing Balms have neat tidy packaging. Each variant comes in a 30g tin container with a screw lid. |
After testing these balms for a few weeks, I can say that Kalyana Soothing Balms are of high quality. The wax is solid but not hard, doesn't fall off in chunks as other balms do, and it's not too oily. At first, the balms seemed lacking to me. They did not have the strong scent and heat of the traditional balms that I was used to, and I was looking for that. However, because of this same fact, Kalyana balms are not irritating and are actually gentle on the skin. Plus their scents last longer. My only wish for these products is that they become available in smaller tubs, perhaps in 5 or 10g tins? But for now, we can all enjoy these awesome Ang-Galing-ng-mga-Pinoy Kalyana balms in 30g tin tubs.
Kalyana Soothing Balms sell for P195 each, and since they have just started the business, most of their selling is done online. If anyone wants to buy the balms, visit Kalyana's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/kalyana.ph/), follow them on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/kalyana.ph/), or send an SMS to Kitchie at 09156027955. For those in the Manila area, Kalyana Soothing Balms are available in La Consolacion Oriental Health Clinic in Mendiola, Manila.
