Tiger Balm (Chinese: 虎標萬金油; pinyin: Hǔbiao Wànjīnyóu; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Hó͘-phiau Bān-kim-iû) is the trade name for a heat rub manufactured and distributed by Haw Par Healthcare in Singapore.
Contents |
It was originally developed in the 1870s by a herbalist, Aw Chu Kin, in Rangoon, Burma, who asked his sons Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par on his deathbed to perfect the product.[1]
Originally named for containing tiger bone, an ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine dating back 1,500 years to treat pain, inflammation and to strengthen muscle,[2] Tiger Balm now consists purely of herbal ingredients. Tiger Balm is available in several varieties, the 'cold' Tiger Balm White (which is recommended for use with headaches) and the 'hot' Tiger Balm Red. There is also another version called Tiger Balm Ultra.
From the notes that accompany Tiger Balm:
Tiger Balm is made from a secret herbal formulation that dates back to the times of the Chinese emperors. The Aw brothers, Aw Boon Haw and Aw Boon Par, inherited the formulation from their herbalist father who left China. They call it Tiger Balm, after Boon Haw, (whose name in Chinese meant "Tiger") who was instrumental in devising the remarkable selling strategies that made Tiger Balm a household name all over Asia today.
| Ingredient[3] | Red | White |
|---|---|---|
| Menthol | 10% | 8% |
| Camphor | 11% | 11% |
| Dementholised mint oil | 6% | 16% |
| Cajuput oil | 7% | 13% |
| Clove bud oil | 5% | 1.5% |
| Cassia oil | 5% |
The remainder is a petroleum jelly and paraffin base.
The original Tiger Balm Red and Tiger Balm White have 25% of Camphor.[4] A new product named Tiger Balm White HR uses Eucalyptus oil instead of Cajuput oil.[4]
Tiger Balm is claimed to relieve the following ailments:[5]
In the James Bond novel Role of Honour, authored by John Gardner in the 1980s, one of the villain's henchmen whom Bond faces is named Tigerbalm.
Tiger Balm is mentioned in the novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It is also mentioned in the novel For the Win.
Gerard Depardieu was reported to have instructed Robert DeNiro how to use Tiger Balm and water to solve an erection problem while shooting a scene for Bernardo Bertolucci's 1900 in 1977.[6]
The song "Love Love Love" by The Mountain Goats mentions that Sonny Liston would rub Tiger Balm onto his gloves. [7]
In "Home Insecurity," an episode of The Venture Bros., villain Baron Ünderbheit discovers his trusted henchmen have betrayed him, and thus forces them into resignation. They are presented with Tiger Balm as a seemingly amicable parting gift, though it turns out to be an omen for Ünderbheit's retaliation for their betrayal, subsequently revealed to be "tiger bombs."
Tiger Balm is sometimes used in the context of BDSM sexual activities to intensify sensation.