Distilled from pine resin, roghan tarpin has sat in Unani dispensaries for as long as anyone can remember, and its reputation rests on how quickly it moves. Rub a little on a stiff knee and the warmth arrives within a minute. It is a blunt instrument of a remedy — powerful, pungent and strictly for the outside of the body — and it is used exactly as it always has been.
What it is traditionally used for
- Rubbed into aching muscles and stiff joints, where its warmth is felt almost immediately
- Applied on cotton wool to relieve the pain of a troublesome tooth
- Used on long-standing, stubborn wounds that have been slow to close
- Massaged over the chest and ribs in zaat-ul-janb, the pleurisy of the classical texts
- Rubbed on the chest and upper back to ease a heavy, congested cough
- Applied over joints affected by waja-ul-mafasil, rheumatic joint pain
How it is made
Resin tapped from a single stand of pine is steam distilled to separate the volatile turpentine fraction from the rosin, then rectified a second time to lift out the heavy residues that would otherwise irritate the skin. What remains is a clear, thin, powerfully aromatic oil. Nothing artificial is added — no thinners, no mineral oil, no perfume.
How to take it
External use only, and always sparingly. Mix a teaspoon with two teaspoons of mustard or sesame oil and massage into the painful joint or muscle for five minutes, once or twice a day. For a congested chest, rub the diluted oil over the breastbone at bedtime and cover with a warm cloth. For toothache, moisten a small piece of cotton wool and hold it against the tooth briefly — do not swallow.
Good to know
- 60 ml bottle of pure turpentine oil for external application
- Highly concentrated — dilute with a carrier oil before use on the skin
- Flammable; keep well away from flames, stoves and heaters
- 100% natural, with no thinners or added fragrance
Haris Zaidi (verified owner) –
Bought it for winter chest congestion for the family in Gujrat. Diluted on the breastbone at night, covered with a woollen shawl, and the coughing settles. Old remedy, still the best one I know.
Owais Awan (verified owner) –
No doubt it is effective on my husband’s back, but the smell takes over the whole flat in Karachi and lingers for a day. He uses it, I open every window. Would rate higher if it were less overpowering.
Wajahat Hashmi (verified owner) –
Play cricket on weekends and my shoulder pays for it. Diluted and rubbed in on Sunday nights, I am fine by Tuesday. The heat comes on within about a minute. Rawalpindi delivery was quick.
Junaid Kazmi (verified owner) –
My mother swears by this for her knees and I have to admit it works faster than anything else we have tried in Chiniot. I always dilute it with sarson oil or it is too fierce on her skin.