The dragon's blood is harvested from tree families (Dracaena, Croton, Daemonorops, Calamus, Rohtang, and Pterocarpus). The world's highest quality dragon's blood comes from the Dracaena cinnabari trees that grow only on Socotra (Yemen) island in the Arabian Sea. Trees are extraordinary in appearance and grow in the most severe arid conditions. Leaves renew every 3 - 4 years. Because of its high solubility and deep dark red color, it was named "dragon's blood" millenniums ago. From ancient times till today, it has been used as incense, as strong antiseptic medicine, for dyeing all kinds of fabrics, and as the finest natural dark redwood varnish.
The early records of the dragon's blood derive from ancient Greece, Egypt, Babylon, India, China, and the Roman Empire (Periplus, 1st Century). The records also mentioned the island of Socotra as the source of the highest quality resin and among the oldest world's highest valued resins. Socotra is an exceptional island where the oldest Arab tribes have lived unchanged for thousands of years. On the island, there are also the highest-quality species of Boswellia trees. The locals use the dragon's blood as a cure-all. It is used for general wound healing, as a coagulant, for the prevention of pregnancy, curing diarrhea, lowering fevers, and dysentery diseases, internally for ulcers in the mouth, throat, intestines, and stomach, as well as an antiviral for respiratory viruses, stomach viruses and for skin disorders such as eczema - atopic dermatitis. Socotrans also use it ornamentally, dying wool, gluing pottery, as a breath freshener, and as lipstick.
In India, it has been used in various rituals for millennia. Ancient China mainly used it as a varnishing wood in palaces. Dragon's blood is listed in a 16th-century text (Stahel und Eyssen) as an ingredient in a quenching bath for tempering steel. From the 18th century till today, it has been used as the best natural source of varnish for Italian violin-makers. Today, its mainly used for photo engraving, as incense, and as a healing oil for the skin of humans and animals. Because of the belief that it is the blood of the dragon, it is also used in ritual magic and alchemy.
Today, low-quality dragon blood is used in pharmaceuticals. According to some studies, it is supposed to improve the chemical and biological interactions between cells, helping assist in the regeneration of the epidermis and creating a kind of collagen filler. It prevents moisture loss from the skin, protects against free radicals, improves texture and skin tone, and simultaneously mitigates the harmful effects of UVB rays. Research has shown that dragon blood is rich in proanthocyanidins, tannins (highly effective against viruses, bacteria, and parasites), alkaloids, and lignans (anticarcinogen).
