Palo santo essential oil

Hello natural beauties! How is your rat year going so far? Australia is still burning and we have had some really extreme temperatures and fluctuating conditions. From strong winds to fires to full-on hail storms, this is global warming. In light of this, I’m very happy to bring you a wonderful story from South America, involving the very pungent Palo Santo wood and essential oil. Read on for a great story from Ecuador.

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Many years ago I imported some Palo Santo oil from Ecuador from a company called Ecuadorian Hands. I was quite surprised when I opened the oil, as it’s so pungent and has deep earthy and woody tones. You can read my story from 2016, on my reaction to the oil here.

I’ve stayed on the mailing list and recently they have posted a new article on the replanting of Palo Santo in the forest of Ecuador. I love their story, you will too.

This pic is from Ecuadorianhands.com and heads the story on planting trees

In the coastal province of Manabi in Ecuador, the article from Ecuadorianhands.com says that in the past 4 years they have planted over 10,000 Palo Santo trees, “regenerating the tropical dry forests of Manabí where palo santo wood grows, which are currently threatened by man.” To attain the 6-year-old trees for planting, they rely on pigeons to eat the flowers of existing trees in the forest, expel the seeds, then they create saplings from those seeds in their nursey. Thanks, pigeons! Read this article from 2019 here.

In the latest article on their website they talk about their 2020 plan:

“Within our planning is to plant about 4000 trees native to dry forests such as the dog zapote (Colicodendron scabridum), Aromo (Acacia farnesiana), Jolote (Cojoba Arborea), Cerezo (Muntingia calabura), Palo Santo (Bursera Graveolens) among others, on the 50 hectares located in Joa / Jipijapa / Manabí , which is in the last processes to declare it protective forest.’

Check out their video:

“To reforest Palo Santo trees we use the method called transplantation, which consists in determining an area of the forest that has overpopulation of the same species for the extraction of trees that are very close to each other and transfer them to an area of the forest where no there are trees so that they can continue with their natural development. In this way, the space that remains when extracting the trees will be used by other native species of the dry forest, in this way, we are helping with the restoration of tropical dry forests.“

This pic is from Ecuadorianhands.com and is in the story on planting trees

There’s obviously a particular way to carry out the reforestation, from choosing the right spot to the depth of the hole to plant the seedling in. 20 people helped the planting this year and more people are wanting to help.

Thanks so much to the people of Ecuador, and Ecuadorian Hands for helping mother earth and the beautiful trees we rely on for health and happiness. Bravo!

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Palo Santo – I Tried to Like You But I Didn’t, Sorry

The spindly tree Palo Santo

About this time last year, Palo Santo popped into my world. Within a week or two, a friend had asked about it and one of my readers here on the blog also mentioned it in one of her blends. I’d never used it nor had I really heard much about this oil. So my interest was sparked and I did a bit of research to find –

* it belongs to the Family “Burseraceae” of which frankincense and myrrh also belong, and it definitely shows in its form and the fact that it’s a desert dwelling tree and looks just like a frankincense or myrrh tree

* according to Wikipedia the Burseraceae family has also been called the incense tree family

* its sort of like the South American sandalwood, as the scented wood is used to make incense and of course essential oil

* it is used in the Americas more than in Europe or Asia

* it has been used for healing in communities in South American countries for many years and has a strong place in their folklore too

* spiritual and healing ceremonies often used the smoke of the burning wood to purify bad or stagnating energy (similar to indigenous Australians using tea tree branches, and Native American Indians using sage for smudging)

* my friend who studied in Thailand was told it was good for increasing sexual drive and raising kundalini

The dried wood can be burnt directly

“It is widely used in folk medicine for stomach ache, as sudorific, and as liniment for rheumatism. Aged heartwood is rich in terpenes such as limonene and α-terpineol.” Wikipedia

As it is very high in limonene one would expect a lemon scent (if only slightly), but the mix of molecules makes for a very deep, earthy, heady scent indeed!

I bought a couple of bottles from a small environmentally focused company in Ecuador and I was feeling very international and slightly self-important when I placed the order. I was excited to receive and smell this intriguing oil of history and healing in many South American cultures including Mexico, Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia, Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, Ecuador, and on the Galapagos islands.

Then it arrived. It probably didn’t help that I was unwell at the time. I ripped open the bag to find a cute little wooden box. Opened the box, cracked the lid, took a huge whiff and almost vomited. It has an earthy, rich, almost truffle scent, which is pungent and warm.

I could end the story right there, but I put it away in the oil cupboard until my friend dropped in for a blend. A week or two later she came by to collect her bottle of oil (she had actually experienced this oil in a yoga teacher training place in Thailand!)

She was excited. I wasn’t.

50 ml bespoke body oil made by me

I made her oil blend and put 6 drops of Palo Santo in 150mls with a few other oils. Months later she reported that her body oil blend was beautiful, but now I’m scarred for life!

The weather is warming up and I’ve started to smell the Palo Santo wafting from my studio. It has managed to penetrate the triple bubble wrapping.

It is POWERFUL.

Use with caution!

Ay comments on this interesting oil are welcomed.