Description

Palo Santo

Origin and background

Palo Santo means "sacred tree" ("holy wood") when translated from Spanish. The use of this tree comes from the indigenous culture of Central and South America, as does the use of white sage. For centuries, Palo Santo has been used to cleanse the aura and get rid of negative influences.

Over time, Palo Santo has also become very popular in Europe, where it is mainly used for energetic cleansing of your house, belongings and crystals, and yourself, or sometimes just because of its delicately sweet vanilla scent and pleasant warm woody aroma.

Compared to sage, which is also used to cleanse homes and has a very intense aroma, Palo Santo gives a very soft and mild scent. Did you know that Palo Santo is often used in Finnish saunas and in various home fragrances and massage oils due to its earthy and natural aroma?

Palo Santo (Bursera graveolens) is a wild tree in Central and South America. It is found from the Yucatan Peninsula to Peru and Venezuela.

The tree belongs to the same plant family - myrtle trees or Burseraceae - as frankincense and myrrh. It has been widely used in shamanic cleansing rituals and healing ceremonies since ancient times, and in folk medicine as a sweat inducing medicine for abdominal pain and as a salve for rheumatism.

Palo Santo is an extremely rare tree, so the living trees are not cut down anymore. In the meantime, the tree was even under protection, as it was felled en masse by forests for sale, leading to the extinction of this tree species. However, efforts are now being made to preserve this rare species of tree, and only the naturally fallen branches of the tree are harvested for use.

To obtain the essential oil, it is extracted from the wood of Palo Santo or the fruit of the tree. Essential oil is also used to make Palo Santo incense . The oil can be used for aromatherapy by adding it to an oil burner or aroma diffuser, or it can be used as a healing salve by applying it topically to the skin, diluting it with a carrier oil or adding it to a neutral skin care product.

Properties

Aromatic properties

Palo Santo essential oil has an emotionally uplifting and balancing effect. It is often used in rituals, as well as being a valuable tool for meditation, enhancing creativity, and increasing focus.

This oil creates a calm and grounded feeling, promotes emotional stability, and can help connect with the spiritual world.

Energetically supports and balances the root chakra and the third eye chakra.

Healing properties

Palo Santo essential oil is believed to have complex therapeutic effects, such as anti-anxiety, anti-inflammatory, and even anti-cancer effects.

This is a great essential oil to use when inhaled to support the respiratory system, especially for mild coughs, nasal congestion, or asthma.

Additionally, this oil is recommended for use when diluted with a base oil for skin care due to its nourishing properties, as well as to relieve unwanted muscle spasms.

Palo Santo essential oil contains the following compounds:

• limonene: Bursera graveolensi eeterlikus õlis leiduv tsükliline terpeen, millel on väidetavalt põletikuvastased ja antioksüdantsed omadused.
• α-pinene and β-pinene: these are monoterpenes that are believed to have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties.
• carvacrol: A phenolic compound found in the essential oil of Bursera graveolens, known to have antibacterial, antiseptic, and antifungal properties.
• pulegone: A monoterpene ketone found in the essential oil of Bursera graveolens, which is said to have analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects.
• menthol: An organic compound found in the essential oil of Bursera graveolens that has been found to have a cooling and soothing effect on the skin.

Recommended uses

Topical

Compatibility with other essential oils

Frankincense, myrrh, sandalwood, cedarwood, clary sage, vetiver, patchouli, sweet orange, cypress, pine, bergamot, tea tree, lavender.

 

You can read more about aromatherapy and essential oils from here.

 

Caution!

• Keep out of reach of children.
• For external use only.
• Avoid contact with eyes or mucous membranes.
• In case of pregnancy, breast-feeding, taking medication or any other medical condition, consult your doctor before use.
• The information on essential oils on Hingelaegas website comes from public sources. The information given does not constitute health advice and references to the properties and effects of the oils are based on aromatherapy and folk medicine. Therefore, Hingelaegas OÜ cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information. The use of essential oils is the responsibility of each person individually.