Holy Wood & Pressed Flowers

It’s still in the hundreds outside, and among other things, I think the weather is affecting whatever part of my brain it is that governs grammar. It’s a madhouse here; we’re still getting things loaded and ready for NYCC. I’m taking a break from running around like a crazy person to yap about oils that I received last week.

I received two samples of steam-distilled Palo Santo (Bursera graveolens) last week, one from Peru and one from Ecuador, and I finally had a chance to test them today. The quality of both samples is unsurpassed. The scent of Palo Santo is distinctive, complex, and unique: rich, woody, almost anise-like in a way, with a pungent citrus top due to the high content of limonene present in the oil. It is of the utmost importance to Black Phoenix that none of the components that we utilize in our products negatively impact the environment. Both of the oils that we received have been sustainably harvested, one under the supervision of the Peruvian government, and the other by ecologically minded local distillers that collect the wood from the Parque Nacional Machalilla. The palo santo trees drop their branches, and the oil is harvested from this gathered wood. Oil can be harvested from saplings, but the highest quality oil comes from the heartwood.

Palo Santo belongs to Bursera family, and shares some of the qualities of its cousins, frankincense and myrrh, both spiritually and medicinally. Palo Santo has been widely used in spiritual practices and folk remedies throughout history. The wood is considered a boon of good fortune, and is believed to banish misfortune and negativity. In aromatherapy, Palo Santo is used to induce a meditative state, help control panic attacks and anxiety, and to arouse creativity and spark inspiration. Medicinally, Palo Santo has been utilized for hormone regulation, as a respiratory remedy, to speed the healing of musculoskeletal injuries, and to break fevers and fight infections. Palo Santo oil also possesses tremendously high levels of D-Limonene and Monotropenes, which may prove to be chemopreventive and effective in treating some forms of cancer. Palo Santo is a fascinating, multi-faceted plant, and I look forward to working with it more often in the future.

In other news, I read a nifty article today in my Reuters feed: Victorian-Era pressed flowers are helping scientists study climate change.

(As always, the Disclaimer. Has to be said; we don’t want any drama.)