Essential oil of Palo Santo

The Bursera Graveolens tree, better known as the Palo Santo, is native to tropical America, and is found naturally in the region stretching from Mexico to Peru. Preferring sandy soils, this tree can grow between 3 to 15 metres tall and features clustered leaves at the ends of its branches, along with small white to pale yellow flowers.

It belongs to the Burseraceae family, which includes around forty different species. Its wood has a characteristic, powerful scent that is both spicy and sweet. This particular scent develops under very specific conditions: After dying naturally, the wood must remain on the ground for several years to mature properly and develop its distinctive olfactory notes.

Palo Santo is known in traditional Peruvian medicine for its many virtues for the body and mind. Indeed, it was often used in various forms to soothe flu symptoms, breathing difficulties and general aches and pains.

Palo Santo wood, whose name means 'sacred wood' in Spanish, was burnt by indigenous peoples, particularly during religious ceremonies, to purify the atmosphere and ward off evil spirits.

As part of a sustainable approach that respects the plant, and in order to preserve this much sought-after tree, our supplier only distils Palo Santo wood that has fallen and died naturally in the arid forests of Peru. It is then collected by the indigenous communities who own the land on which the sacred tree grows, and everything is checked and traced by a control system managed directly by the Peruvian government.