Palo Santo
Latin name: Bursera graveolens
Aroma Description: A medium, woody aroma with a hint of citrus and licorice
Therapeutic benefits
- Excellent for meditation, it can help banish negative thoughts and be very grounding.
- Promotes a calming atmosphere and helps alleviate worry.
- Eases muscle and joint discomfort.
- Helps promote a healthy respiratory system while stimulating the immune system.
Kidsafe?
No! Palo Santo is NOT KidSafe.
Dilution instructions:
Dilute to a maximum of 3% for topical application.
Diffusion instructions:
Add 2 drops with 2 drops of Lavender, and 1 drop of Mandarin to help ease worry and promote relaxation.
Oils to blend with:
Amyris, Bergamot, Blood Orange, Clove Bud, Cardamom, Atlas Cedarwood, Cinnamon Bark, Lemon, Sweet Orange, and Vanilla Oleoresin.
Additional reading
- The Root Chakra: Grounded Foundation
- Plant Therapy’s Top Uses for Palo Santo
- Top 3 Ways to Use Essential Oils for Meditation
- Oil of the Month Reveal
Palo Santo, also known as Holy Wood, originates in South America in the tropical dry forests of Ecuador, Mexico and the Yucatán Peninsula in Peru. The oil itself is collected from only old dead wood that has died a natural death. It has a rich history that is traceable back to the time of the Incan Empire.
Meditation
One of the most widely-known benefits of this oil is meditation. It believed to help banish negativity and promote a calm and peaceful atmosphere. This makes it a favorite for many who regularly practice meditation and yoga! Next time you stop to meditate and center yourself, don’t forget to use Palo Santo to help make it a positive, grounding experience.
Breathing
In addition to being a grounding oil, Palo Santo can also help support the respiratory system. If your respiratory system is suffering or you’re dealing with seasonal allergy symptoms, try diffusing or using in a personal inhaler to bring relief.
Calm
The same reasons that make this oil good for meditation also make it good when you need a little bit of calm. By helping ward off negativity and alleviating worry, this oil can help get you to that calm state of mind so you can tackle whatever problems head your way.
Pain
The Palo Santo tree is rich in terpenes such as limonene and α-terpineol; making this a cousin to Frankincense and Myrrh. It’s these chemicals that make it such a powerful essential oil when it comes to helping ease discomfort and tenderness. Dilute to 3% in your favorite carrier oil and apply to swollen and tender areas.
Meditative Forest Master Blend
- 12 drops Palo Santo
- 10 drops Cedarwood Himalayan
- 4 drops Cardamom
- 4 drops Copaiba
- 3 drops Vetiver
Combine these essential oils. Add 4-8 drops to a diffuser, dilute to 3% with a carrier oil and use topically for specific discomfort or dilute to 1% for an all over body massage.
Palo Santo is among my favorite oils! Versatile lovely scent with so many uses–you can’t go wrong.
I love Palo Santo, but never thought to use it for pain. Thank you for the great idea.
I am mentally brewing up a pain concoction, and am excited to put it together. One more use for an amazing essential oil.
This is one of my favorite oils…maybe THE favorite!
It sounds very nice! My daughter was burning Palo santo in her house the other day and I didn’t understand her whole concept on the chakra and stones she was using, etc. now I get the purpose of it after reading this! I will be adding this to my wish list. I think I need to diffuse it in my teenagers rooms all day long while they are gone!!!
I’ve had this for months because I mistakenly ordered it instead of Palmorosa. I haven’t done anything with it yet but now I have lots of ideas!
Thanks for this information, I have Palo Santo and now want to try it more! Especially for calming me! The smell is a unique one. I love using the Grounded Foundation blend for sleep. Now I need to try this oil by itself or with a couple other oils that aren’t in that blend.
Palo Santo has been one of my favorite oils from the first time that I tried it. Very grounding and calming. I use it alot in my aromatherapy jewelry.
I love to diffuse when I don’t have any actual wood to burn during meditation practices.
This is for sure on my want list!
Palo Santo is going on my wish list. It sounds like a good oil to use.
I love Palo Santo and frankincense together for migraine relief. It is one of the few oils I have found that really helps with them.