Introducing our new product, our sustainable Palo Santo bundles. For those of you who are new to Palo Santo we have got all bases covered, we explain what it is, how to use it, how ARDERE’s Palo Santo is sustainable and how often you should be using.

 

What is Palo Santo?

Palo Santo (Bursera Graveolens) also known as ‘Holy Wood’ is perfect for use with smudging and incense. Ethically sourced from South America, it is derived from naturally-fallen trees, which are renowned for producing a powerful essential oil.

Palo Santo is used for its purifying and cleansing anti-microbial properties and is known to support emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Lighting it can help to clear negative energy and reduce anxiety. With sweet notes of pine, mint and lemon, its unique aroma will leave you feeling calm and uplifted.

Palo Santo has been lit by Shamans during ceremonies and rituals for centuries. We particularly like to use Palo Santo here at ARDERE during meditation practices, to alleviate feelings of stress and cleanse our space.

 

Why did we want to introduce Palo Santo to Our Collection?

Over the last few years besides burning our aromatherapy candles we have often burned palo santo in our home, as we got more into the practices of mindfulness and meditation along with being no strangers to the power of scent therapy.

In recent years, our mum has also trained to become a shamanic healer and so she often smudges palo santo around our house to bring balance and peaceful energy to the home.

We use it to help cleanse the space whenever we feel there is any negative or stagnant energy. We also adore the smell of Palo Santo and whole heartedly believe in its therapeutic and spiritual benefits.

 

What can you use Palo Santo for?

Palo santo has been used for smudging, used as incense as well as distilled for its essential oil.

The calming smoke makes it a perfect addition to a home aromatherapy session to help you destress. Many tend to light it it during a yoga or meditation practice, or simply to ease your mind after a long day. It is also ideal for clearing the home and your energy after an argument or even you can use it when journaling to help centre you and stimulate a cathartic release.

You will even find in Peru many of the villagers in the small towns use palo santo from placing and steeping a stick of it in their daily cup of tea to also lighting a stick by their patio as its sharp citrusy fragrance helps ward away insects.

As an essential oil palo santo is rich in antioxidants and phytochemicals and can help with relieving inflammation and muscular pains, reducing anxiety by supporting a healthy nervous system among its many health supporting benefits.

 

Is Your Palo Santo endangered?

No, this is a case of mistaken identity. There are two different species referred to as Palo Santo. The species, Bulnesia sarmientoi, which grows in the Gran Chaco region of South America is threatened. It is characterised by a dark, mahogany-lookalike wood often used for its essential oils and in making furniture. Then there is the Palo Santo used in cleansing rituals which we have here at ARDERE, this species is called Bursera graveolens which is not endangered, it is characterised by a yellowish-tan sometimes streaked with darker shades of brown or grey.

THE IUCN, The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List which was established in 1964, is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biological species. It uses a set of criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of thousands of species and subspecies. When it comes to Bursera graveolens it is considered as ‘least concern’ which means it’s no where near threatened or considered vulnerable. It is Bulnesia sarmientoi that is considered endangered.

 

Is Your Palo Santo Sustainable?

ARDERE’s Palo Santo is wild harvested, sourced sustainably from naturally downed trees and fallen branches. We only process wood that has been found to have fallen naturally in the forest.

We also source ours Palo Santo directly from individuals who have very small businesses who need the support of others to help support their local economy.

 

How to use Palo Santo

Light your stick of Palo Santo, holding it slightly downwards. Keep holding the stick at an angle pointing down toward to the flame. Allow it to burn for about 30 seconds or more and blow out. You will see a gentle smoke coming off of it. Now move about your space to clear the energy.

Some people also like to use a feather using a gentle sweeping motion to help waft the smoke around the room into corners they cannot reach, such as the ceiling.

Once you are done cleansing your space, if you still want to leave it burning place the embers-down side on an angle in a fireproof bowl keeping in view and away from children, pets and flammable items. You can leave it here to carry on burning and incensing the room unless you want to put it out.

 

How to put out your Palo Santo

If you want to put out and extinguish your palo santo you need to starve the material of oxygen. You can place the ember-side in your fireproof bowl and keep stubbing and grinding it out.

To help put it out faster, for some that burn Palo Santo often they place a little sand in a shell or bowl in which they can stub the ember-side of the stick out that much faster.

Once extinguished you can use the rest of the stick and relight it another day.

 

How Often Should You Use Palo Santo?

This is entirely down to the individual using it you can use it as often as you like.

Bare in mind that palo santo is a strong means of cleansing, so we like to use it every now and then when we feel we are holding onto any negativity or to help us relax and feel uplifted during meditation praictice.

Inbetween using Palo Santo we suggest using other forms of more subtle cleansing to clear your home from our scented candles to diffusing essential oils.