Essential Oil Education

The ocotea tree lies deep in the amazon basin of Ecuador and is related to the cinnamon species. It’s not like any common cinnamon tree though and as for it’s chemistry, has only about 5% cinnamaldehyde as compared to 50% or higher in cinnamon bark oil.  That means ocotea will produce far less skin sensitivity than cinnamon bark or cassia essential oils. Ocotea has the highest level of alpha-humulene of any essential oil tested to this date.  Why is this such great news? Alpha-humulene is known to help balance the body’s internal response to inflammation.

The trees are male and female with only the female trees producing foliage suitable for distillation into essential oils. Historical use of ocotea actually dates back at last 500 years when it was used to aromatize sweets and cakes.

The oil comes from steam distilling the tree leaves which are at the top of the tree canopy. A second oil is produced called Ishpingo which comes from steam distilling the flowers of the ocotea tree. This rare and expensive oil is even sweeter than the ocotea oil.  Should diabetics be cautious in using either of these oils? Actually testimonials have shown that ocotea and ishpingo can help regulate blood sugar within days simply by putting 1-2 drops under the tongue. Remember–these are only testimonials and may not work for everyone. Because of the cinnamaldehyde content, some may have skin sensitivity.

PS: Let me know how you are using ocotea essential oil. It’s important that we share our testimonials with one another to build up a bank of knowledge. So write a comment and let me know how you are using it.

PSS: Want to try ocotea essential oils? You can order yours by going to http://www.youngliving.com/HTSMsmith