Copaiba oil is obtained by steam distillation of the resin of trees of the Copaifera species, belonging to the Fabaceae family. The oil that is obtained, available in herbalist’s shops and online, is arousing much interest among scientists and researchers thanks to its beneficial properties, which we will discuss in this post.
Copaiba oil, properties
As shown by scientific studies, copaiba oil is anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, antimicrobial, healing and analgesic (Guimaraes-Santos et al, Evid Based Complement Alternat Med., 2012). This is due to the presence of particular substances contained in the essence called sesquiterpenes, such as beta-caryophyllene (Almeida et al, Genet Mol Biol., 2012). Given these characteristics, copaiba oil proves useful in treating pains and inflammations such as arthritis, neck pain and back pain (Bahr et al, Complement Ther Clin Pract, 2018). Then, thanks to its antimicrobial action, copaiba oil can be used in the case of acne. In fact, research has shown that the external application of a lotion containing 1% of copaiba oil has significantly reduced the presence of acne lesions (Gomes da Silva et al, Altern Med Rev, 2012). Not only that, copaiba is also helpful to protect the health of the mouth since it is able to inhibit the bacterium Streptococcus mutans, considered one of the main causes of tooth decay (Pieri et al, Comparative study, 2012). Finally, the use of copaiba oil to soothe and treat bronchitis and cough is also reported (from Trindade et al, Int J Mol Sci., 2018).
Copaiba oil, uses
In case of pain such as neck or back pain you can mix 10 drops of essential oil of copaiba in 50 ml of arnica infused oil and apply on the area with circular massages. In addition, if your problem is arthritis, you can mix 2 tablespoons of ventilated green clay with as much water as needed to obtain a cream. Add 5 drops of copaiba oil and spread on the area, leave for an hour and then rinse with plenty of water. Instead, in case of skin problems, such as acne but also redness and irritation, add 1 drop of essential oil to a pinch of your usual cream and apply on the area. While, for mouth health and to counteract tooth decay, canker sores and sore throats, you can gargle, add 3 drops of copaiba oil to a glass of water and use to gargle or rinse the mouth. Finally, in case of cold, nasal congestion and cough, you can mix 5 drops of copaiba oil in two tablespoons of a plant based carrier oil, such as sweet almond oil, and massage on the chest until absorbed.
