Copaiba oil is a powerful therapeutic oil for healing diseases and has various other uses. Unfortunately, this oil is unfamiliar to most people, unlike lavender, eucalyptus, tea tree, or peppermint oils.
Currently, copaiba balsam is chiefly used for making lacquer, varnish, and biodiesel. Very little information on the therapeutic values of this oil is known to the medical world.
The indigenous peoples of South America have been extensively using this oil to cure various diseases for hundreds of years.
In this article, you will find it interesting to learn about copaiba essential oil’s many uses and health benefits.
What Is Copaiba Oil?
Copaiba is a stimulant oleoresin obtained from the trunk of pinnate-leaved South American leguminous copaiba trees. This legume tree is native to the Amazon rainforest of South America and is scientifically called Copaifera Langsdorffi or Copaifera Officinalis. Botanically, it’s known as copaifera reticulata resin oil.
Copaiba consists of resins and oils. Copaiba oil-resin thick, transparent exudates vary in color from light gold to dark brown.
Copaiba essential oil is steam distilled from the balsamic resin of the Copaiba tree. It is a colorless to light yellow liquid. Usually, the oil has a balsam odor, is slightly spicy, and has a bitter taste.
The oil consists primarily of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons; its principal component is caryophyllene.
There isn’t much extensive research to discover this oil’s fullest healing potential. However, a few studies have analyzed this oil’s therapeutic properties and chemical makeup. Some of the chief elements in this oil are:
- Alpha-copaene;
- Beta-caryophyllene;
- Danielle acid;
- Alpha-bergamotene;
- Beta-bisabolene.
Therapeutic qualities
The uses of this oil are many when it comes to its medicinal powers. It’s an excellent remedy for many illnesses. This oil helps to improve digestion, stimulate the immune system, and heal wounds.
Let us look at a few of the major therapeutic qualities that make this oil very beneficial for health:
Anti-inflammatory: This oil is best known for its anti-inflammatory powers.
Emollient: The fats in it are excellent for moisturizing.
Disinfectant: It can prevent infections on wounds and bruises by keeping the pathogens at bay
Expectorant: Helps in clearing blocks in the throat and nose by loosening the phlegm or mucus
Astringent: Aids in the shrinking of skin tissues to heal wounds/cuts
Cicatrizant: Speeds up the healing of wounds and cuts through the increased accumulation of collagen fibers that forms scar tissues
Anti-Cancer: Beneficial for treating cancers that affect the stomach and skin
Diuretic: Increases the production of urine and faster expulsion of toxic content from the body
Hypotensive: Helps in lowering blood pressure
Anti-Irritant: Soothes and calms down skin irritations.
Copaiba oil is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory oils. It contains a rare nutrient called beta-caryophyllene which can fight inflammation.
It’s more powerful than the beta-caryophyllene-rich clove oil, traditionally considered a powerful anti-inflammatory essential oil.
However, copaiba oil contains 6 to 8 times the amount of beta-caryophyllene found in clove oil.
This also has other inflammation-resistant properties and nutrients like sesquiterpenes; it contains anti-irritant substances like alpha-humulene.
Benefits And Uses Of Copaiba Essential Oil
The uses and health benefits of Copaiba essential oil are many. Copaiba resin is widely used in traditional medicine. It has myriad uses in skin care and pain relief.
Other therapeutic benefits of this oil include its ability to cure internal diseases like certain types of cancer, lupus, digestive disorders, high blood pressure, headaches, hair care, and many more.
Besides the many therapeutic uses, Copaiba balsam and oil-resin are commercially used in making soaps, fragrances, biodiesel, varnish, lacquer, and insecticide.
This oil is mostly used as a topical treatment for various skin disorders and hair care. This oil is also ingestible, unlike most other therapeutic oils.
Let us look at some of the best therapeutic uses of this oil:
1. Uses in skincare
Copaiba oil is exceptionally beneficial for curing different types of common disorders that occur in the skin. The astringent properties present in this oil are beneficial for healing cuts, wounds, and blemishes on the skin.
According to one of the studies published by the Alternative medicine review: a journal of clinical and therapeutic, topical application of the oil helps to reduce acne flare-ups.
According to another research report, when chronic psoriasis patients were treated with oral intake or topical application of copaiba oleoresin, it significantly reduced the typical signs of this disease, i.e., erythema, skin thickness, and scaliness.
Skin Tightening And Wrinkle Removal: The astringent substances in the copaiba oil help to reduce wrinkles and tighten the skin.
Heals Wounds: Heals wounds and lesions on the skin by strengthening the skin tissues and scar formation.
Anti-irritant: beneficial for fighting skin irritation and allergies. This oil is gentle and soothing for the skin, unlike many other essential oils.
Moisturizes The Skin: The fat content in the oil helps to remove dryness and scale formation on the skin by moisturizing it.
Lifts the Sagging Skins: This oil contains active ingredients that boost collagen production to make the skin firmer and more elastic.
Removing Acne And Psoriasis: This oil’s anti-inflammatory properties reduce acne’s bumps and redness. Its antibacterial properties help to reduce the irritation and severity of eczema, psoriasis, and acne.
Scars And Stretch Marks: The astringent elements in copaiba oil help reduce stretch marks and scars. This oil is most effective for scar removal when mixed with coconut oil treatment for the skin.
Varicose Vein Treatment: This oil has the effect of reducing the pain and swelling of varicose veins. It improves blood circulation and removes blood clots in the veins.
Rejuvenation of Skin: Copaiba oil contains powerful nutrients and organic compounds that help to remove hyperpigmentation, scars, and stretch marks. It helps to rejuvenate and strengthen the skin tissues from within.
2. Pain relief
The analgesic properties of Copaiba oil effectively reduce pain and swelling, especially those arising from inflammatory issues. It is also used in aromatherapy to suppress pain and stress. When topically applied, this oil helps to loosen the muscles, reduce inflammation in the joints, and relieve congestion and stress. Let us now look at a few of the best pain relief remedies with this oil:
Headaches and Migraines: Topical application and aromatherapy with copaiba essential oil help reduce headaches and migraines.
Wounds And Bruises: This oil helps heal wounds and reduces the pain arising from inflammation. It increases the elasticity of the skin and heals the wound through scarring.
Back Pain And Sciatica: Using copaiba oil to massage the back and joints effectively reduces back pain, sciatica, and joint pain. It is most effective if used before the chiropractic session.
Rheumatism and Arthritis: The excellent anti-inflammatory properties make this oil one of the best natural treatments for rheumatism, gout, arthritis, and painful joints.
3. Improves respiratory health
Relief from common respiratory problems like congestion, nasal allergy, and bronchitis can be achieved by inhaling copaiba essential oil. The anti-inflammatory properties of this oil can relieve the chest congestion caused by bronchitis and phlegm deposits in the walls of the lungs.
4. Prevents and heals infection
Another important medicinal use of copaiba oil is preventing and healing common infections. This oil’s antibacterial properties help boost the immune system to fight infections. Applying this oil to the skin as a moisturizer forms a protective shield against harmful pathogens that can cause skin diseases.
5. Lowers blood pressure
Copaiba oil’s anti-inflammatory elements help to soothe the inflammatory stress and congestion in the blood vessels. Using copaiba oil in aromatherapy or as part of other therapeutic oil can help reduce blood pressure that affects cardiovascular health. This is also beneficial for preventing atherosclerosis, which can lead to stroke and coronary heart disease.
6. Relieves anxiety and elevates moods
Aromatherapy with copaiba essential oil is a commonly used treatment for relieving tension and stress. It helps to relieve anxiety and lifts the mood.
It is rich in the cannabinoid beta-caryophyllene (BCP), which helps relieve anxiety and pain.
This oil has the pleasant sweet smell of rich honey, which gives a soothing sensation to the sensory nerves. Usually, the combination of Copaiba, Lavender, and Frankincense oils is used in aromatherapy to lighten moods and relieve tension.
7. Diuretic effects in treating incontinence
One of the important uses for the oil from Copaiba is for treating incontinence. This oil can help to detoxify the system by stimulating urination. It contains a diuretic that is beneficial in controlling bedwetting and helping incontinence.
Massaging this oil on the area below the abdomen helps tone down muscles of the bladder and urinary tract; this contributes to reducing the occurrences of incontinence.
8. Powerful antifungal effects
It is easy and efficient to treat fungal infections with copaiba oil. The unique terpene elements present in this oil are potent antifungal agents. This oil is a commonly used natural treatment for athlete’s foot, nail fungus, and Candida.
9. Helps to heal lupus
The beta-caryophyllene compound found in this oil is a powerful anti-inflammatory substance. It helps to reduce inflammation and inhibits the symptoms of diseases like lupus, fibromyalgia, and arthritis.
10. Effective oil in sitz bath
Sitz bath is a proven remedy for hemorrhoids and genital infections caused by bacteria or fungus. Using copaiba oil in a sitz bath helps to get relief from the pain, bleeding, and itching caused by hemorrhoids. It improves blood circulation in the affected areas of the skin and helps in the faster healing of hemorrhoids.
11. Heals insect bite
Oil from Copaiba eliminates the pain and swelling from insect bites, wasps, and bee stings. The anti-irritant properties are beneficial for getting rid of the venomous effect of the wasp sting.
Ways To Use Copaiba Essential Oil
We have already seen some of the best uses and health benefits of copaiba essential oil. Now let us see the effective way to use this oil to obtain maximum health benefits.
The dilution of the oil that you use can vary. Three to five drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier oil is commonly recommended dilution. Use mild doses when the oil is taken internally. Dilution will minimize skin sensitivity and increase safety.
Topical use
Soak a cotton ball with two or three drops of this oil and massage it over the acne, whiteheads, pimples, psoriasis, or eczema-affected areas. This same method could be followed for all other topical use to eliminate inflammation and pain. Do not wash or remove the oil from the skin for two hours.
It could aid in treating skin conditions like acne, burns, psoriasis, eczema, and various infections.
Oil massage
Apply a few drops of copaiba oil topically on the desired areas of the skin to get rid of scars, wrinkles, stretch marks, or dryness on the skin. The massaging technique is also used for back pain, arthritis, rheumatism, chest congestion, or insect bites. You can also rejuvenate and improve the skin’s elasticity by massaging the oil into desired areas of the skin.
Aromatherapy
Diffuse or inhale the Copaiba oil directly to relieve congestion, anxiety, and mental stress. Inhaling is also done to elevate the mood and eliminate nausea. Use a diffuser to emit oil particles into the air in your room.
Consuming internally
It is safe to consume a few drops of this oil internally. However, you should consume this oil in capsules or diluted in coconut oil or tea. Limit the consumption to 2 or 3 drops at a time. Consuming internally helps to remove inflammation, congestion, indigestion, and diarrhea.
For children, add a drop of copaiba oil to water, juice, or smoothies to improve the health of the immune, nervous, digestive, and respiratory systems.
Side Effects And Precautions
Copaiba essential is generally safe for external use and ingested internally. There are few reported cases of copaiba balsam and oil side effects. Copaiba balsam can cause side effects such as stomach pains, diarrhea, vomiting, tremor, rash, groin pain, and sleeplessness. It can cause redness, itching, and a rash when used on the skin.
By the way, oil has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
For copaiba essential oil safety, avoid using it for sensitive areas like the eyes and nose.
Here are a few tips to avoid the side effects of Copaiba oil:
- Do not consume this oil in overdose (maximum 2 -3 drops at a time)
- Do not ingest copaiba oil without the recommendation of a therapist or physician
- If you have sensitive skin prone to allergy; you should always dilute this essential oil in a carrier oil before applying topically,
- In case of any allergic reactions, stop using this oil,
- Keep out of reach of children.
The Final Thought
Copaiba essential oil uses, and health benefits are many. The uses of oil and balsam are both medicinal and commercial. The therapeutic powers of the Copaiba oil resin and oil can be utilized for treating hemorrhoids, bronchitis, diarrhea, constipation, bladder issues, and urinary tract infections.
Some of the great uses of this oil include its power to eliminate inflammation, reduce pain, prevent infection, repair skin, resist fungal growth, nourish the hair and skin, improve respiratory health, promote the healthy functioning of the bladder, and reduce blood pressure.
Copaiba essential oil is effective in eliminating germs. The anti-inflammatory properties of copaiba oil help fight inflammation and pain. It can act as a diuretic and help loosen chest congestion as an expectorant.
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