Copaiba

Copaifera species

Balsam Copaiba Copaiba Copal Jesuit's Balsam Mal-dos-sete-dias Uses Considerations

Copaiba is a giant tropical legume found in the rain forests of Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. It grows to sixty to one hundred feet (twenty to thirty meters) in height. The part used medicinally is the resin that accumulates in cavities within the tree trunk. The tree is tapped in much the same manner as a rubber tree. Once its resin is collected, the sap is distilled to concentrate its essential oils.

USES

Copaiba offers quick relief of skin inflammation and irritation. Copaiba shampoos relieve dandruff, and the herb has also been used to treat basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer. Copaiba has beneficial effects on mucous membranes.

Benefits of copaiba for specific health conditions include the following:

• Arthritis, eczema, gonorrhea, herpes, psoriasis, and syphilis. Copaiba relieves the symptoms of a wide range of diseases that cause inflammation of soft tissue or mucous membranes. Laboratory tests show that the resin acts by reducing the permeability of capillary walls to histamine, the chemical responsible for painful swelling in all of these conditions. The volatile oil is antimicrobial and prevents secondary infections in eczema, herpes, and psoriasis.

CONSIDERATIONS

Copaiba is available as an oil and in shampoos for external use, and as a tincture for internal use. Taking very large amounts internally can be toxic. Many topical products combine copaiba with balsam of Tolu. If you are allergic to balsam of Tolu or any of the products, you should make sure to use pure copaiba oil.