Sacred resin and smoke
Both trees are harvested for their resin and scent; both are under pressure from rising demand.
Side by side
| Oriental sweetgum | Palo santo | |
|---|---|---|
| Latin name | Liquidambar orientalis | Bursera graveolens |
| Family | Altingiaceae | Burseraceae |
| Region | Anatolia and the Mediterranean | Andes |
| Part used | Resin from the trunk, bark | Wood, essential oil |
| Use | Incense and protection, Healing | Incense and protection, Ritual and shamanic, Healing |
| Scientific evidence | Limited | Traditional |
| Safety | Caution | Generally safe |
| Legal status in Türkiye | No specific restriction | No specific restriction |
Oriental sweetgum
Around Köyceğiz in Muğla, resin is collected by scraping the bark. Sığla oil is applied to wounds, eczema and scabies; the dried bark (günlük) is burned as incense.
Storax resin appears among Egyptian embalming materials and was used in incense and perfume in ancient Greece.
Science: The resin contains cinnamic acid and its derivatives. Lab studies show antimicrobial and wound-healing effects; human studies are scarce.
Safety: Can irritate sensitive skin and cause allergy. Internal use is not recommended.
Palo santo
Grows in the dry coastal forests of Ecuador and Peru. Pieces of wood are burned to cleanse the home and keep mosquitoes away, in healing ceremonies and in church services. The oil is rubbed on sore muscles.
Science: Rich in limonene and α-terpineol. Small studies have shown an insect-repellent effect.
Safety: Heavy smoke in a closed room irritates the airways; people with asthma should be careful.
Last reviewed: · Türkçe
Other bridges
- Same molecule, two rituals
- One plant, the evil eye on two continents
- Healing with a stinging herb
- Two roots, two power foods
- The dark side of tropane alkaloids
- Cleansing with smoke
- Sacred teacher or simple pleasure?
- Two traditions that beat malaria
- Dye written on the body
- Two sources of red
- Two continents’ vitamin C stores
- Leaf and stem against fatigue
- One fruit, two medicines
- Human-shaped roots
- Two cacti of mescaline