Copaiba Oil: Uses, Benefits, and Side Effects

Copaiba Oil: Uses, Benefits, and Side Effects

What is Copaiba Oil?

Copaiba oil, also known as Copaiba balsam or Copaiba resin oil, commonly referred to as vegetable Copaiba oil, is a resinous product extracted from the trunk of the Copaiba tree, Copaifera Officinalis. This oil is known for its anti-inflammatory, healing, analgesic, and expectorant properties. It is highly recommended for healing skin wounds, treating coughs, or alleviating symptoms like arthritis. Copaiba oil is also extensively used in lotions, anti-dandruff shampoos, oral care products, acne treatments, soaps, and intimate hygiene products.

What are Carrier Oils?

Carrier oils are plant-based fats extracted from plants, seeds, fruits, and trunks. They have a high capacity for moisturizing and nourishing the skin and hair, making them ideal for use in their pure form or as a diluting medium for essential oils.

Benefits of Copaiba Oil

Copaiba oil offers several benefits:

  • Moisturizes
  • It has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and emollient properties.
  • Cleanses skin (ideal as a Cleansing Oil or Makeup Remover)
  • Reduces skin spots and marks
  • Treats and prevents stretch marks and cellulite.
  • Strengthens and moisturizes hair
  • Fights dandruff
  • Relieves muscle pain
  • Activates blood circulation
  • Has expectorant effect (for coughs and bronchitis)
  • Diuretic effect
  • Healing and disinfecting properties
  • Treats colds and flu
  • Treats diarrhea
  • Addresses kidney or urethral infection
  • Treats cystitis
  • Treats skin issues like psoriasis or eczema
  • Treats gastritis
  • Fights Helicobacter pylori infection
  • Treats gastrointestinal ulcers
  • Fights skin fungi
  • Treats urticaria
  • Treats hemorrhoids
  • Reduces effects of rheumatoid arthritis
  • Reduces effects of tendinitis
  • Copaiba oil can also be used to combat sexually transmitted infections, mainly genital herpes and syphilis. Additionally, some studies suggest that Copaiba oil is effective in treating various types of cancer and tuberculosis.

How to Use Copaiba Oil

Copaiba oil is known for its potential to lighten skin spots and marks and as an excellent ally for reducing scars, stretch marks, and cellulite. The oil has properties and actions such as deep skin cleansing, combating acne, and excess oiliness.

For Muscle Pain Relief

A relaxing massage with Copaiba oil can be effective for muscle pain relief. Here are some tips on incorporating Copaiba oil into your skincare routine:

  • Cleansing Oil: Ideal for cleaning the skin and removing oiliness. It combines castor oil, Brazil nut oil, grapeseed oil, rosemary, or lavender oil. Apply the mixture to the face gently in circular motions. Wash your face with a warm, damp towel to remove impurities.
  • For the Bath: To enhance hydration, apply some Copaiba oil to your body after showering, but do not rinse it off.
  • In Cream: Apply a few drops to a neutral moisturizer to enhance its effect. Apply to desired areas with gentle, circular massages. Use for hydration and sun protection during the day or as an anti-aging cream at night.
  • Massage: Use for massage to activate circulation and relieve body pain and tension. Add lavender oil for a more relaxing effect.

Using Copaiba Oil for Hair

Copaiba oil can be applied to the scalp and hair strands to enhance care and promote the beauty of the hair; it is ideal for combating hair loss (like alopecia), moisturizing, adding shine, revitalizing, and aiding in dandruff treatment.

  • For Conditioning: Apply Copaiba oil to the scalp, massage well, and extend along the entire hair strand. Leave for two hours, wash with shampoo, and style as desired.
  • As a Leave-in Conditioner, Apply a small amount to your palms, rub them together, and gently apply to your hair, especially at the ends.
  • In Hair Masks: Add a few drops to your routine hair treatment cream to enhance its moisturizing effect.
  • For Dandruff Treatment: Mix 30 drops of tea tree essential oil with 60 ml of Copaiba resin oil. Apply to the scalp before bathing, massage, and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse and wash with shampoo.

For Inhalation

Apply 3 to 4 drops of Copaiba essential oil to a diffuser or vaporizer and inhale the vapor once daily to help with respiratory issues like asthma or bronchitis.

Suggested Copaiba Oil Blends

  1. Revitalizing Blend: Copaiba and Bergamot - Mix Copaiba oil with Bergamot essential oil for an energizing blend,
  2. Relaxing Blend: Copaiba and Lavender - Combine Copaiba oil with Lavender essential oil for a relaxing moment. The "Dream" blend from YANO COSMETICS, including Lavender, Sandalwood, and Patchouli, is a charming alternative.
  3. Anti-Stress Blend: Copaiba and Melaleuca - Combine Copaiba oil with Melaleuca essential oil to create a stress-relieving mixture. This combination can help calm the mind and relieve tension.
  4. Blend for Radiant Hair: Copaiba and Brazil Nut - A mix of Copaiba oil with Brazil Nut vegetable oil can answer those seeking more vital, shinier hair. This combination moisturizes and strengthens the hair, providing a natural shine.
  5. Energizing Blend: Copaiba and Refresh - Mix Copaiba oil with the "Refresh" blend from YANO COSMETICS, containing Peppermint, Lemon, and Rosemary, for an energy boost.
  6. Respiratory Healing Blend: Copaiba and Eucalyptus - Ideal for cold or allergy season, combining Copaiba oil with Eucalyptus essential oil can aid breathing. This synergy clears respiratory pathways and provides relief.
  7. Radiant Skin Blend: Copaiba and Pracaxi - Mixing Copaiba oil with Pracaxi vegetable oil can create an effective skin treatment. This blend hydrates and brightens the skin, making it smoother and more radiant.

Usage Recommendations

  • Body Massage: 30 ml per use
  • Facial Massage: 5 ml per use
  • Hair Massage: 5 ml per use

Where to Buy Copaiba Oil

Choosing where to buy Copaiba oil is essential to ensure you get a certified, quality product with provenance. At Yano Cosmetics, we are committed to providing pure Copaiba oil, sustainably harvested and full of nature's richness, and it is organically certified. Each drop matters, which is why our products undergo rigorous quality tests. Ready to experience Copaiba oil like never before? Click here to enjoy a 10% discount on your first Copaiba oil purchase from Yano Cosmetics and discover the difference quality makes.

Extraction of Copaiba Oil

Copaiba resin oil is extracted from the tree trunk through an incision, a perforation of the trunk, without the need to cut down the tree, thus avoiding deforestation. In this way, Copaiba oil is a regenerative extraction of the forest.

Appearance of Copaiba Oil

The oil is yellow to dark brown, dense, and has a peculiar odor.

Cautions with Copaiba Oil

Products with medicinal properties should be used as directed by a medical professional or physiotherapist. The main recommendation is to test the oil on a small area of skin or hair to check its effects. Discontinue use if any changes or discomfort are noticed on the skin or hair. Thus, it does not replace medical treatment for diseases and may only act as a complement.

Contraindications of Copaiba Oil

The oil is not recommended for children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and people with stomach problems (such as gastritis and ulcers). Do not ingest the oil. Seek medical advice in case of sensitization.

Side Effects of Copaiba Oil

Some side effects are associated with using and consuming Copaiba oil. The oil is safe for most adults when consumed orally or used on the skin in recommended doses. However, excessive consumption or use of Copaiba oil can cause side effects, including stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, tremor, insomnia, skin redness, or itching.

Storage of Copaiba Oil

Store in a cool, dry place, protected from direct sunlight.

Scientific Name of Copaiba

Scientific Name: Copaifera Officinalis

Chemical Composition of Copaiba Oil

  • Resinous portion (55-60%): Contains copaibic acid, esters, and resinoids.
  • Volatile part of the resin (40-55%): Produces essential oil containing beta-caryophyllene, alpha-humulene, beta-bisabolene, and sesquiterpenes.
  • Volatile oils: Alpha and beta-caryophyllene, beta-bisabolene, L-cadinene, alpha-copaene.
  • Plant resins: Diterpenoid oleoresins eperu-8(20)-en-15, 18-dicarboxylic acid, 16-beta-kaurenoic acid, copaiferic acid, hardwickiic acid, copalic acid.

Extraction Process

The oil is extracted using a trade, a tool similar to a large iron screw, which is used to make a small hole in the tree trunk from where the oil flows. After collection, the hole is well sealed, and the tree must rest for at least three years before the subsequent extraction. Each tree yields approximately 55 liters.

Part Used

The trunk of the tree, through the extraction of its resin.

Location of Copaiba Trees

The copaiba tree is found in all tropics, with a higher incidence in Brazil, having a distribution of 16 species. It reaches about 36 meters in height and 140 centimeters in diameter.

History and Origin of Copaiba

Copaiba, also known as Copaibeira, called copaíva or copahu by the indigenous people (from Tupi: Kupa'iwa and Kupa'u), is a large tree from the Leguminosae family found throughout Brazil. The oil of the copaiba has been widely used among Brazilian indigenous people, including when the Portuguese arrived in Brazil. There are stories indicating that the use of the oil came from the behavioral observation of animals, which, when injured, rubbed themselves against the trunks of copaiba trees. The Indians used it as a healing agent and on the umbilical cord of newborns to prevent "mal-dos-sete-dias." When returning from their fights, warriors would anoint themselves with copaiba oil and lie on suspended, heated mats to heal wounds.

Copaiba oil was included in the British pharmacopeia in 1677 and the American pharmacopeia in 1820. Its widespread use makes it the most used and known remedy among the poorer populations of this vast region as a diuretic, laxative, antitetanic, antihemorrhagic, anti-rheumatic, urinary tract antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antitussive, healing agent, and cancer-fighting remedy. What was an indigenous drug in the past is today a phytotherapeutic that can be found in any natural and compounding pharmacy in the country.

Conclusion

Copaiba oil, with its anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and healing properties, represents more than just a beauty or health product; it's an emblem of nature working in harmony with our well-being. Used in various treatments, from skincare to chronic pain relief, it's a true elixir that reflects the power of the tropical forest in each drop. By choosing Copaiba oil from Yano Cosmetics, you're investing in quality and contributing to a sustainable and ethical production chain. Embrace this opportunity to enrich your life with a product that transcends its basic functionality, becoming a daily partner in pursuing a healthier, more conscious life.

Product Keywords:

Oleo Copaiba, Óleo Copaíba, Copaiba Vegetable Resin Oil.

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