Ocotea essential oil isn’t as easy to pronounce as Ishpingo, but it’s easier to find. Let’s take a look at why.
Once upon a time in Ecuador, there was a particularly great tree. Well, there were more than one tree. And there still are. Thankfully, no fauna become extinct in this story.
These particular trees are the Ocotea quixos. They belong to the Lauraceae family and grow up to be big and tall: up to 60 cm/2 feet diameter and over 18 metres in height (60 feet).
Like many fine tropical trees, Ocotea quixos have leaves and flowers.
The Ocotea quixos tree is known as Flor de Canela or ‘cinnamon flower’ and commonly referred to as false canilla or false cinnamon because of the delicious aroma of the spices and oils it produces.
Spanish explorers fell in love with its aromatic effects and sought to add them to their trade. But perhaps most fortunately, the Ocotea quixos proved to be difficult to export as a spice and cultivate outside its natural territory in Ecuador, where it is mostly wild harvested. And so it remains a treasured specialty of its native region.
Distillation to create essential oils allows the beautiful properties of this tree to be safely and sustainably captured for enjoyment worldwide. Aren’t we lucky!
- Ocotea essential oil (pronounced oh-koh-tay-ah) is steam distilled from the leaves.
- Ishpingo essential oil (pronounced as you’d expect) is steam distilled from the flowers/fruit calices.
In Quechua languages (a widespread indigenous language family throughout the Americas and the main language of the Incas), the Ocotea quixos tree is called ispinku. But this refers specifically to the flowers, and so it follows that Ishpingo essential oil is the one derived specifically from the flowers.
While the trees are lavish with leaves, creating huge canopies, they are a tad shy when it comes to flowers. The trees need to reach a maturity of around 20 years before they start flowering. And then, they only flower every two years. So the essential oil produced from the flowers — Ishpingo — is much more elusive in supply.
Along with Ocotea quixos, Ecuador also provides some of the finest cocoa you can imagine. Young Living teamed Ecuadorian cocoa and Ishpingo essential oil to create a beautiful dark chocolate called Chocolessence. If you ever spot it this rare exotic treat in stock again, be sure to snap some up and savour its premium serving of ‘je ne sais quoi’. I couldn’t find a Quechua translation for that but I’m sure there is one.
Both ocotea and ishpingo essential oils contain a number of constituents responsible for their rich, distinctive, cinnamon-like-but-definitely-not-cinnamon scent and taste. These include (in varying proportions) trans-cinnamaldehyde, methyl cinnamate and cinnamyl acetate.
Historically, ocotea/ishpinku has been used as flavourings for over 500 years, in sweets and cakes, and even an alcoholic drink named alajua.
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Young Living Ocotea essential oil can be safely added to food and drink. Please only ever use essential oils this way when the label clearly states it is safe to do so. And be ultra-discerning as to which brand you choose. Quality varies immensely, so please ensure you are choosing a brand with complete transparency from seed to seal, such as Young Living. Discover why we love them so much in this short video.
Are you dedicating yourself to getting plenty of exercise regularly and eating in a well-balanced way to achieve certain targets? Good on you! Add a drop or two of drops of Young Living Ocotea essential oil to a glass of water and sip throughout the day as a refreshing way to support that. Or try Young Living Slique Essence and Slique Tea which have include ocotea oil in their ingredients. (As always, check with your healthcare practitioner before using oils if you’re on medication.)
Ocotea essential oil has a beautiful aroma that is wonderfully relaxing in the diffuser while you’re unwinding or doing yoga and meditation.
Locals in Ecuador include this oil in some of their soaps and skin care products. Take inspiration from that and add it to your favourite facial moisturiser to plump up its benefits. For ready-made products, Young Living ART Beauty Masque and Crème Masque include ocotea essential oil. Go ahead and pamper yourself. They are absolutely divine.
Essential oils are potent, so as always, please follow directions on the bottle and the usual guidelines for safe use of authentic essential oils.
This will also connect you up with The Good Oil Team for our personal support and coaching. We'd love to help you on your journey to vibrant well-being the natural way!
Any questions? Please get in touch via our Contact page.
