Balsam Peru Oil possesses an earthy, exotic, and lingering all describe this woodsy-vanilla-like scent. It is derived from a large tropical tree Myroxylon Pereirae up to 80ft (25m) high, with a straight smooth trunk, beautiful foliage, and very fragrant flowers.
Insect repellant
Problems with insects range from irritating bites to life-threatening and fatal ones. Insect-borne disease is very widespread and is not just a tourism issue. It is of concern due to the deaths in the local population of countries in the African, Asian, and South American continents and is a serious public health concern in the US and parts of Europe.
It is not just a current problem as, historically, insect-borne diseases have caused issues during military conflicts; for instance, it is suggested that in the Spanish-American war on Cuba, many more soldiers died from tropical disease than through combat. In the making of great projects such as the Panama Canal, thousands of workers were killed during the construction and these were associated with insect borne disease.
Apart from malaria, mosquitoes are the primary vector for the spread of encephalitis (variants of these being St Louis, La Crosse, and West Nile virus), Yellow fever, and Dengue fever. Other insects are carriers of many diseases, e.g., Tsetse fly – sleeping sickness, Sandflies – Leishmaniasis, Ticks – Lymes disease. Insects, such as the female mosquito, need to have a blood meal to 'feed' their eggs, and it is due to this disease that they can spread to animals and humans.
Insect-borne diseases can be very adaptable, and there seems to be a mechanism that enables them to resist even 'cutting-edge' medicine over time. Due to widespread resistance to anti-malarial drugs found in parasites in many parts of the world, the World Health Organization states on its website that the only way to be sure of not contracting malaria is to avoid being bitten.By applying insect repellants, we make ourselves a less desirable target to insects than other human beings or animals. If there are two hosts in the same environment, be that two people or two arms, where one has a repellent applied and the other nothing, the insect will invariably bite the person/arm with no repellent.
Benzyl Benzoate is an ester of benzoic acid and benzyl alcohol. It is a clear, viscous liquid at room temperature with a sweet balsamic odor.
Bergamot is named after the city of Bergomont in Lombardy, Italy, where the fruit was first cultivated, in the 18th century. It is also grown commercially on the Ivory Coast. The essential is cold pressed from the peel of the nearly ripened fruit.
Andiroba (Carapa Guaianensis) oil has been made traditionally for a very long time by the Wayapi and Palikur Indians in the Amazon basin. Over time, its traditional use gradually spread to other peoples in the Amazon delta.
Cedarwood oil is a woodsy, balsamic, and earthy blend with just a touch of sweetness. The tree (Juniperus Virginiana) can attain a majestic stature with a trunk diameter of over 1.5m (5ft). Essential oil by steam distillation from timber waste, sawdust, shavings, etc.
Cinnamon (Cinnamomum Cassia) grows on a tropical evergreen up to 50ft (15m) high, with strong branches and thick scabrous bark with young shoots speckled greeny-orange. The leaves have a spicy smell when bruised.
Citral is an aliphatic aldehyde found to occur naturally in lemongrass, lemons, and oranges. It is a clear yellow liquid terpene with a strong lemon-like odor and is used as a flavor in perfumery, cologne, and in soaps. It is not endogenous in humans.
Citronella (Cymbopogon Nardus) oil is a lemony, uplifting aroma. The essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the fresh, partly dried, or dried grass.
The Chinese ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) tree bears a small, brownish-white nut that is used to treat asthma, coughs, wheezing, leukorrhea, and bladder irritability. The ginkgo nut is also considered to have detergent properties and an antibiotic effect against many pathogenic bacteria.
Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) is a member of the Buttercup family, Ranunculaceae. The generic name, Hydrastis, is derived from two Greek words, meaning ‘water’ and ‘to accomplish’.
Lemon trees are small, straggling trees about 11 feet high, irregularly branched, the bark varying in color from clear gray on the trunk, green on the younger branches to a purplish color on the twigs. The evergreen leaves are ovate-oval.
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon Citratus) oil has a stimulating yet earthy lemon scent. Lemongrass is a fast-growing, tall, aromatic perennial grass up to 5ft (1.5m) high, producing a network of roots.
Lime (Citrus Aurantifolia) oil is obtained by cold pressing the peel or steam distilled from the whole fruit.
Peppermint (Mentha Piperita) oil was used as an inhalant to calm the nerves and relieve asthma and migraine headaches. The herb was also used as a mosquito and rat repellent and as a treatment for some skin diseases.
This species of Mint is the Pulegium of the Romans, so named by Pliny (Mentha Pulegium) from its reputed power of driving away fleas - pulex being the Latin for flea, hence the Italian pulce and the French puce.
There have always been ‘natural’ remedies that the indigenous populations have used in most parts of the tropics – their reported efficiency has become part of the local folklore. These include Neem bark, Eucalyptus leaves, and Myrrh oil.
Sage Dalmatian (Salvia Officinalis) oil is a fresh, warm-spicy herbaceous scent. Sage is an evergreen, shrubby, perennial herb up to 80cm high with a woody base, soft, silver, oval leaves, and a mass of deep blue or violet flowers.
Cedar (Thuja Occidentalis) has been used externally in perfumes, soaps, ointments, insecticides, and to treat skin eruptions such as psoriasis and eczema.
Internally, Thuja Occidentalis is used as a diuretic and, in some instances, to induce abortion.