Guaiacwood Essential Oil: The Hidden Gem of the Gran Chaco

Welcome back to Harvesters’ Corner! Today our focus is on a forest region located to the south and west of the vast Amazon Basin, known as the Gran Chaco. The Chaco is the second-largest forest region in South America, yet surprisingly few people outside of South America are even aware of its existence. The Chaco is home to a broad diversity of plants and animals, most of which are not found anywhere else in the world. Despite this fantastic biodiversity, the forest is critically endangered by deforestation, with the country of Paraguay being pressured by several factors surrounding this issue. So, grab your pith helmet, sunglasses, and bandana, slather on lots of sunscreen, and drink plenty of water, and join us as we explore the Gran Chaco and focus on one of its amazing treasures.

Hunting for Answers

The name “Chaco” is derived from the Quechua word chaqu, meaning “hunting land.” (1) The Quechua people were native to the Andean highlands and were members of the Incan Empire prior to the Spanish dominion. Although estimates vary, the most accepted estimate for the size of the Chaco is 250,000 square miles (647,500 sq. km), slightly larger than the combined areas of the states of Arizona and New Mexico (235,580 sq. miles/610,141 sq. km). (2) For additional comparison, the country of France is 210,017 sq. miles (543,941 sq. km). As stated earlier, the Chaco is the second-largest forest on the continent, dwarfed only by its close neighbor, the Amazon. Yet while the Amazon receives all the attention like a beauty pageant queen, the Chaco is neglected like the queen’s homely stepsister. Why is this? Consider for a moment what the Amazon looks like: a lush, verdant tropical forest with a highly unique biome of plants and animals. Along the southwestern border of the Amazon basin lies a mountain range. On the other side of this range lies the Chaco, where the term “forest” takes on a vastly different meaning, as Chaco is a dusty, semi-arid forest with a completely different biome, home to 3,400 unique plant species, 500 bird species, 200 reptile and amphibious species, and 150 mammalian species. (1) Yet while the two forests are visually different, both face similar challenges. The Amazon is at risk from dams being built to power Brazil’s growth, losing about 144 square miles (373 square km) annually to deforestation. (3) The Chaco is at risk due to ranching and farming, with an average of 133 square miles (344 square km) lost to deforestation. (4)

What makes the Chaco Forest so different from the Amazon Forest? That answer lies in the soil, which possesses a very high salinity compared to other forests. Hence the different trees only found here, and unique animals, like a shaggy anteater that resembles a walking feather duster, maned wolves with fox-like fur and stilt-like legs, tube-nosed tapirs, and golden-fur jaguars. One of the trees found in the Chaco is now being processed into an essential oil, one of the most unique oils found in dōTERRA’s catalogue. This tree is the Palo Santo, Bulnesia sarmientoi, and the oil is Guaiacwood.

Take note of the name, Palo Santo. This is not to be confused with another tree found in Central America, also called Palo Santo. The Central America tree is Bursera graveolens and is a cousin to Frankincense and Myrrh. This other tree is found from the Yucatan Peninsula down into the northern countries of South America, like Peru and Venezuela. The Central America Palo Santo suffers from illegal harvesting and is at risk as a result.

The Paraguayan Palo Santo is found only in the Gran Chaco. Because of deforestation, it too is endangered. Unlike the Central American tree, however, a plan is being established to preserve the Paraguayan tree. Its exclusivity to Paraguay is not the only distinguishing characteristic of this tree, either. The Paraguayan Palo Santo is a very dense wood and is so dense that it will sink if placed in water. Another unique characteristic is the fact that when the wood is cut, the exposed heartwood oxidizes as it comes in contact with oxygen and turns the wood blue.

Picturing the Forest and Understanding the Challenges.

The country of Paraguay is located in the heart of the Chaco, and encompasses roughly 57,812 square miles (149,732 sq. km) of the forest. Again, for comparison, the state of Illinois is just slightly larger, at 57,914 sq. miles/149,996 sq. km. The remaining sections of the forest extend into other countries, including Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina. Picture in your mind, for a moment, a funnel. The mountainous border of Bolivia, Brazil and the northern areas of Paraguay represents the top of the funnel, while the remainder of Paraguay forms the upper half of the funnel. Argentina forms the lower half and neck of the funnel, with the Río de la Plata, or River Plate being the outlet to the Atlantic Ocean. Ranchers in both Brazil and Argentina have cleared vast amounts of forest to allow for grazing land. In addition, extensive parcels in both Argentina and Paraguay have been cleared for agriculture, including soybeans, and a plant known as Jatropha curcas. Jatropha is used in the production of biodiesel fuel. The resulting solid matter can then be cleansed and used for animal feed, or else be used as a fertilizer. (1)

To help preserve the Chaco, Paraguay has passed laws requiring twenty-five percent of any parcel cleared to be left in its natural state. As a result, photos of fields in Paraguay often show a thicket of trees in the center, surrounded by scrub brush and scattered grasses. Deforestation is not the only concern, however. A cleared forest no longer has any capacity to absorb and retain water, a fact reinforced as rains in the highlands release water into the rivers running through the Chaco. The result is recurring floods in the lower regions of the forest, especially in the neighboring country of Argentina. Thus, the country of Paraguay is often located between the proverbial rock and a hard place. On one hand, rich Brazilian ranchers continue to clear land, including extensive sections located in Paraguay, for grazing land, while on the other hand Argentina complains at the damage caused from continued flooding. Added to these pressures, is the internal pressure of poverty. There are landowners in Paraguay who don’t want to lose the forest, and yet are faced with the challenge of putting food on the table and roofs over their family’s heads.

Protection and Productivity

Enter Co-Impact Sourcing. As Greg Hendrickson, General Manager of Kealakekua Mountain Reserve in Hawaii, is fond of saying, “A productive forest is protected, and a protected forest is productive.” (5) After studying the challenges concerning the harvesting and processing of the Palo Santo, or Guaiacwood, a management plan for the Chaco was produced, and a compensation plan developed. And after three years of intense labor by a multitude of individuals, the management plan is being implemented.

The primary challenge of deforestation was addressed with the compensation plan. “We now pay a lease on the land so that they [the landowners] have reason to keep the land in its natural state,” points out dōTERRA Founding Executive Emily Wright, “and we also pay them for each tree that is harvested off their land,” (6). This provides an incentive to preserve the natural forest and keep the trees where they belong. Under the management plan, harvesting is limited to mature trees only, with two trees per acre harvested every twenty years. Unlike other trees (such as Sandalwood), the stump and roots remain in the ground, enabling up-shoots to branch

off the main root system, a process known as coppicing. When done properly, coppicing can extend the longevity and health of a tree. Of note is the fact that Guaiacwood saplings and young trees remove more carbon from the atmosphere as they grow, as compared to the mature tree that was cut down. (7) As of 2023, Co-Impact Sourcing was managing 13,000 acres with local landowners. The goal is to increase to 50,000 acres by 2025. (7)

Other challenges needed to be overcome, as well. “Nothing about this oil is simple, from its chemistry to its aroma,” quipped Emily Wright during the product reveal at the 2022 Convention (8). The Spanish conquistadors, when they initially encountered the forest in the 1500s, named it the “Impenetrable Forest.” Emily Wright agrees with those ancient explorers. “You’ve got to get past the jaguars, the anacondas, the crocodiles, [and] the piranhas first. And you think I’m joking, but I’m not. We saw at least sixty crocodiles just feet from us…” (8)

Harvesters and other workers faced other challenges in harvesting Guaiacwood. Due to the remote location of the harvesting region, a commute of eight hours over rough, dusty roads is required. Initially, the work site was barren, so barren that the term “spartan” indicates a luxurious environment. Meals often consisted of jerky and other dried foods, with living quarters being makeshift tents and lean-tos, or simple hammocks, with no real shelter from the elements which could range from torrential downpours, up to elevated temperatures often in excess of 115O Fahrenheit (46O C).

Co-Impact sourcing secured some refurbished shipping containers and converted them into bunkhouses, with some serving as bunkrooms, another as a kitchen, and another as a restroom facility. With solar panels attached to the roof, charging up a battery system, luxuries such as food refrigeration and air conditioning and a washer and dryer became realities. (7) Training has also been provided in regard to safe drinking water and safety gear. (7)

Off to the Still… or rather the Distillery

Once cut and trimmed to manageable lengths, the wood is prepared for distillation at a modern distillery near the community of El Cerrito, located along the Paraná River. The logs pass repeatedly over the chipper, which cuts the wood into particles resembling coarse sawdust, which has a smokey smell, along with a hint of rose. (9) This is then transferred to the stills, which have a capacity of a thousand kilos (2,205 pounds). The actual distillation process requires seventeen hours to obtain the oil. Extra care is needed once the oil is obtained, though, for if it is allowed to sit for a short length of time, it will turn semi-solid at room temperature. The oil is then moved to heated vats, where it is stirred and allowed to mature for close to three months prior to being sent to the bottling plant. To help ensure that the oil remains liquid once bottled, Guaiacwood oil is mixed with fractionated coconut oil. The residual biomass left over from the distillation process is then used to generate steam for another batch to be distilled.

In addition to the work Co-Impact Sourcing has undertaken to provide a transparent and sustainable supply chain for Guaiacwood, the Healing Hands Foundation has also stepped in to assist with local needs. The El Cerrito School, located near the distillery, is a vocational academy designed to help teens develop needed trade skills and to understand agricultural development. Each student develops their own course of study with guidance, enabling them to focus on areas where they have interests, be it agriculture, hospitality, or other areas.

In conjunction with its agricultural department, the school has its own organic garden. The students’ daily meals are prepared with the food raised at the school, and all excess is then sold locally for the benefit of the residents. Healing Hands partners with Fundacion Paraguaya, who manages the school. In addition, the sourcing partnership donates one percent of all the Paraguyan-derived revenues to the school for continued support. This includes Guaiacwood and Petitgrain revenues.

So what, you ask, is Guaiacwood good for? The main traditional uses have been for skincare, as well as relaxation and grounding. Guiacwood combines well with oils used in maintaining healthy skin. It also mixes well with Bergamot oil, Cinnamon oil, Ylang Ylang oil, Roman Chamomile oil, and Madagascar Vanilla oil, for use in diffusers. I personally enjoy combining it with a grounding blend like Balance oil. It reminds me of the enjoyable times I’ve had out camping, and enjoying the glowing coals in the campfire as marshmallows are being roasted and stories are being told.

Guaiacwood Wood is a remarkable product, one who’s uses will increase as we come to better understand its chemistry and effects on the body. To try this special oil for yourself, purchase it here. You can also use this link to purchase any of the other oils listed above. If you haven’t already, read my blog on Co-Impact Sourcing to learn what it is, and why it is a vital link in helping growers and harvesters develop self-reliance for themselves and their families. You can also click to learn more about the Healing Hands Foundation or to donate to Healing Hands.

Thank you once again for joining us here at Harvesters’ Corner. I am constantly amazed at the positive impact both Co-Impact Sourcing and the Healing Hands Foundation have in making the world a better place, not only for today, but also for future generations.

Sources

1.    Wikipedia. “Gran Chaco.” Updated 3 May 2024. Online. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gran_Chaco> Accessed 18 May 2024.

2.    An opposing example of the Chaco’s size comes from an article by Sarah Wade, published by the World Wildlife Fund in 2018, which stated that the Chaco’s size was 386,000 square miles (999,735 sq. km), or more than twice as large as the state of California (163,695 sq. miles/423,967 sq. km). See Wade, Sarah. “Sustainable Ranching to Protect a Forest: A Plan to Preserve the Biodiversity of Gran Chaco While Helping its People.” World Wildlife Magazine, Summer 2028. Online. <https://www.worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/summer-2018/articles/ sustainable-ranching-to-protect-a-forest>. Accessed 23 May 2024.

3.    Alves, Bruno. “Monthly Deforested Area of the Amazon Rainforest in Brazil from January 2020 to June 2023.” Statista. Online. <Statista.com/statistics/1030359/ brazil-amazon-deforested-area-month/#:~:text=In%20October%202023%2C% 20around%20300,period%20in%20the%20previous%20year.> Accessed 23 May 2024.

4.    Nature. “Gran Chaco: Protecting the second-largest Forest in South America.” Online. https://www.nature.org/en-us/about-us/where-we-work/latin-america/argentina/gran-chaco Accessed 18 May 2024.

5.    The Kealakekua Mountain Reserve (KMR), located on the big island of Hawaii, is where Hawaiian Sandalwood, or ‘Iliahi, is slowly making a recovery from virtual extinction in the Hawaiian Islands. Like the Chaco, KMR has a specific management plan in place to ensure survivability of the tree for future generations. See our previous blog, here.

6.    dōTERRA. “Behind the Bottle: Guaiacwood Essential Oil.” YouTube, 2023. Accessed 18 May 2024.

7.    dōTERRA. “Source to You: Guaiacwood.” Online. <https://sourcetoyou.com/en/stories/story/guaiacwood> Accessed 1 May 2024.

8.    dōTERRA. 2022 Convention, Thursday Session.

9.    The hint of rose has made the oil of Guaiac popular in the perfume industry as an oil used to adulterate the more expensive rose oil. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_of_guaiac> Accessed 18 May 2024.