Essential Oil Buchu (15 mL)

Essential Oil Buchu

Buchu oil is extracted from Agothosma betulina (also known as Barosma betulina) of the Rutaceae family. It is also known as mountain buchu, bookoo, buku and bucco.

Native to South Africa, this heath-like evergreen is an aromatic shrub with simple wrinkled leaves about 1 cm (0.5 inch) long. It has conspicuous oil glands that release a strong, blackcurrant-like aroma. The delicate stem bears five-petalled white flowers with purple anthers that appear in the spring. It is said by some that Buchu has a substance that can block out ultraviolet light.

Buchu essential oil is one of South Africa’s best known medicinal plants and has been used by the indigenous people of the area for centuries to treat a wide range of ailments. Early Dutch settlers used Buchu Oil to make a brandy tincture and Boegoebrandewyn (Buchu Brandy) is still used today to treat many disorders. It was also popular in the 1800s as a hangover cure and in patent medicines for treating coughs and colds.

In modern aromatherapy Buchu essential oil is used as a tonic for the immune system, to soothe the digestive system and to treat general infections. It is also an effective insect repellent.

Aroma: Buchu oil has a strong blackcurrant smell and is normally made as a tincture, extract and oleoresin, which are mostly used for pharmaceutical use. The oil is not generally used in aromatherapy except as a tonic.

Safety: Avoid while pregnant. Not intended for internal use.

HISTORY OF USE

Buchu is a heath-type shrub that grows to one meter in height. It shares the Rutaceae family with celebrated citrus trees: lemon, orange, and bitter orange. What makes buchu so unique is its roots, which grow tightly against rocks to collect moisture. The star-shaped flowers may be white, pink, or purple. The rounded, evergreen, aromatic leaves are the morphological feature that led the plant’s being dubbed “round-leaf buchu” or “short buchu.” These leaves have many pockets secreting the essential oil. These pockets form translucent dots on the limb when the leaves are viewed in the light. The foliage is cut during flowering and fruiting and is distilled. Buchu essential oil, with a fragrance reminiscent of blackcurrant buds, is herbaceous, sulfureous, and oily. It also has a minty note evocative of the fresh fragrance of various mints.

An endemic South African shrub, buchu grows in the mountains of the Cape Province. The indigenous peoples there use buchu as a medicinal plant and an insect repellent. Some 400 years ago, the Hottentots African tribe used the plant, which they called Bookoo or Buku, to perfume the body. Buchu is part of the British Pharmacopeia. To avoid the destruction of wild plants, the harvest and sale of buchu are regulated by the Cape Town authorities.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Safety Note:	Safe when used normally.
Skin:	Buchu essential oil has antiseptic properties and can be used to treat infection. Is also a useful insect repellent.
Mind:	Buchu oil can have a calming effect.
Body:	Buchu essential oil can help to soothe an irritable tummy and settle the digestive system. It is also believed to help with water retention and cellulite.
Blends well with:	May Chang, Ho leaf and Orange

The therapeutic properties of buchu oil are antiseptic, carminative, diuretic, insecticide and tonic. Buchu leaves are used to ward off insects and as an antiseptic, Made in an infusion (tea), Buchu leaves can help with urinary tract infections, digestive problems, gout, rheumatism, coughs and colds (as a tea use 1 teaspoon of fresh leaves per cup of boiling water). Buchu leaves are also steeped in brandy to produce a “medicinal” brandy used for a variety of ailments. In vinegar-based lotion, Buchu oil can be used for bruises and sprains.

A Few Words of Caution: The Essential Oil of Buchu is toxic in nature and should be used only in mild doses. It should never be used during pregnancy.