Description
About Palo Santo
Palo Santo works differently from most ritual tools.
And understanding that difference changes how you use it.
True Palo Santo comes from trees that have completed their natural life cycle. The tree dies and falls on its own. Only then is the wood collected. It is never cut from living trees.
After falling, the wood rests on the forest floor for several years, usually between three and five. During this time, the oils mature and concentrate. This is when Palo Santo develops its characteristic aroma and medicinal properties. Freshly cut wood does not carry the same scent, behaviour, or effect.
That resting period matters.
Not just practically, but energetically.
– For our Palo Santo incense, we use the darker outer bark and wood that is often discarded during stick production. By working with this by-product, waste is reduced and the resulting scent is deeper and richer than that of standard Palo Santo sticks.
Where Palo Santo comes from
Palo Santo is native to the coastal regions of South America, particularly Peru and Ecuador. The variety we work with is Bursera graveolens.
In Spanish, Palo Santo means “holy wood”. It has been used for centuries in traditional practices for healing, grounding, and ritual closure.
The aroma is warm and resinous, with fresh notes of citrus and mint. But Palo Santo is not valued for its fragrance alone. Its use is rooted in how it makes a space, and the body, settle.
How Palo Santo is traditionally used
Palo Santo is not a tool for aggressive clearing.
Traditionally, it is burned after something has finished.
After illness.
After grief.
After ritual.
After emotional intensity.
Its medicine is not about pushing energy out, but about closing gently. Marking an ending. Allowing the nervous system to register that it is safe to rest.
This is why Palo Santo often feels grounding rather than activating. When it is real and used with restraint, breath deepens, the body softens, and a space feels complete rather than “scrubbed”.
What Palo Santo supports
Palo Santo is especially suited for:
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closing rituals, ceremonies, or emotional processes
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helping the body land after intensity
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marking endings and transitions, including grief
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supporting healing after illness
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restoring calm and coherence in a space
Use very little. Light briefly. Let it smoulder.
Palo Santo is a potent medicine.
Is Palo Santo endangered?
The Palo Santo offered by House of Formlab comes exclusively from Bursera graveolens. This species is not listed as endangered and is not included on CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
There is, however, understandable confusion around the name “Palo Santo”.
Palo Santo is often used as an umbrella term for several different woods, including:
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Bursera graveolens (true Palo Santo, not endangered)
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Bulnesia sarmientoi (also known as Verawood, endangered)
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Guaiacum species (endangered)
Only Bursera graveolens is used in our products.
Even so, these trees and ecosystems remain vulnerable. Ethical sourcing means working with small-scale suppliers, following strict harvesting guidelines, and collecting only naturally fallen wood.
Our supplier practices sustainable harvesting and works exclusively with fallen Bursera graveolens wood.
About smoke cleansing
Smoke cleansing is an ancient practice used to shift the atmosphere of a space or body. It is not only about removing what feels heavy, but about restoring balance and coherence.
You may choose to work with Palo Santo when:
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a space feels unsettled after conflict or illness
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an emotional process has moved through and needs closure
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you want to mark the end of a day, ritual, or chapter
Smoke carries information that the body responds to, even when the mind cannot name it. Used with intention and restraint, Palo Santo helps signal completion rather than urgency.
If you would like guidance on how to work with smoke cleansing respectfully and effectively, you can download the full step-by-step guide below.
Download the full Step-by-Step Guide to Smudging & Smoke Cleansing here >>
With love,
