What Is Elemi Oil?

Elemi Oil from a Pili Tree

The unique Pili Tree is an amazing marvel of nature only found in the remote region of Bicol in the Philippines. It grows in the rich fertile soil at the foot of the Mayan Volcano, and provides its bounty to the local people. Called the Chosen Tree, the magnificent Pili Tree is better described as the Giving Tree because of all the amazing things it provides to the community where it grows. Not only is it a source for a multitude of products including food, healing oils, and anti-aging skincare, it supports the local economy in countless ways. 

pili trees

Locals have harnessed the Pili Tree’s unique benefits for centuries, using every part of the tree including the fruit, bark, oil, sap, and pulp. It is truly one of the only trees in the world where every part of it benefits mankind. And it is a resilient tree, hit by multiple storms each year but continuing to stand tall, even bearing more fruit after every storm. This rare stress-loving tree is truly a remarkable feat of nature, providing so many benefits from a single source. 

What is Elemi Oil?

Elemi Oil comes from the sap of the Pili Tree which is tapped in the same way maple trees are tapped for syrup. It oozes a sticky resin, and the Elemi Oil is then refined from that resin. Elemi Oil has multiple benefits for the skin, including firming, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial benefits.  As a powerful antibacterial it has been used by locals for thousands of years to treat skin conditions and ailments. 

Truly rare like the Pili Oil, the harvest process requires patience from the farmers as it takes five to six years before a tree can be tapped to yield a harvest of Elemi Oil. Pili Ani adheres to strict tapping techniques to harvest its Elemi Oil, ensuring the trees are not tapped too early or too often so they remain healthy, and the harvest is sustainable.

It was Pili Ani’s own Rosalina Tan, the mother of organic farming in the Philippines, who started teaching the farmers how do this carefully and the right way to protect the health of the “Chosen Tree.” Before that, the farmers were unwittingly killing the Pili Trees by tapping them too early or too often. Now it’s another source of income that helps sustain these local communities while providing amazing skincare benefits to the world. 

sap from the trunk of a pili tree

The Benefits of Elemi Oil

Elemi Oil is a rare and potent extract with powerful firming and lifting properties. It tones and firms the skin, reducing fine lines and literally lifts from within. Much like Pili Oil, it is rich in antioxidants, carotenoids, and fatty acids–another Superfood for the skin! And as the locals have long known, it is anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial. Its topical properties are so beneficial for the skin that it’s a cornerstone ingredient in all Pili Ani products, including Ageless Concentrate which has the highest concentration of this rare and precious ingredient. Together with Pili Oil, this perfect duo moisturizes and restores the skin’s youth and vitality. Ageless Concentrate is a powerful combination of Elemi Oil for firming and soothing and Pili Oil to hydrate, smooth and brighten.

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