DuCane Kunzea Oil (Kunzea ambigua) More aromatic history.

Du Cane Kunzea Oil ™ from Tasmanian farmer John Hood: Exponential Healing Potential

By Christi Pugh for Nature’s Gift, Inc. 

May 22, 2017

Over the past fifteen years or so, Australian essential oils have become more and more familiar across the East and in North America as dedicated and professional growers/farmers have begun making us aware of the abundance of unique plants, shrubs, natural woods, and flowers throughout the continent. 

Tick Bush, Spring Flower Bush, or White Kunzea as it is known in Tasmania, Kunzea ambigua is one   It originally gained its nickname from cattlemen who noticed the bush kept certain types of ticks away from their cattle.

Kunzea blossoms

of the up and coming gems being produced from the white flowering branches of the hearty-scruffy shrub which grows best on sandy soil in Eastern Australia.

It shines as a pain reliever and is one of the key ingredients in our, “That’s Better,” blend and the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration has approved it for use as a pain reliever, particularly for joint pain caused by arthritis.  There are many ongoing studies around Du Cane Kunzea Oil ™ and the results are truly remarkable.  The potential for this essential oil is magnificent and some believe it could be the greatest essential oil to come out of Australia. 

For instance: While many folks have heard the story about John and Peta Day’s beloved Australian Fragonia ™ from Paperbark Oil Company, another pioneer, John Hood of Du Cane Kunzea Oil™, has a story that is not *yet* quite as familiar. 

(The Day’s named agonis fragrans, Fragonia ™, and trademarked the essential oil to ensure all the Fragonia ™ that made its way to market would contain the same specific constituents. While the Days initially started with the most famous essential oil export, Tea Tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia), they soon began exploring benefits of other native Australian species, learning of the aromatic “Coarse Tea Tree,” bush which was actually a previously unnamed Agonis shrub. After an initial planting in 2001, the rest is history. Sadly, fires took out their trees and Fragonia ™ is expected to be scarce till early 2019, at least.)

Ah, but back to the matter at hand…while the Kunzea bush grows frequently in coastal areas on sandy soil and its parts have been used holistically by aborigines for generations; its benefits as an essential oil weren’t truly explored until Tasmanian farmer John Hood noticed a portion of his fence had been spared from rust unlike the rest of his fence.  Wondering why, he realized this portion had been covered and protected by the Kunzea, which seemed to be somewhat oily, where it had rubbed up against the fencing.  This gave him the idea it must be antioxidant and he began producing and testing the essential oil on his large farm.  He found the monoterpene a-pinene or alpha-pinene to be its most abundant constituent, followed by 1,8 Cineole which is also found in Eucalyptus oils.  The a-pinene is believed to be extremely anti-inflammatory and of course the 1,8 Cineole is helpful for respiratory problems including stuffy noses. 

Today Du Cane Kunzea Oil ™ is considered the best quality and of course is produced from the early work John did by experimentation to identify the plants which produced the very best oil.  Thus, he too trademarked his Du Cane Kunzea Oil ™ as it was developed to contain certain constituents.

Du Cane Kunzea Oil™ is not only an amazing analgesic, it is also reputedly antimicrobial, antibacterial, and is helpful battling staph, e coli, and candida.  French physician, Dr. Daniel Pe`noel, has been extolling the use of Du Cane Kunzea Oil ™ for more than a decade.  He suggests it is helpful for bad muscle aches such as aches from influenza or rheumatism.  He also recommends it for healing irritated skin and cuts and bruises. 

The aroma is quite pleasant, very fresh and herbaceous and is said to be helpful for lifting the spirits and easing anxiety, calming, and freeing. 

(Marge’s Comment) We have eagerly been awaiting our newest shipment of Du Cane Kunzea Oil™  (Kunzea ambigua) which was first stuck in customs and now sitting on a truck somewhere in Tennessee. Somewhere.  Not here.  Maybe tomorrow we can put it back online?  We’ve been out of stock for over a month and we need it. So do you!  

I've spoken on the phone several times with John Hood.  It is easier to catch him by phone than get a response to email.  My impression of him? Perhaps a bit of a curmudgeon, but someone I would like to get to know better. (And if I had registered a trademark for a product and found that others were violating it, I might be just a bit irascible myself!)