Evernia prunastri, also known as Oak moss, is a species of lichen. It can be found in many mountainous temperate forests throughout the Northern Hemisphere, including parts of France, Portugal, Spain, North America and much of Central Europe. Oak moss grows primarily on the trunk and branches of oak trees, but is also commonly found on the bark of other deciduous trees and conifers such as fir and pine.
The thalli of Oak moss are short (3–4 cm in length) and bushy, and grow together on bark to form large clumps. Oak moss thallus is flat and strap-like. They are also highly branched, resembling the form of deer antlers. The color of Oak moss ranges from green to a greenish-white when dry, and dark olive-green to yellow-green when wet. The texture of the thalli are rough when dry and rubbery when wet. It is used extensively in modern perfumery.
Oak moss is commercially harvested in countries of South-Central Europe and usually exported to the Grass region of France where its fragrant compounds are extracted as Oak moss absolutes and extracts. These raw materials are often used as perfume fixatives and form the base notes of many fragrances.
The scientific name of Oak Moss is Evernia Prunastri. The essential oil of Oak Moss is extracted first by solvent extraction method, which first yields a concrete, and then by vacuum distillation method.
The Oak Moss may look ugly to many, with greenish, wet and somewhat sludge like look, but since Mother Nature has hidden uncountable treasures in its most unlikely places, it has bestowed upon this moss some very beautiful medicinal properties. Let us explore them.
Benefits: Oak Mossis a situation caused due to infection from microbes, predominantly bacteria. Others, like viruses, protozoa and fungi can join the place already weakened with infection and make the situation worse. Oak Moss mostly happens to wounds, but is not restricted to it. It can affect the soft and vulnerable internal organs such as food pipe, inner ears, colon, urethra, urinary tracts, kidneys and even nerves and others. Newly born babies are most susceptible to Oak Moss since their skin is not strong enough to counter these infections. In developing and backward countries, still hundreds of newly born babies die just due to essential oil Oak Moss.
The symptoms of septic are acute pain in the affected places or in the whole body, cramps, convulsions, swelling with redness, stiffness in the muscles and joints, abnormal behavior and even death, in worst cases. This Essential Oil of Oak Moss has anti septic properties and there are two good things about it. It does not give burning sensation like the dreaded tincture and it is a sweet smelling natural thing. It protects from septic by creating conditions in the body unfavorable for the microbial growth and by eliminating the microbes already present in the body or on the wounds.
The Oak Moss Essential Oil can be soothing to any type of inflammation or irritation. It is soothing to skin and keeps it smooth and soft by maintaining the moisture and oil balance of the skin. Similarly, it has soothing effects on the digestive system and gives relief from scratches, wounds, inflammations and irritations in the esophagus, stomach and the intestines caused due to acidity, highly spicy food or ingestion of some irritating or poisonous stuff. Further, it also soothes irritations and inflammations in the brain and the nervous system. Last but not the least, it has soothing effects on the mucous membrane and the excretory tracts which suffer scratches, inflammations and irritations due to constipation, acidity, spices and wounds due to in digested substances and hard bowels.