I saw a flyer for Gruber’s Jungle Oil in a restaurant while vacationing in Panama. I’m not a distributor for this product, and have no affiliation with this company.  My infomercial was intended to entertain.  However, Gruber’s Jungle Oil did soothe the discomfort from an insect sting and mild sunburn.

I purchased Gruber’s Jungle Oil at the Tuesday morning Gringo Market in Boquete, Panama. They don’t sell Gringos at the market, it’s like a small flea market where the U.S. retirees gather and buy and sell produce, baked goods, and handcrafts. The Gruber salesman didn’t speak English, so he couldn’t answer my questions regarding the product. No specific ingredients are listed on the label. And I’m not certain that I didn’t aquire a “knock-off” since the label on my bottle looks nothing like the picture on the ad in the restaurant. The scratched-out expiration date on my bottle reads 01-12-19, and a new expiration date of 5-10-2021 is penned at the bottom of the label.

The Jungle Oil sells for twenty dollars, and there is also a wrinkle cream available for thirty-five. I was only willing to risk twenty, and I added Gruber’s Jungle Oil to my essential oil collection. I’ll take my chances on growing old gracefully.

Gruber’s Jungle Oil claims to repel insects, so I couldn’t wait to smell it since many essential oils keep not only bugs away, but friends and family also. This oil has a light, nutty scent, much milder than I imagined.

Ray jokes that it’s used cooking oil.

The label wraps around the bottle, so I can’t really photograph it. But here’s the copy as written, all typos are intentional:

                “Made from Panama’s finest medical plants and soybean oil. Rapidly neutralizes POISON and ALLERGIC REACTIONS to Sand flies, chiggers, mosquitoes, tics, wasps, bees, spiders and scorpions, etc. Once on the skin disinfects bites to avoid tropical diseases and also REPELS these critters for up to 4 hours per application. Use Gruber’s oil also to cure severe sunburns and also as an optimum sunscreen. Mr. Gruber, an FSU Science Graduate used it once to heal a mole that changed color and bleed. Applied on feet before going on muddy nature trails prevents and treats “jungle rot” fungal and bacterial infections.  Use also to heal ACNE, minor and mayor cuts and mayor cuts and bruises, prevent, cure gangrenous skin ulcers. As a massage oil alleviates tense muscles and arthritis pain, varicose vain inflammations. Apply 2 to 4 times a day.

                “For     a     re      supply,     make     herbal     consultations,       write:

botanicogruber@hotmail.com  Expires  01-12-19  Your Satisfaction Guaranteed Or Your Money fully Returned. Recognized by The Panamanian Ministry of Commerce TIA 6-086. 5-10-2021 exp.

Categories: Travel Tales