Cedarwood Essential Oil | Forest Essence

Cedarwood Essential Oil is this month’s essential oil of the month. As the stunning changing colours of Autumn come to the forest I look to the majestic evergreen Cedars around me, that will keep their full beauty during the Winter ahead. I love the woody scents this time of year and to walk through the forest when the evergreen cones start to drop and the forest floor is full of green, resinous aromas! It was this that inspired me to create our Forest Essence range of room products.

Types of Cedar

There are several species of cedar around the world, I’ve seen the magnificent Himalayan Cedar (Cedrus deodorata) growing in the mountains of Nepal and Virginian Cedar growing in the USA.

The cedar most commonly seen in the UK is the Lebanese Cedar (Cedrus libani) with it’s tall, spreading branching and high canopy. In our products we use a very close relative to Lebanese Cedar- Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica), which has a more conical shape, but is equally as beautiful.

Cedarwood – Latin name Cedrus atlantica – it is native to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco and Algeria, today it is cultivated in North Africa and the USA.

The essential oil is extracted from the wood and sawdust by steam distillation and is one of the earliest oils to be extracted by the ancient Egyptians. It’s predominant chemical contents are sesquiterpenes and alcohols; Atlantone, caryophyllene, cedrol and himachalane.

Cedar oil was used in ancient Egypt as part of the embalming process and the inner sarcophagi was made of cedar wood which is slow to decay. For centuries it has been used in perfumery, cosmetics and herbal remedies and even as a renowned poison antidote! The wood was used for building ships and homes, for it’s strength, durability plus it’s odour that repels moths, ants and other insects.

Properties of Cedarwood Essential Oil

Cedarwood essential oil is antiseptic, fungicidal, expectorant, astringent, antiseborrheic, and a sedative to the nerves.

Cedarwood is very grounding, strengthening and is great to use when you need stamina, endurance and stability. It has an affinity with the respiratory system and can be rubbed on the chest to ease catarrh and chesty coughs.

It is great in blends for moth repelling (a key oil in the Total Wardrobe Care products – natural moth repelling products that we also make)

For the skin, cedarwood oil is a hair tonic promoting healthy hair growth when blended into a carrier oil or shampoo. It’s natural antiseptic and astringent properties are great for oily, acne skins to balance an over-production of sebum. I’ve used this for years, as part of a blend in a special face cream I make for my brother who suffered with acne rosacea. It has helped his skin a lot and he wouldn’t be without it.

In perfumery it is a base note, a great fixative with soft, woody notes and a hint of citrus. It is very popular in both male and female perfumes.

New Forest Aromatics Products that contain cedarwood:

Please note: As with all essential oils – always dilute first before applying to the skin and consult a qualified aromatherapist if you are uncertain of how to use or dosage. If you have a specific allergy or contra-indications avoid use.