Aromatherapy A-Z : Cedarwood

Three types of cedar trees produce essential oils for aromatherapy purposes. The most common is red cedar, or Juniperus virginiana. Native to North America, this slow-growing tree attains a regal height of up to 100 feet. It grows primarily in the mountainous regions east of the Rocky Mountains. Distillation of its reddish heartwood and seed-bearing cones renders a yellow to orange oil with a sweet balsamic scent.

Texas cedarwood, or Juniperus mexicana, is a smaller tree that grows up to twenty-one feet tall. It is native to the southwestern United States, Mexico and Central America. Its viscous dark orange or brown oil has a sweet, smoky, woody aroma and is distilled from the tree's stiff green needles and twisted branches.

The Atlas cedar, Cedrus atlanticus, grows atop the Atlas Mountains of North Africa. This member of the Pinaceae family reaches heights of 100 feet. Steam distillation of wood chips and sawdust from the Atlas cedar yields a thick yellow to honey-colored oil with a soft and sweet, warm and woody pinelike odor.

About twenty-nine pounds of plant material is used to produce one pound of cedarwood oil. To obtain the oil of the red cedar, the tree must be felled; the other two cedar trees remain intact during the harvesting of their plant material. Some cedars can live for 1,000 to 2,000 years.

Beauty Benefits

Cedarwood oil contributes to clear skin by healing skin rashes and clearing blemishes. It reduces excessive secretions of sebum, or oil, and normalizes both dry and oily skin and hair. Cedarwood oil controls dandruff and seborrhea, improves the condition of the hair and stimulates the scalp and hair follicles. It can minimize hair loss, and some men claim it even promotes hair growth.

Emotional Effects

Cedarwood is a calming oil that eases anxiety, nervous tension and stress-related conditions. It helps stabilize energy imbalances. Cedarwood oil can comfort and strengthen you during difficult times, reinforcing resolve and independence. It can help you see situations more objectively and remain emotionally composed. Many people claim that cedarwood oil is an aphrodisiac as well.

Reprinted from Aromatherapy for Vibrant Health and Beauty by Roberta Wilson with permission of Avery Books, a member of Penguin Putnam Inc. Copyright © 1995 by Roberta Wilson.

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