Botanical name Cedrus atlantica G. Manetti
Synonyms Atlantic cedar, Moroccan cedar
Family Pinaceae
Source Wood
Origin Australia
Color / Consistency
Aromatic Summary / Note / Strength of Aroma Cedarwood Atlas has a rich, woody, slightly sweet and spicy aroma.
Blends With Bergamot, Clary sage, Cypress, Frankincense, Jasmine Absolute, Juniper Berry, Neroli, Pine, Rosemary, Vetiver and Ylang-Ylang
Product Abstract
Cedar forests once blanketed the high mountains of North Africa, but harvesting the timber has nearly brought the tree to its knees in countries like Algeria, where fires and unregulated cutting resulted in a steep decline in their population and range. Cedarwood essential oil has wide applications in aromatherapy as well as natural perfumery. It is said to be an aphrodisiac with an aroma that could be described as masculine but it appeals to both men and women.
History
As we’ve mentioned above, Cedarwood oil was popular among the people of Ancient Egypt. What they would do is they’d soak papaya leaves in the oil which would help to keep the mosquitoes away. But that’s not all; the Egyptians also used the oil to mummify the dead.
It’s hard to say when the oil was first used because a lot of history is undocumented. It’s not just the Egyptians and Sumerians though, there’s a long history of the tree and oil being popular among the Romans, the Chinese and even the Greek. It definitely sparks some curiosity into why all these civilizations chose to treat this essential oil with such high regard
Harvesting/ Extraction informatin
Cedarwood essential oil is extracted by Steam Distillation method. The plant material is placed in a large sealed container and steam is pumped through the cedarood material. The combination of heat and pressure causes the essential oil to separate from the plant material. Different plant parts require different distillation times which can vary from 20 minutes up to 8 hours. The steam distillation process is quite selective and not all the active ingredients in the plant material will end up in the essential oil. This is why essential oils can be different from herbs even if both come from the same plant material. The quality of the Cedarwood essential oil can be significantly affected by the distillation process.
Common usage
Cautions
Dilute before use; for external use only. May cause skin irritation in some individuals; a skin test is recommended prior to use. Contact with eyes should be avoided.
Key constituents
Iso-a-cedrene 32.0%
Thujopsene 21.6%
Cedrenol 6.1%
Cuparene 4.9%
Longifolene 4.2%
a-Cedrene 2.1%
Safety summary
Hazards None known.
Contraindications None known.
Organ-specific effects
Adverse skin reactions No information found for Chinese cedarwood oil. Little is known about most of its constituents, although a-cedrene appears to be non-reactive on healthy skin. Texas cedarwood oil, which has a similar composition, also seems to be relatively safe for dermal use.
Systemic effects
Acute toxicity No information found for Chinese cedarwood oil or most of its constituents. Texas cedarwood oil seems to be non-toxic.
Carcinogenic/anticarcinogenic potential No information! found for Chinese cedarwood oil, but it contains no known carcinogens.
Comments
Produced in large quantities. Sometimes used as an adulterant of Virginian or Texan cedarwod oils.
