Warming with Fiery, Harsh and Spicy top notes and sweet oriental undertones
The Origins Of Cinnamon Essential Oil
Cinnamon is a tropical evergreen tree with fragrant bark and oval leaves, white flowers and blue/white berries. The essential oil is distilled by steam from the leaves and small twigs.
Extraction
Steam distilled from the leaves and small twigs
INCI
Cinnamomum zeylanicum (Cinnamon) Leaf Oil
Aromatherapy Uses
Cinnamon is warming and helps encourage healthy circulation. Cinnamon is widely used as a burning oil and combines especially well with citrus oils, Orange being the most common of these. Blending Cinnamon and Orange creates a very recognisable Christmas scent.
Skin Uses
Cinnamon should be used in low dose on the skin to avoid irritation. It has traditionally been used for dry skin conditions.
Hair Uses
Cinnamon helps encourage circulation in the scalp and provides lasting fragrance for the hair.
Therapeutic Properties
Cinnamon essential oil includes the compound cinnamaldehyde which has been found to reduce inflammation and act as an antimicrobial. Cinnamon has traditionally been used for cough, colds and constipation.
Cinnamon Blends well with
Cinnamon blends well with Frankincense, Myrrh, Sweet or Bitter Orange, Mandarin, Benzoin, Clove, Coriander, Ginger, Grapefruit, Lavender, Orange, Pine, Rosemary and Thyme.
Precautions
Usually stimulating but has a stupefying effect when used in excess.
An emmenagogue so best to avoid Basil Essential Oil in pregnancy (at naturallythinking we have a policy of avoiding all essential oils during pregnancy).
Basil can also irritate people with very sensitive skin, therefore caution should be taken with dosage levels
Understanding Oil Extraction Methods
What is Steam Distillation?
Steam Distillation is the most popular method of distillation of Essential oil. High pressure hot steam is passed through the plant material. The volatile compounds of the plant material are transferred to the steam and pass through a coil where they are cooled.
On cooling, the oil being lighter than water will separate from the water where it is possible to syphon off.
The remaining water becomes the floral water / hydrolat of the plant material.
What is Expression?
This is just like the process of peeling a citrus fruit. Effectively it is the cold processing of the fruit to extract the essential oil.
Primarily this technique is used on Citrus Essential Oils where the heat of steam would destroy the scent and properties.
Mechanical pressure is applied to the fruit and the resulting oil is the essential oi.
What is an Absolute?
Absolutes require solvent extraction in order to extract them.
Some plants are very difficult to extract the essential oil, either to produce a quality product or to obtain a yield which is economical. Examples of oils which are normally obtained by Solvent extraction are Vanilla, Jasmine and Rose.
Normally Organic ethanol is used to steep the flowers and then evaporated to leave just the concentrated absolute of the plant.
Important Information
Naturallythinking Essential oils are for external use only. We do not sell aromatherapy oils / products for internal use. The information contained on these pages is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Aromatherapy should not be used by those who are pregnant or under the supervision of a medical practitioner / doctor without consultation with the medical practitioner / doctor. If you have a medical condition or any worries, always consult with a doctor / medical practitioner first.