Cedar trees have been mentioned ever since biblical times, as they symbolized protection, wisdom and abundance in those times. In fact, it is widely believed that the essential oil of cedarwood was the first essential oil to be extracted out from nature. It had many ancient medicinal benefits, as when the Egyptians used it for embalming practices.

Cedarwood essential oil is derived from the the wood of the various species of the cedarwood trees, through a process of steam distillation. It has a myriad number of useful properties that hold much medicinal and therapeutic value, perfect for addressing a variety of ailments and health problems.

It is highly versatile and its warm, woody scent provides a grounding and stimulating aura, perfect for promoting wellness and vitality. Read on to find out more about the uses and benefits of cedarwood essential oil!

Health Benefits of Cedarwood Essential Oil:

1. Helps to Heal Skin Problems

One of the most well-known properties of cedarwood essential oil is its ability to heal skin problems. It is no doubt one of the most useful natural ally in combating eczema! Eczema is a skin disorder which is characterized by itchy, dry and red skin, which can produce blisters. With its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties, cedarwood oil can help to calm such angry, red and inflamed conditions. Its antifungal and antibacterial properties also help to clean out any bacteria or infections that are contributing to a worsening of such conditions.

Not only that, cedarwood oil is a potent anti-seborrhoeic agent. Seborrhoea is a condition that is characterized by a disorder in the sebaceous glands, resulting in increased sebum production and an infection of the epidermal cells. Cedarwood oil can help to alleviate this inflammatory condition and regulate the sebum production, while treating the epidermal infection at the same time. As such, it helps to reduce the redness and the itchiness drastically.

Furthermore, cedarwood oil is also great for acne conditions. It effectively cleans out bacteria and other harmful microbes from the pores of your skin, thus preventing blockages and clogged pores. As such, acne will be mitigated. Its anti-inflammatory properties can also help to soothe the red and inflamed areas to ensure that they do not spread to other areas and that there will be speedy recovery of the active acne.

How to Use it: You can consider adding a drop or two of cedarwood oil into your daily face wash or skincare products as part of your daily skincare regimen. Alternatively, you can dilute the oil with a carrier oil (such as coconut or jojoba oil) in a 1:1 ratio and proceed to massage onto the face. You can also make a face scrub by mixing cedarwood oil, coconut oil and Epsom salt together which serves as a good exfoliator to eliminate acne.

2. Promotes Hair Health

I am sure we would all like to have healthy, luscious and beautiful hair as it is probably one of the most prominent things about our appearance. Cedarwood essential oil can prove to be a useful haircare agent to help you achieve that objective! Cedarwood oil greatly helps to prevent hair loss as it stimulates and strengthens your hair follicles. Not only that, it helps to promote blood circulation to the scalp, therefore contributing to hair growth as well.

Additionally, cedarwood oil helps in improving dry scalp conditions, as the healthy blood circulation stimulates the scalp and thus, helps to reduce any dryness, flakiness or itch. Thus, this helps to promote a much healthier scalp condition!

A 1998 study published in the Archives of Dermatology notes how a combination of thyme, rosemary, lavender and cedarwood essential oils that are mixed with jojoba and grapeseed oils led to an improvement in scalp health and hair growth in 44% of the test subjects who were suffering from hair loss, after seven months of treatment.

How to Use it: To prevent hair loss and promote hair growth, try adding cedarwood oil to your daily shampoo or conditioner and massage onto your hair and scalp as per normal. Let it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing. To prevent dry scalp, you can mix 2 drops of cedarwood oil with coconut oil and gently rub the mixture onto your scalp for about 5 minutes. Let it sit for 30 minutes before washing it away.

3. Offers Pain Relief

Cedarwood essential oil also contains potent anti-inflammatory properties which makes it especially useful for those suffering from inflammation of the joints and muscle tissues. This can prove to be a source of great pain and discomfort. Fortunately, cedarwood oil helps to offer pain relief and comfort from such painful conditions arising from stiff joints and aching muscles, such as arthritis and rheumatism.

Not only that, cedarwood can help to relieve muscle spasms and unnecessary convulsions or cramps which can result in pain and discomfort as well. This makes it an excellent remedy for women who suffer from menstrual cramps during their time of the month as well since it serves to relax the uterine muscles.

How to Use it: You can dilute a few drops of the oil with a carrier oil (such as coconut, rosehip or grape seed oils) to create a massage blend and gently massage on the affected areas to soothe the muscle cramps and alleviate stiff joints. Alternatively, you can also add about 5-10 drops of the oil in a tub of warm, bathing water to soak your aching and painful muscles.

4. Offers Respiratory Relief

Cedarwood oil, being an expectorant, is able to clear out excess phlegm and mucus that are lodged in your nasal and respiratory tracts, thus helping to clear out congestion and facilitate an unobstructed airflow which thus helps to alleviate breathing difficulties. As such, it helps to provide much relief from coughing spells, flu, the common cold and bronchitis as well as helps you to sleep better at night.

Its anti-spasmodic compounds also greatly help to alleviate convulsions and contractions of the muscles at your respiratory tracts, thus offering much relief and comfort from painful and uncomfortable coughing spells.

How to Use it: By mixing cedarwood oil with a carrier oil such as jojoba, rosehip or almond oils, you can gently massage 2 drops of the diluted oil onto your chest and throat area. Alternatively, you can also add a few drops of the oil onto a bowl containing hot water, and proceed to inhale gently the vapors emanating out.

5. As an Insect Repellent

Cedarwood essential oil also makes for a useful and potent insect repellent, in addition to its many health benefits as listed above! It can drive away those unwanted creepy crawlies that intrudes and invades your house and workplaces, such as mosquitoes, flies and other pesky insects. This helps to maintain a healthy living and work environment as it is constantly kept clean and bug-free.

Scientific research has backed up this claim as well! According to a 1988 study published in the Journal of Chemical Ecology, researchers found that the cedarwood oil exhibited strong insecticidal activity against the pulse beetle and the housefly. Cedarwood oil helped to kill these two species of insects, leading to the conclusion that cedarwood oil is a good ingredient to put in commercial insecticide products.

Cedarwood oil can also be a natural mothball to help solve the problem of moths damaging your clothes! Therefore, it is an excellent oil to repel away insects and other creepy crawlies so as to maintain a clean environment.

How to Use it: You can add about 4-5 drops of the oil into a spritz bottle containing water and shake well. Proceed to then spray around the house and surfaces to keep insects and bugs out. Alternatively, you can also add a few drops of the oil onto your bed sheet to prevent such creepy crawlies from invading your beds.

For a natural mothball, you can add a few drops of the oil onto a cotton ball and place them in your closet, on your hangers or even inside storage boxes.

6. Relieves Tension and Stress

Not only can cedarwood combat a range of physical complaints, it is also good for mental and emotional health. Since it is also a sedative, it promotes calm and relaxation of the mind, thus helping to get rid of whatever tension, stress and anxiety from the demands of the day.

It soothes your mind and serves to emotionally uplift your spirits, thus proving to be a terrific natural remedy for those who are melancholic or suffering from depression. This is because the warm, woody aroma is able to soothe your mind, thereby inducing a peaceful and restful sleep, thus seeking to restore your mental, emotional and physical health!

According to a 2003 study carried out by researchers in Japan, they found how cedarwood oil had a marked sedative and relaxant effect on the motor activities and nerves of the rats which were being tested. The sleeping rates of the rates also increased, thus demonstrating how people with anxiety and stress issues can use cedarwood oil to relax and calm them.

How to Use it: You can inhale the aromatic fragrance of cedarwood oil by distilling it in a diffuser or vaporizer and placing it in your room or by your bedside table.

7. Helps to Kill Infections

Cedarwood essential oil is also a potent antifungal agent, meaning it can help to eradicate fungal infections, both on your skin and internally. A 2012 study published by the Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice found that cedarwood oil showed strong inhibitory activities against the bacterial strain of S. mutans and is effective to inhibit bacterial and yeast formations that are responsible for oral infections. Thus, it serves as an excellent alternative to other antibacterial agents.

If you have incurred a wound or a cut on your skin, you can also apply cedarwood oil as it is also a powerful antiseptic agent due to its antimicrobial properties. It helps to eradicate bacteria and viruses that may linger on your skin, thus mitigating the risks of infections and complications. As such, it can actually help to boost your immune system greatly!

How to Use it: You can dilute cedarwood oil with a carrier oil (such as coconut oil), and proceed to rub it on the affected areas of your skin to help heal wounds and fungal skin infections.

8. Helps to Improve ADHD Levels

Cedarwood oil also helps to boost concentration and focus levels as it seeks to provide mental clarity. This is thus especially helpful for children who are suffering from Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), as characterized by low attention spans and impulsive activity.

In a study conducted by Dr. Terry Friedmann, he found that the six children who were given cedarwood oil to be inhaled three times a day found that there was a 32% improvement in concentration and focus levels, after the treatment!

Thus, this illustrates how cedarwood oil can also help to boost memory and concentration levels as attention span is increased, thus enabling them to perform tasks better and more efficiently.

How to Use it: As seen in the experiment, you can also seek to diffuse cedarwood oil into a diffuser or vaporizer and put it on your work desk table to stimulate concentration and focus.

9. Helps to Tighten Muscles

The essential oil of cedarwood also contains astringent properties, which means it is a great agent to tone up your skin and make it firmer as well as tighter. This thus helps to retain your youthful glow and prevents the onset of loose or sagging skin. Moreover, it tightens up the muscles within the digestive system, therefore preventing the onset of diarrhea.

How to Use it: By mixing 3-5 drops of the oil with a carrier oil, you can proceed to gently rub the mixture onto your arms, abdominal area, chest and legs to promote skin tightening.

Safety Precautions:

• Do not ingest cedarwood essential oil as it is a strong oil that can cause vomiting, nausea and other damages to the digestive system.

• Pregnant women are not advised to use cedarwood essential oil. It is always best to consult your doctor first.

• Always dilute cedarwood oil with a carrier oil (such as coconut, jojoba, grapeseed or rosehip oil) in a 1:1 ratio before topical application onto the skin. This is because cedarwood oil, in its concentrated form, can have irritant effects on your skin.

• Perform a skin patch test prior to topical application onto the affected areas to ensure there are no sensitive, allergic or irritant reactions.

• If you are having any medical conditions and are taking any prescribed medications, do consult your doctor first before using cedarwood essential oil as a form of treatment.

References:

Hay IC, Jamieson M, Ormerod AD, “Randomized trial of aromatherapy. Successful treatment for alopecia areata”, Archives of Dermatology (1998); 134(11)

Singh D, Agarwal SK, “Himachalol and B-himachalene: Insecticidal principles of himalayan cedarwood oil”, Journal of Chemical Ecology (1988); 14(4)

Kagawa D, et al., “The sedative effects and mechanism of action of cedrol inhalation with behavioral pharmacological evaluation”, PubMed (2003); 69(7)

Chaudhari LK, et al., “Antimicrobial activity of commercially available essential oils against Streptococcus mutans”, The Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice (2012); 13(1)

Terry S. Friedmann, “Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)”, n.d.