Cypress Essential Oil

Botanical Name:  Cupressus Sempervirens
Family:  Cupressaceae
Description & Extraction:
The tree is a perennial tree, conical-shaped, about 28 meters (80 feet) high and originated from the East, now mostly found in gardens and cemeteries in the Mediterranean region. It is an evergreen tree with dark green foliage, small flowers and round brown-gray cones with seed nuts inside. The wood is hard and durable, red-yellow in color. Cypress essential oil is from Cupressus sempervirens of the Cupressaceae family and is also known as Italian or Mediterranean cypress. It has a positive effect on excess fluids in general, thereby improving circulation, sorting out coughs and bronchitis. It assists with varicose veins and female problems and is definitely an oil to have around. Cypress oil is extracted from the needles and twigs of young branches by steam distillation and yields 1.3 - 1.5 %.

Chemical Components:
The main components of cypress oil are a-pinene, camphene, sabinene, b-pinene, d-3carene, myrcene, a-terpinene, terpinolene, linalool, bornyl acetate, cedrol and cadinene.

Toxicological Properties:
Cypress oil has a woody, slightly spicy and refreshing masculine smell. The oil is colorless to very pale yellow in color and watery in viscosity. Cypress oil is astringent, antiseptic, antispasmodic, deodorant, diuretic, haemostatic, hepatic, styptic, sudorific, vasoconstrictor, respiratory tonic and sedative.

Uses & Precaution:

·         It is beneficial in conditions of excess fluid, such as bleeding, nosebleeds, heavy menstruation, heavy perspiration, cough and bronchitis, hemorrhages and fluid retention.

·         The antispasmodic action is very useful for asthma, whooping cough, bronchitis, emphysema and influenza.

·         It is calming and soothing effect on the irritable, angry and stressed-out person and has a valuable effect as a vasoconstrictor on varicose veins and hemorrhoids.

·         Cypress oil has a calming and soothing effect on the nerves, is valuable as a vasoconstrictor, useful in the treatment of excessive discharge of fluids and beneficial for the respiratory tract.

·         The oil is considered non-toxic, non-irritant and non-sensitizing but it is best to avoid it during pregnancy. It is also best to do a skin patch test before using it in a massage blend.