Cinnamomum zeylanicum leaf, steam distilled, social enterprise, from Sri Lanka. This is the species and preparation of cinnamon that I recommend for products left on the skin such as lotions or perfumes.
Aroma: Cinnamon Leaf oil has a spicy, warm, clove-like smell, that is less spicy than cinnamon bark essential oil.
History: Medicinal use of cinnamon bark was first recorded in Chinese formularies as early as 2700 B.C. The herb has been used as a healing aid for stomach upset and gas, diarrhea, rheumatism, kidney ailments, and abdominal pain. The Egyptians used it as a foot massage, as well as a remedy for excessive bile. It was used as an ingredient of mulled wines, love potions and a sedative during birth.
Colour: Golden Brown
Common Uses: Cinnamon Leaf is believed to have the following properties: as a stimulant, as an antiseptic (as with cinnamon bark), as an antibiotic, as an astringent, as a carminative, as an emmenagogue, and as a natural insecticide and antispasmodic. Constipation, exhaustion, flatulence, lice, low blood pressure, rheumatism, scabies, stress. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 58-67.]
Cinnamon leaf promotes strength, endurance and certainty.
Constituents:
Eugenol 79.5%, Eugenyl acetate, Linalool, (E)-Cinnamyl acetate, Benzyl benzoate
[B.M. Lawrence, Essential Oils 1976-1978 (Wheaton: Allured Publishing, 1979), 29. B.M. Lawrence, Essential Oils 1988-1991 (Wheaton: Allured Publishing, 1995), 148, 201. Sources cited in Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 248-249.]
Cinnamon leaf composition is dominated by eugenol, often making up 70-80% of the essential oil, responsible for its clove-like aroma, alongside significant amounts of benzyl benzoate, trans-caryophyllene, linalool, and cinnamyl acetate, with smaller traces of cinnamaldehyde and eugenyl acetate, contributing to diverse medicinal properties like antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, though exact percentages vary by species (like C. verum or C. zeylanicum) and growing conditions.
Consistency: Thin to Medium
Note: Middle
The strength of Aroma: Medium
Cautions: Though non-toxic, it is capable of causing sensitivity - particularly with mucous membranes. It should also be used in proper dilution and avoided during pregnancy.
Safety Information: Tisserand and Young indicate that both the bark and the leaf oil are low risk for mucous membrane irritation, may inhibit blood clotting and pose a drug interaction hazard. For the leaf oil, Tisserand and Young recommend a dermal maximum of 0.6%. Reading Tisserand and Young's full profile for both the bark and leaf oils is recommended. [Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 248-250.]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I carry over 500 essential oils, resins, absolutes, extracts and dozens of enriching, infused and carrier oils, making Anarres Natural Health the most ethical and local source for essential oils in Toronto.
Photo thanks to Shijan Kaakkara, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
