Woody essential oil
Cedarwood (Virginian)
Juniperus virginiana
The cedarwood oil most widely sold in the United States comes from Virginian cedarwood, Juniperus virginiana, which is botanically a juniper rather than a true cedar. It is distilled from sawdust and offcuts left over from timber work, which makes good use of a by-product. The smell is dry and clean, like pencil shavings, and it is often chosen as an inexpensive base note for sleep and grounding blends and for freshening wardrobes. It is gentle in normal use. Atlas cedarwood, a true cedar, smells sweeter, but the tree is listed as endangered, so we do not feature it here.
Safety at a glance
- Pregnancy Use with caution
- Children From age 2
- Dogs Use with caution
- Cats Use with caution
- Sunlight Not phototoxic
- On skin No published maximum
Reference
| Botanical name | Juniperus virginiana |
|---|---|
| Plant family | Cupressaceae |
| Plant part | Wood (sawdust and offcuts) |
| Extraction | steam distillation |
| Main origins | United States |
| Aroma family | Woody |
| Note | Base note |
| Aroma | Dry, clean wood like pencil shavings |
| Main constituents | alpha-cedrene, thujopsene, cedrol, beta-cedrene and widdrol |
| Common uses | sleep, grounding, fresh home and calm |
| Suggested maximum on skin | No published maximum |
| Phototoxic | No |
| Shelf life once opened | 4 to 6 years |
| Pregnancy | Use with caution |
| Children | From age 2 |
| Dogs | Use with caution |
| Cats | Use with caution |
| Safety notes | Tisserand and Young list no particular hazards for Virginian cedarwood, and it is not on the IFPA pregnancy list, so pregnancy stays at caution. Do not confuse it with cedar leaf (thuja) oil: the Merck Veterinary Manual lists 'cedar' among oils that can cause seizures in pets, so we keep cats and dogs at caution. |
Blends well with
Used in: Essential Oil Blends for Sleep, Essential Oil Blends for a Fresh Home, Essential Oil Blends for Seasonal Comfort
Sources
- Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals, 2nd edition (Tisserand & Young), Churchill Livingstone / Elsevier
- Toxicoses from essential oils in animals, Merck Veterinary Manual
- Aromatherapy and pregnancy guidelines, International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (hosted by NAHA)