Essential Branch

Woody essential oil

Cypress

Cupressus sempervirens

Rounded green and brown cypress cones clustered among scale-like Mediterranean cypress foliage.
Rounded green and brown cypress cones clustered among scale-like Mediterranean cypress foliage. Photo: Lucarelli, CC BY-SA 3.0

Cypress essential oil is steam distilled from the needles of Cupressus sempervirens, of the Cupressaceae family. Its aroma is fresh, herbaceous and woody with a slightly coniferous edge, and it sits as a middle note in blends. People often choose it for freshening the air, for skin blends and for a grounding feel, and it pairs well with grapefruit, cedarwood, juniper berry, peppermint, lemon and lavender. Standard safety references list no known hazards, and no maximum skin level has been published, though normal dilution still applies. The main point is freshness: oxidised oil is more likely to sensitise skin. Because it is rich in pinene, use it with caution around dogs and cats.

Safety at a glance

  • Pregnancy Generally well tolerated
  • Children From age 2
  • Dogs Use with caution
  • Cats Use with caution
  • Sunlight Not phototoxic
  • On skin No published maximum

Reference

Botanical name Cupressus sempervirens
Plant family Cupressaceae
Plant part Needles
Extraction steam distillation
Main origins Not given in the references we use
Aroma family Woody
Note Middle note
Aroma Fresh, woody and lightly coniferous
Main constituents alpha-pinene, delta-3-carene, cedrol, alpha-terpinyl acetate and terpinolene
Common uses fresh air, skin and grounding
Suggested maximum on skin No published maximum
Phototoxic No
Shelf life once opened 1 to 2 years
Pregnancy Generally well tolerated
Children From age 2
Dogs Use with caution
Cats Use with caution
Safety notes Tisserand and Young list no known hazards for cypress, but oxidised oil is more likely to sensitise skin, so keep it fresh. It is on the IFPA list of oils used in pregnancy. It is rich in pinene, like the pine oils pet poison lines flag, so treat it with caution around pets.

Blends well with

Sources

  1. Cypress Essential Oil, AromaWeb. Accessed October 26, 2026
  2. Aromatherapy and pregnancy guidelines, International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (hosted by NAHA). Accessed October 26, 2026
  3. Essential oil shelf life (Robert Tisserand's guideline), AromaWeb. Accessed October 26, 2026