The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (14 page)

The juice from the fresh herb is used to treat skin ailments such as eczema, abscesses and slow-healing wounds; also used for dropsy, arthritis and gout, among others.

ACTIONS Aperitif, antiseptic, carminative, cicatrisant, depurative, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, nervine, restorative, stimulant (metabolism), stomachic, tonic.

EXTRACTION Essential oil by steam distillation from seeds or fruit.

CHARACTERISTICS A pale yellow liquid with a sweet-herbaceous, anisic odour.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS Mainly methyl chavicol, also 1-allyl-2, 4-dimethoxybenzene and anethole, among others.

SAFETY DATA Methyl chavicol and anethole are known to have toxic and irritant effects; methyl chavicol is reported to have possible carcinogenic effects. Since these constitute the major proportion of the essential oil, it is best avoided for therapeutic use.

AROMATHERAPY/HOME USE None.

OTHER USES Extensively employed as a flavour ingredient by the food industry, especially in meat products, as well as in alcoholic and soft drinks.

Cinnamomum zeylanicum

FAMILY Lauraceae

SYNONYMS C.
verum, Laurus cinnamomum
, Ceylon cinnamon, Seychelles cinnamon, Madagascar cinnamon, true cinnamon, cinnamon leaf (oil), cinnamon bark (oil).

GENERAL DESCRIPTION A tropical evergreen tree up to 15 metres high, with strong branches and thick scabrous bark with young shoots speckled greeny-orange. It has shiny green, leathery leaves, small white flowers and oval bluish-white berries. The leaves have a spicy smell when bruised.

DISTRIBUTION Native to Sri Lanka, Madagascar, the Comoro Islands, South India, Burma and Indochina. It is also cultivated in India, Jamaica and Africa – each region tending to have its own particular species.

OTHER SPECIES Madagascar cinnamon is considered superior to the various other types of cinnamon such as the Saigon cinnamon
(C. loureirii)
and the Batavia Cinnamon
(C. burmanii).
See also Botanical Classification section.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION The inner bark of the new shoots from the cinnamon tree are gathered every two years and sold in the form of sticks for use as a domestic spice. It has been used for thousands of years in the east for a wide range of complaints including colds, ’flu, digestive and menstrual problems, rheumatism, kidney troubles and as a general stimulant.

Current in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia as a specific for flatulent colic and dyspepsia with nausea.

ACTIONS Anthelmintic, antidiarrhoeal, antidote (to poison), antimicrobial, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antiputrescent, aphrodisiac, astringent, carminative, digestive, emmenagogue, haemostatic, orexigenic, parasiticide, refrigerant, spasmolytic, stimulant (circulatory, cardiac, respiratory), stomachic, vermifuge.

EXTRACTION Essential oil by water or steam distillation from the 1. leaves and twigs, and 2. dried inner bark.

CHARACTERISTICS 1. A yellow to brownish liquid with a warm-spicy, somewhat harsh odour. 2. A pale to dark yellow liquid with a sweet, warm-spicy, dry, tenacious odour. It blends well with olibanum, ylang ylang, orange, mandarin, benzoin, Peru balsam and in oriental-type mixtures.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS 1. Leaf – eugenol (80‒96 per cent), eugenol acetate, cinnamaldehyde (3 per cent), benzyl benzoate, linalol, safrol among others. 2. Bark-cinnamaldehyde (40‒50 per cent), eugenol (4‒10 per cent), benzaldehyde, cuminaldehyde, pinene, cineol, phellandrene, furfurol, cymene, linalol, among others.

SAFETY DATA 1. The leaf oil is relatively non-toxic, though possibly irritant due to cinnamaldehyde. Its major component, eugenol, causes irritation to the mucous membranes: use in moderation. 2. The bark oil is a dermal toxin, irritant and sensitizer; also irritant to the mucous membranes. ‘Should never be used on the skin (one of the most hazardous oils).’
³¹

AROMATHERAPY/HOME USE

Cinnamon bark oil – none.

Cinnamon leaf oil:
SKIN CARE
: Lice, scabies, tooth and gum care, warts, wasp stings.

CIRCULATION, MUSCLES AND JOINTS
: Poor circulation, rheumatism.

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
: Anorexia, colitis, diarrhoea, dyspepsia, intestinal infection, sluggish digestion, spasm.

GENITO-URINARY SYSTEM
: Childbirth (stimulates contractions), frigidity, leucorrhoea, metrorrhagia, scanty periods.

IMMUNE SYSTEM:
Chills, colds, ’flu, infectious diseases.

NERVOUS SYSTEM
: Debility, nervous exhaustion and stress-related conditions.

OTHER USES Both bark and leaf oils are used for their fragrance and therapeutic actions in toothpastes, nasal sprays, mouthwashes, cough syrups and dental preparations. The leaf oil is used in soaps, cosmetics, toiletries and perfumes. Both are used extensively in food flavouring, especially in alcoholic and soft drinks, including Coca Cola.

Cymbopogon nardus

FAMILY Poaceae (Gramineae)

SYNONYMS
Andropogon nardus
, Sri Lanka citronella, Lenabatu citronella.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION A tall, aromatic, perennial grass, which has derived from the wild-growing ‘managrass’ found in Sri Lanka.

DISTRIBUTION Native to Sri Lanka, now extensively cultivated on the southernmost tip of the country.

OTHER SPECIES An important essential oil is also produced on a large scale from the Java or Maha Pengiri citronella
(C. winterianus).
This variety is cultivated in the tropics worldwide, especially in Java, Vietnam, Africa, Argentina and Central America. There are many other related species of scented grasses.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION The leaves of citronella are used for their aromatic and medicinal value in many cultures, for fever, intestinal parasites, digestive and menstrual problems, as a stimulant and an insect repellent. It is used in Chinese traditional medicine for rheumatic pain.

ACTIONS Antiseptic, antispasmodic, bactericidal, deodorant, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, febrifuge, fungicidal, insecticide, stomachic, tonic, vermifuge.

EXTRACTION Essential oil by steam distillation of the fresh, part-dried or dried grass. (The Java citronella yields twice as much oil as the Sri Lanka type.)

CHARACTERISTICS A yellowy-brown, mobile liquid with a fresh, powerful, lemony scent. The Java oil is colourless to pale yellow with a fresh, woody-sweet fragrance; it is considered of superior quality in perfumery work. It blends well with geranium, lemon, bergamot, orange, cedarwood and pine.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS Mainly geraniol(up to 45 per cent in the Java oil), citronellal (up to 50 per cent in the Java oil) with geranyl acetate, limonene and camphene, among others. The Sri Lanka variety contains more monoterpene hydrocarbons.

SAFETY DATA Non-toxic, non-irritant; may cause dermatitis in some individuals. Avoid during pregnancy.

AROMATHERAPY/HOME USE

SKIN CARE
: Excessive perspiration, oily skin,
insect repellant. ‘Mixed with cedarwood oil Virginia, it has been a popular remedy against mosquito attacks for many years prior to the appearance of DDT and other modern insecticides.’
²³

IMMUNE SYSTEM
: Colds, ’flu, minor infections.

NERVOUS SYSTEM:
Fatigue, headaches, migraine, neuralgia.

OTHER USES Extensively used in soaps, detergents, household goods and industrial perfumes. Employed in insect repellent formulations against moths, ants, fleas, etc, for use in the home and in the garden

The Sri Lanka oil is used in most major food categories, including alcoholic and soft drinks. The Java oil is used as the starting material for the isolation of natural geraniol and citronellal.

Syzygium aromaticum

FAMILY Myrtaceae

SYNONYMS
Eugenia aromatica, E. caryophyllata, E. caryophyllus.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION A slender evergreen tree with a smooth grey trunk, up to 12 metres high. It has large bright green leaves standing in pairs on short stalks. At the start of the rainy season long buds appear with a rosy-pink corolla at the tip; as the corolla fades the calyx slowly turns deep red. These are beaten from the tree and, when dried provide the cloves of commerce.

DISTRIBUTION Believed to be native to Indonesia; now cultivated worldwide, especially in the Philippines, the Molucca Islands and Madagascar. The main oil-producing countries are Madagascar, and Indonesia.

OTHER SPECIES The clove tree has been cultivated in plantations for over 2000 years. The original wild trees found in the Moluccas, produce an essential oil that contains no eugenol at all.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION Extensively used as a domestic spice worldwide. Tincture of cloves has been used for skin infections (scabies, athlete’s foot); for digestive upsets; to dress the umbilical cord; for intestinal parasites; to ease the pain of childbirth (steeped in wine); and notably for toothache. The tea is used to relieve nausea.

In Chinese medicine the oil is used for diarrhoea, hernia, bad breath and bronchitis as well as for those conditions mentioned above. In Indonesia, the ‘Kretak’ cigarette is popular, made from two parts tobacco and one part cloves.

ACTIONS Anthelmintic, antibiotic, anti-emetic, antihistaminic, antirheumatic, antineuralgic, anti-oxidant, antiseptic, antiviral, aphrodisiac, carminative, counter-irritant, expectorant, larvicidal, spasmolytic, stimulant, stomachic, vermifuge.

EXTRACTION Essential oil by water distillation from the 1. buds and 2. leaves, and by steam distillation from the 3. stalks or stems. A concrete, absolute and oleoresin are also produced from the buds in small quantities.

CHARACTERISTICS 1. Clove bud is a pale yellow liquid with a sweet-spicy odour and a fruity-fresh top note. The bud oil is favoured in perfumery work. It blends well with rose, lavender, vanillin, clary sage, bergamot, bay leaf, lavandin, allspice, ylang ylang and cananga. 2. Clove leaf is a dark brown oil with a crude, burnt-woody odour. 3. Clove stem oil is a pale yellow liquid with a strong spicy-woody odour.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS 1. Bud: 60‒90 per cent eugenol, eugenyl acetate, caryophyllene and other minor constituents. 2. Leaf: 82–88 per cent eugenol with little or no eugenyl acetate, and other minor constituents. 3. Stem: 90–95 per cent eugenol, with other minor constituents.

SAFETY DATA All clove oils can cause skin and mucous membrane irritation; clove bud and stem oil may cause dermatitis in some individuals. Clove bud is the least toxic of the three oils due to the lower eugenol percentage. Use in moderation only in low dilution (less than 1 percent).

AROMATHERAPY/HOME USE Only use clove bud oil, not the leaf or stem oil.

SKIN CARE
: Acne, athlete’s foot, bruises, burns, cuts, insect repellent (mosquito), toothache, ulcers, wounds.

CIRCULATION, MUSCLES AND JOINTS
: Arthritis, rheumatism, sprains.

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
: Asthma, bronchitis.

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
: Colic, dyspepsia, nausea.

IMMUNE SYSTEM
: Colds, ’flu, minor infections.

OTHER USES Used in dental preparations, and as a fragrance component in toothpastes, soaps, toiletries, cosmetics and perfumes. Extensively employed as a flavour ingredient in major food categories, alcoholic and soft drinks. Used in the production of printing ink, glue and varnish; clove leaf oil is used as the starting material for the isolation of eugenol.

Coriandrum sativum

FAMILY Apiaceae (Umbelliferae)

SYNONYMS Coriander seed, Chinese parsley.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION A strongly aromatic annual herb about 1 metre high with bright green delicate leaves, umbels of lacelike white flowers, followed by a mass of green (turning brown) round seeds.

DISTRIBUTION Native to Europe and western Asia; naturalized in North America. Cultivated throughout the world, the oil is mainly produced in the USSR, Yugoslavia and Romania.

OTHER SPECIES Various chemotypes of the same species are found according to geographical location.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION A herb with a long history of use the seeds were found in the ancient Egyptian tomb of Rameses II. The seeds and leaves are widely used as a garnish and domestic spice, especially in curries. It has been used therapeutically, mainly in the form of an infusion for children’s diarrhoea, digestive upsets, griping pains, anorexia and flatulence.

In Chinese medicine the whole herb is used for dysentery, piles, measles, nausea, toothache and for painful hernia.

ACTIONS Analgesic, aperitif, aphrodisiac, anti-oxidant, anti-rheumatic, antispasmodic, bactericidal, depurative, digestive, carminative, cytotoxic, fungicidal, larvicidal, lipolytic, revitalizing, stimulant (cardiac, circulatory, nervous system), stomachic.

EXTRACTION Essential oil by steam distillation from the crushed ripe seeds. (An essential oil is also produced by steam distillation from the fresh and dried leaves, which contains a high proportion of decyl aldehyde.)

CHARACTERISTICS A colourless to pale yellow liquid with a sweet, woody-spicy, slightly musky fragrance. It blends well with clary sage, bergamot, jasmine, olibanum, neroli, petitgrain, citronella, sandalwood, cypress, pine, ginger, cinnamon and other spice oils.