Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil (Cinnamomum verum)

Method of Extraction: Steam Distillation.

Plant Part Used: Bark.

Color: Golden Yellow/Brown.

Consistency: Slightly oily feeling.

Perfumery Note: Middle.

Strength of Initial Aroma: Strong.

Aromatic Description: Peppery, earthy, spicy, bright yet slightly woodsy.

• Sluggish Digestion.
• Colds/Flu Exhaustion.
• Lice.
• Circulation.
• Rheumatism.
• Scabies.
• Stress.

Source: Julia Lawless, The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Updated Edition) (London: Harper Thorsons, 2014), 74-75.

Adults: Usually, a 2-3% dilution is suitable, about 12-18 drops of essential oil per ounce of carrier oil.

Children (5-10), Frail Elderly, Sensitive Skin: A lower dilution of 1% or less (6 drops per ounce).

Facial or Sensitive Areas: Use a 0.5-1% dilution (3-6 drops per ounce).

Acute or Short-Term Use: For resolving a specific issue, a marginally higher dilution can be used for a period of 2-3 weeks as necessary.

(E)-Cinnamaldehyde. Eugenol. (E)-Cinnamyl Acetate. Linalool. B-Caryophyllene. p-Cymene.

Source: B.M. Lawrence, Essential Oils 1988-1991 (Wheaton: Allured Publishing, 1995), 201. F. Tateo, F. Chizzini, The Composition and Quality of Supercritical CO2 Extracted Cinnamon. (Journal of Essential Oil Research 1, 1989), 165-168. K.H. Kubeczka, Essential Oils Analysis by Capillary Gas Chromatography and Carbon-13 NMR Spectoroscopy, Second Edition. (Chichester: Wiley, 2002). Sources cited in Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 248-249.

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.

Cinnamon Bark Oil may cause embryotoxicity and is contraindicated in pregnancy and breastfeeding.

There is a high risk of skin sensitization with the bark oil, and Tisserand and Young recommend a dermal maximum of 0.07% for the bark oil. 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.]

This essential oil poses a higher risk of causing irritation and sensitization when used in the bath. Avoid using it in the bath, even if it is solubilized/diluted.