• Vitamins & Supplements
  • Food & Drink
  • Sports Nutrition
  • Free From
  • Natural Beauty
  • Weight Management
  • Offers
  • Summer Shop
  • The Health Hub
  • Learn more Healthbox
  • Account
Track your order Delivery & Returns Help Centre My subscriptions

Customer Service

  • Contact us
  • Site map
  • Site map
  • Store locator

About us

  • Who are we
  • Working at Holland & Barrett
  • Press releases
  • Privacy & cookie policy
  • Terms & conditions
  • Holland & Barrett More
  • Holland & Barrett International
  • Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Modern Slavery Statement

Connect with us

Store
0370 606 6606
My account
Rewards
  • Sign in
  • How do I join?
  • What are the benefits?
  • FAQs
Holland & Barrett :: the good life
  • Menu
  • Account
  • Store
  • Basket
    Search for
    • Vitamins & Supplements
    • Food & Drink
    • Sports Nutrition
    • Free From
    • Natural Beauty
    • Weight Management
    • Offers
    • The Health Hub
    • Healthbox

    Home / Natural Beauty / Aromatherapy / Cedarwood oil: Uses and benefits 

    cedarwood essential oil
    cedarwood essential oil

    Cedarwood oil: Uses and benefits 

    There are all sorts of different essential oils out there. Among them is cedar oil or cedarwood essential oil.

    In terms of the origins of this particular oil, the name gives it away somewhat. Cedarwood essential oil is created from elements of cedar trees – the needles, the leaves, the bark and the berries.1

    Cedar oil tends to be made from these four cedar trees – Himalayan Cedarwood, Atlas Cedarwood, Texan Cedarwood and the Virginian Cedarwood.2

    How is it made?

    As with most essential oils, cedar oil is extracted from the cedar tree elements in a number of ways, which include steam distillation, cold pressing and dioxide distillation.3

    How long have people been using cedar oil for?

    For a very long time. Himalayan Cedarwood and Atlas Cedarwood are reportedly the very first essentials oils to have ever been distilled for things such as medicine, cosmetics and incense.4

    In terms of its historical roots, cedarwood essential oil:

    • Is often mentioned in the Bible and is said to symbolise protection, wisdom and abundance
    • Was used in the Ancient Egyptian mummification process, alongside other essential oils, such as thyme and peppermint
    • Was used by the Native Americans to enhance spiritual communication, reduce anger and promote positive feelings5

    How can it be used?

    Cedarwood oil can be used in lots of different ways. You can:

    Inhale it

    Either breathe it in directly from the bottle or sprinkle some droplets on to a towel or cloth and pop it under your pillow.6

    Apply it

    Directly to your skin to help with pimples, blackheads or whiteheads. (Note – make sure you dilute it first).7

    Massage it

    Mix it with a carrier oil and massage it into your scalp or skin.8

    Sprinkle it

    On your skin or clothes (be sure to dilute it first) to help repel fleas, ticks and moths.9

    Diffuse it

    Put some drops in a room diffuser so that you can inhale the aroma.10

    Bathe in it

    Run a warm bath, add 4 to 6 drops of oil and disperse with your hand. Then relax in the bath for at least 10 minutes to allow the aroma to work.11

    Cedarwood essential oil benefits

    Cedarwood oil has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, antifungal and insecticidal properties. As a result, there are lots of benefits to using it, including these five:

    1. Helps with hair loss – according to a study published in Archives of Dermatology in 1998, cedar essential oil is a safe and effective treatment for alopecia areata.12
    2. Repel insects – cedarwood essential oil is a natural insect repellent because insects, such as mosquitos and fleas, hate the aroma and are repelled by it.13
    1. Treat flaky skin – when mixed with a carrier oil14 (e.g. coconut, jojoba, apricot kernel, sweet almond, olive, argan, rosehip, black seed, avocado or sunflower oil) cedar oil can help treat dandruff and dryness.15
    1. Promote sleep – cedar oil’s known to have sedative qualities that can help induce sleep. Diffuse or inhale it or enjoy a cedar oil bath just before bed.16 (Try this – 5 drops of cedar oil, 4 drops of lavender oil and 1 drop of vetiver oil).17
    1. Reduce inflammation – due to its anti-inflammatory properties, cedarwood oil has been shown to reduce joint and muscle inflammation.18

    How to use it safely

    As we’ve mentioned above, always dilute cedar oil before applying it topically and do a patch test to it make sure it doesn’t irritate your skin. Like all essential oils, cedarwood oil can be dangerous if swallowed. Always follow the manufacturer’s guidelines on how to use it.19

    Some interesting facts about cedar oil

    • It blends well with these oils – benzoin, bergamot, cinnamon, cypress, juniper, frankincense, lemon, jasmine, lime, rose, lavender, rosemary and neroli20
    • The ancient Sumerians used cedarwood oil as a base for creating paint21
    • You’ll find it in some cleaning, sprays, perfumes and antiseptic products22
    • You can use it as an aftershave – because of its woody, earthy scent23
    • It also works as a natural deodorant– simply combine it with baking soda and corn starch.24 (For more on natural homemade deodorants, check out this article, ‘Make your own natural homemade deodorant.’)
    • It’s great for getting rid of rubbish smells – put some in a spray bottle and then spray it where the smells are25
    • It can shift stubborn chest phlegm – simply by rubbing a few diluted drops of oil on to your throat and chest and breathing the scent in deeply26

    Buy Miaroma’s Cedarwood Pure Essential Oil

    Last updated: 14 September 2020

    Sources
    1 https://www.healthline.com/health/cedarwood-essential-oil
    2 https://upnature.com/blogs/news/21-miraculous-uses-for-cedarwood-essential-oil
    3 https://www.healthline.com/health/cedarwood-essential-oil
    4 https://upnature.com/blogs/news/21-miraculous-uses-for-cedarwood-essential-oil
    5 https://www.decleor.co.uk/blogs/cedarwood.html#:~:text=History%20of%20Cedarwood%20Essential%20Oil&text=In%20fact%2C%20it%20was%20said,the%20Ancient%20Egyptian%20mummification%20process.
    6 https://www.healthline.com/health/cedarwood-essential-oil#uses
    7 https://www.healthline.com/health/cedarwood-essential-oil#uses
    8 https://www.healthline.com/health/cedarwood-essential-oil#uses
    9 https://www.healthline.com/health/cedarwood-essential-oil#uses
    10 https://upnature.com/blogs/news/21-miraculous-uses-for-cedarwood-essential-oil
    11 https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/miaroma-cedarwood-pure-essential-oil-60060184
    12 https://www.verywellhealth.com/the-benefits-of-cedar-essential-oil-88775
    13 https://upnature.com/blogs/news/21-miraculous-uses-for-cedarwood-essential-oil
    14 https://www.healthline.com/health/carrier-oil#rosehip-oil
    15 https://www.healthline.com/health/cedarwood-essential-oil
    16 https://www.healthline.com/health/cedarwood-essential-oil
    17 https://www.youngliving.com/blog/cedarwood-obsessed-over-5-ways-to-use-it/
    18 https://www.decleor.co.uk/blogs/cedarwood.html
    19 https://www.healthline.com/health/cedarwood-essential-oil#uses
    20 https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/red-cedar-essential-oil/
    21 https://sciencing.com/cedar-vs-white-cedar-8766975.html
    22 https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/red-cedar-essential-oil/
    23 https://www.healthline.com/health/cedarwood-essential-oil#uses
    24 https://upnature.com/blogs/news/21-miraculous-uses-for-cedarwood-essential-oil
    25 https://upnature.com/blogs/news/21-miraculous-uses-for-cedarwood-essential-oil
    26 https://www.aromafoundry.com/blogs/aroma-foundry/cedarwood-essential-oil-uses-description-recipes-precautions

    Tweet
    Follow on Instagram
    Aromatherapy Natural Beauty

    You may also like

    Your guide to colouring hair with henna: benefits, downsides, risks and steps 

    Article

    Your guide to colouring hair with henna: benefits, downsides, risks and steps 

    Henna use is thought to date back to 7th century BC.1 Henna offers glossy, richly-hued..

    READ MORE...
    What is carrier oil?

    Article

    What is carrier oil?

    With so many essential oils available, you’d be forgiven for thinking carrier oil is like..

    READ MORE...
    How to take care of a tattoo

    Article

    How to take care of a tattoo

    We all have our own ways of expressing ourselves. One increasingly popular method of doing..

    READ MORE...

    Connect with us

    • Log in Register
    • rewards for life

    Customer service

    • Store locator
    • Contact us
    • Site feedback
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Delivery & returns
    • Site map
    • My account

    About us

    • Who we are
    • Working at Holland & Barrett
    • Press room
    • Privacy & cookie policy
    • Terms & conditions
    • Holland & Barrett More
    • Holland & Barrett International

    Brands

    • Holland & Barrett
    • Bootea
    • Dr Organic
    • Precision Engineered
    • Manuka Doctor
    • Good n Natural
    • Miaroma
    Register
    Click to verify if this website is operating legally

    Copyright © Holland & Barrett Retail Limited, 2017. All rights reserved. hollandandbarrett.com is a trading name of Holland & Barrett Retail Limited,. Registered office: Samuel Ryder House, Barling Way, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV10 7RH. Registered in England: company no. 2758955. Registered VAT no. 211727395.