Cedarwood Spotlight


Cedarwood essential oil feels like a walk through a beautiful forest - warm, welcoming and calming to the senses. This oil is great for everything from focus to skincare to sleep and is one we always have on hand. 

Just a Drop of Cedarwood

  • Has a grounding, soothing, woodsy aroma
  • Creates a tranquil environment when diffused
  • Supports a calm, focused mental state
  • Wonderful to help wind down at the end of the day
  • Helps maintain the appearance of youthful skin and healthy-looking hair
  • Can be used to help fend off outdoor annoyances (pairs well with Citronella!)
  • Has natural skin-cleansing and deodorizing properties
  • High in sesquiterpenes
Background

Young Living's Cedarwood essential oil is steam distilled from the bark of Cedrus atlantica, a close relative to the biblical Cedars of Lebanon, or Cedrus libani. Historically used by the ancient Egyptians in ceremonial rites, this variety of cedarwood is now grown primarily in Morocco. 
Cedarwood was traditionally used for cleansing rituals, both physical and emotional. The Chinese, Sumerians and Egyptians used oil of cedarwood for embalming, disinfecting, hygienic, and other purposes more than 5,000 years ago and it was mentioned on a Babylonian tablet dated 1800 B.C. for multiple uses.

Key Constituents

Constituents are naturally occurring compounds in plants (and therefore essential oils) that give them sprecic health-supporting properties.

All three of the key constituents found in Cedarwood are sesquiterpenes. In fact Cedarwood is 98% sesquiterpenes, the oil with the highest amount! Alpha-himachalene, Beta-himachalene, Gamma-himachalene: These compounds stimulate the limbic system of the brain, help lower brain waves from overly active to focused or from focused to meditative, help elevate the mood and calm the body.

Sesquiterpenes are a powerful tool! They help with oxygenating the pineal and pituitary glands, which are responsible for producing hormones related to sleep and stress. Sesquiterpenes also stimulate Beta Wave production in the brain, which helps with focus. When we are performing a difficult task or working on a problem, our brain increases the amount of beta waves.

Sesquiterpenes stimulate and support that natural production and therefore ability to focus. These compounds also help delete negative information in the cellular memory, making them extremely helpful tools when experiencing or processing trauma of any kind (chemical, medical, physical, emotional, relational).

Cedarwood & Focus

Because Cedarwood is extremely high in sesquiterpenes, it is a great tool for focus. Remember, sesquiterpenes are naturally occurring molecules in essential oils that deliver oxygen molecules to cells, just like hemoglobin does to the blood.  Sesquiterpene compounds stimulate the limbic system of the brain, in turn elevating our mood and calming the body. A simple way to maximize this effect is to apply Cedarwood to the brainstem to support focus.

A study on essential oils and focus by Dr. Terry Friedmann found a 32% improvement in mental focus in children inhaling Vetiver, similar results in the Cedarwood group, and no changes in the Lavender group. The study was done using EGG testing of brain waves while administering the TOVA mental focus test. He had an unmedicated “low focus” group and a control group and administered the oils Vetiver, Cedarwood, and Lavender by having children inhale the oil deeply three times separately over the course of 30 days.

Other sesquiterpene rich oils:
  • Vetiver 97%
  • Spikenard 93%
  • Sandalwood 90%
Cedarwood & Emotions

Some essential oils are especially good for opening up the emotional centers of our brain. This is an opening to address subconscious memories and unresolved feelings that affect our health! Cedarwood helps us deal with these repetitive program glitches in our nervous system while also calming the mind and making our thinking more productive. Like the sprawling evergreen tree that this oil comes from, Cedarwood's scent helps us to mentally and emotionally branch out, connecting and expanding our thoughts.

Product Options
Daily Habits with Cedarwood

Cedarwood makes a great cologne when paired with spruce oils:
  • 10 mL roller
  • 15 drops Cedarwood
  • 10 drops each Idaho Blue Spruce, Bergamot, Tangerine
  • Fill with carrier
Apply to the base of the brain stem for promoting focus and make a special roller for homework time.

Combine with Lavender Lotion for nighttime leg troubles.

Make this incredible DIY Hand Salve for soothing winter skin (not just hands!)
  • ½ cup cold pressed organic olive oil (or 1 cup if not using arnica oil)
  • ½ cup organic arnica oil 
  • 1 Tbsp shea butter 
  • 2 Tbsp unrefined extra virgin coconut oil 
  • 3-4 Tbsp beeswax pastilles 
  • 30 drops essential oils: Cedarwood, Frankincense, Lavender, Patchouli
  • Essential oils to add for a masculine scent: Sandalwood, Vetiver, Idaho Blue Spruce
    Step 1 - Using a double boiler, place several inches of water in the bottom and place a bowl or pan on top. Turn the heat to low-medium and add the olive oil, shea butter, coconut oil & beeswax and allow it to melt, stirring gently.
    Step 2 - Remove the bowl from the double boiler. Add Vitamin E oil and essential oils.
    Step 3 - Allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes to cool but not harden, then pour into the small containers.
Make this Winter Skin Bath Soak! Adding oatmeal to the bath is helpful for more acute skin needs, especially for children.Make this nourishing DIY Goat Milk Soap:
  • 2lb melt and pour soap base 
  • ½ cup powdered goat milk 
  • 2 Tbsp organic raw honey 
  • 1 Tbsp sweet almond oil
  • 60 drops essential oils (Cedarwood, Lavender, Rosemary is a great combo!)
  • Soap molds
    Chop soap base into cubes and melt using a double boiler. Whisk in all remaining ingredients and pour into soap molds. Option to add dried flowers. Let sit overnight 
Give your skin and your joints some love with this Soothing ACV Bath Soak:
  • ¼ cup magnesium flakes
  • ¼ cup organic oats, ground
  • 2 Tbsp sweet almond oil
  • 10 drops each Cedarwood, Lavender
    Mix together and add to bath water. Then add ¼ cup ACV to the water and gently mix. 
Make your own (effective) deodorant with this Natural Deodorant Spray recipe: 
  • 4 oz glass mister bottle 
  • 3 Tbsp grain alcohol
  • 1 Tbsp witch hazel 
  • 1 Tbsp water
  • ½ tsp glycerin 
  • 20 drops Cedarwood (or other essential oil)
  • Optional: 10 drops Tea Tree
    Combine all ingredients and shake well.
    To use, spritz two sprays under arms as desired. 
Create mermaid-inspired waves in your hair with this Leave In Mermaid Hair Spritz:
  • 3 Tbsp alcohol free witch hazel
  • 1 tsp hemp seed oil (this is a veggie oil not an essential oil!)
  • 5 drops each: Cedarwood, Lavender, Rosemary
    Add ingredients in a 4 oz spray bottle. Fill the rest (mostly!) with distilled water
    Shake before use, and spritz then comb through to deeply nourish wet hair
Make a simple DIY Cuticle Oil! This also makes a great gift and pairs well with the Gardener's Hand Salve:
  • 1½ teaspoons V-6 Vegetable Oil Complex
  • 10 drops Cedarwood essential oil
  • 5 drops Frankincense essential oil
  • Add all the above to an empty 15 ml essential oil bottle and add an AromaGlide Roller Fitment. Roll onto your cuticles anytime, anywhere.
Make a Focus Roller to use during work, homework, school, meetings or anytime to help focus the mind:
  • To a 10 mL roller bottle add:
  • 15 drops Frankincense
  • 10 drops Cedarwood
  • 5 drops Peppermint
  • Fill with a carrier of choice. Apply over the heart, back of the neck, on the wrists liberally and frequently. 
Make a Sweet Dreams Sleep roller:
  • 20 drops each Lavender, Cedarwood
  • Optional: 10 drops Frankincense
  • Fill with carrier oil of choice
    Apply over to the big toe, bottom of the feet, neck and behind ears before bed or more frequently as desired.
Make these Sweet Dreams Bath Salts to use before bedtime (great for helping kids wind down as well!)
  • 1 cup magnesium flakes
  • ½ cup epsom salts
  • 10 drops Cedarwood essential oil
  • 10 drops Lavender essential oil
  • Add to a glass jar and mix well.
Diffuse

Diffuse this woodsy oil to support focus, calm the atmosphere and bring a sense of serenity to your home:
  • Sweet Dreams - 5 drops Cedarwood, 4 drops Lavender, 3 drops Frankincense
  • Calm & Collected - 4 drops each Cedarwood, Peppermint, Lemon
  • Enchanted Forest - 4 drops Cedarwood, 3 drops Ylang Ylang, 3 drops Vanilla, 2 drops Idaho Blue Spruce
  • Grounded & Grateful - 3 drops each Cedarwood, Patchouli, Tangerine, Northern Lights Black Spruce
  • Let it Go - 4 drops each Cedarwood, Lavender, Vetiver
  • Summer Camp - 4 drops Northern Lights Black Spruce, 3 drops Cedarwood, 4 drops Tangerine
COMPANION PRODUCTS
Testimonies

  • This oil has really helped to support our son with sensory and speech difficulties. - Alicia D.
  • This is one I won't be without... Diffuse almost daily, use a drop or two in my shampoo, I've made a Mirah oil to spray on hair, and there's more uses I didn't know about above. Love, love, love it. - Judy D.
  • I diffuse it every night with lavender and it's been a game changer for sleep! I also put it in my DIY dry shampoo. - Olivia M.
  • I have used this oil alone in a pillow spray. I also diffuse it with several other oils in the bedroom to help me sleep - Cedarwood, Peace and Calming, Stress away, Lavender, Sandalwood.  - Gail V.
  • One of our favorites for hair and sleep! - Marie V.
  • L O V E this oil. I sleep so soundly with it! - Robin C.
  • I use this oil in a spray bottle mixed with water and spray it on my scalp after my shower. I have also started applying it to my forehead for emotional balance. - Tami S.

Want to try Cedarwood essential oil, but don't know where to start, click here to get started.

As Always, I'm here to support you.
Your Oily Girlfriend
Jennifer

 
 
 

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