Callitris intratropica also known as White Cypress-pine, Murray River Cypress-pine, and Northern Cypress-pine. Steam distilled from the needles and wood in Australia
Aroma: Australian Blue Cypress Oil is woody yet sweet with a fruity/lemony quality. A middle note with a medium aroma, it has been characterized as balsamic and spicy. It has a very pleasant evergreen aroma combining smoky, woody and dry elements. It also has fruity and slightly nutty tones, similar to a cedar wood.
A slow-growing tree native to Australian, the compact tree with blue-green foliage reaches heights of 75 feet, and its branches can spread up to 30 feet at the base.
Common Uses: The Australian aboriginal Tiwi people have used blue cedar medicinally for thousands of years. It is now grown in plantations, being valued for its fragrant wood. Among aromatherapists and manufacturers, this oil is considered similar to German (Blue) Chamomile. Blue Cypress Oil may be helpful for use with the Sacral and Solar Plexus chakras. Arthritis, asthma, fragrance fixative. [Jeanne Rose, 375 Essential Oils and Hydrosols (Berkeley, CA: Frog, Ltd, 1999), 51.]
In temperatures below 20°C, this oil can solidify or have a thick consistency. We recommend placing the bottle in very hot water, changing the water frequently until it is back to the liquid state; be sure to shake well before use.
Description / Colour / Consistency: Blue Cypress Essential Oil may be a heavy, viscous, brilliant blue liquid, but also can be clear or very pale yellow. The colour is dependent upon the amount of guaiazulene that the distillation contains. Guaiazulene acts as a noteworthy anti-inflammatory.
Major Constituents:
B-Eudesmol
Dihydrocolumellarin
Guaiol: 15.02%
Bulnesol: 7.49%
Gamma-Eudesmol
a-Eudesmol
See Essential Oil Safety for more complete list of constituents.
[L. Doimo, Azulenes, Costols and Gamma-Lactones from Cypress-pines (Callitris columellaris, C. glaucophylla and C. intratropica) Distilled Oils and Methanol Extracts. (Jounral of Essential Oil Research 13, 2001), 25-29. Source cited in Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 265-266.]
Blends With: Lavender, Tea Tree, Lemon Myrtle and Geranium, Cedarwoods, Pine, Orange, Sandalwood, Clary Sage, Juniper, Rose, Jasmine, and Cardamom.
Safety Information: Avoid during pregnancy and lactation. It may interact with drugs and may be fetotoxic. Reading Tisserand and Young's full profile is recommended. [Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 266.]
Cautions: Dilute before use; for external use only. May cause skin irritation in some individuals; a skin test is recommended prior to use. Contact with eyes should be avoided.
Photo thanks to djpmapleferryman at Flickr, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
