Camphor Essential Oil

Camphor

Camphor Cinnamomum camphora also known as camphor laurel tree is an evergreen tree possessing many branches, small clustered of white flowers, and red berries much like cinnamon. The Cinnamomum camphora tree will grow to be 80 - 120 feet tall and the trunk reaches 6 - 7 feet in diameter. Cinnamomum camphora can often grow as old as a thousand years. Because of its enormous size, it is known to be a provider of great amounts of shade, which is its primary purpose in Florida, California and other southern US states. It is a close relative to Cinnamomum zeylanicum. Indiginous to China, Japan and Borneo, Camphor trees now thrive in Egypt, Formosa, Madagascar, the Canary Islands, Argentina, Brazil, southern Europe, and the US.. It is Commercially grown in China, Formosa, Sumatra, Madagascar, Sri-Lanka, India and other subtropical countries. Camphor is being extracted from those trees which are 50 or more years old. India is the biggest user of camphor, as it is a part of their Religious activities. Camphor has been burned to purify the atmosphere. It is an excellent germ killer. Hindus burn it at the end of their Rituals like fire sacrifice, worship of the God during auspicious ceremonies like marriage, birth of a child etc. It is extremely volatile, but it burns with a lot of smoke and a bright redish light. Hindus bring a burning lamp of camphor near to them and with both hands push its smoke towards them and smell it. It is also considered as a ghost-buster perfume. It is believed by Hindus that camphor has a hot, pungent and penetrating aroma. It is so strong as well as powerful that it drives away evil forces such as ghosts, demons, evil spirits and negativity from the atmosphere as well as places where it has been used. The best way to burn in the west is to burn its oil in the perfume lamps in the room to purify the atmosphere and to drive away evil forces. In the 13th century, Marco Polo, during his travels to China, noted that camphor oil was highly valued by the Chinese as a medicine, scent, and embalming fluid. The Spanish name for the plant comes from the Arab "al kafur," which may suggest that it was part of the Spanish/Moorish medicine chest. The wood of the camphor tree is often used for cabinet making, for display cases by entomologists and by many natural history museums as well as collectors because of its great preservation and protection capabilities. For the same reasons, it is made as an insecticide, commonly used for protecting clothing from moths and protecting paper from termites.

Essential oil In China and Vietnam the essential oil is still pruduced in by ancient method, where trees over 50 year old are cut into small pieces and steam distilled by primitive means. The crude product obtained is further distilled to remove the oil of camphor present and obtain crystalline camphor. There are three separate fractions of the camphor oil; white being the lightest, brown as the medium oil, and yellow being the heaviest oil. Each has the camphoraceous sharp odor. The camphor crystallizes from the oily portion of the distillate and purification is completed by pressing the wood and also by sublimation. It is then rectified under vacuum and filter pressed. White camphor oil is the first distillation fraction. A notable fact about camphor is the abundance that can be gathered even in only a small amount of trees. One single tree produces three tons of camphor in both oil and solid form combined. In the US, camphor is extracted from leaves and twigs of the oldest trees, which does less damage than the more invasive Chinese method. Despite this, most of the camphor now used in the US has been produced synthetically since the 1920s. Brown and yellow camphor oil contain saffrole, a carcinogenic compound, and should therefore not be used in any medicinal formulas. Germany’s Commission E has approved camphor for the treatment of rheumatism (externally), hypotension (low blood pressure), arrhythmia, cough, bronchitis and nervous heart complaints. The therapeutic properties of Camphor oil include the following: anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, cardiac, carminative, diuretic, febrifuge, insecticide, laxative, rubefacient, stimulant and vulnerary. Camphor oil can be used in the treatment of nervous depression, acne, inflammation, arthritis, muscular aches and pains, sprains, rheumatism, bronchitis, coughs, colds, fever, flu and infectious diseases. Camphor oil is used in a wide range of products from liniments for sore muscles (Tiger Balm, Ben Gay), to lip balms to celluloid, explosive, moth repellents, and soaps. It is the ingredient in the well-known commercial product called Vicks VapoRub. Externally, camphor can be applied directly to the head, temples and neck of individuals who suffer from withdrawal from drugs such as opium. It is used as a numbing agent, a counter irritant for rheumatism, sprains, bruises, bronchitis, and other inflammatory conditions Camphor crystals have strong antiseptic, stimulant and antispasmodic properties and are applied externally as unguents or balms as a counter-irritant and analgesic liniment to relieve arthritic and rheumatic pains, neuralgia and back pain. It may also be applied to skin problems, such as cold sores and chilblains, and used as a chest rub for bronchitis and other chest infections. Adulteration Unlikely due to wide availability of the oils and low price. However, the composition of the oils can vary dramatically. GRAS Camphor white and Camphor yellow essential oils have GRAS status.

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