Juniperberry Essential Oil
Juniperus communis, the Common Juniper, is a species in the genus Juniperus, in the family Cupressaceae. It has the largest range of any woody plant, throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere from the Arctic south in mountains to around 30°N latitude in North America, Europe and Asia.
It is a shrub or small tree, very variable and often a low spreading shrub, but occasionally reaching 10 m tall. Common Juniper has needle-like leaves in whorls of three; the leaves are green, with a single white stomatal band on the inner surface. It is dioecious, with separate male and female plants. The seed cones are berry-like, green ripening in 18 months to purple-black with a blue waxy coating; they are spherical, 4–12 mm diameter, and usually have three (occasionally six) fused scales, each scale with a single seed. The seeds are dispersed when birds eat the cones, digesting the fleshy scales and passing the hard seeds in their droppings. The male cones are yellow, 2–3 mm long, and fall soon after shedding their pollen in March–April
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| Botanical Name: | Juniperus communis L |
| Family: | Cupressaceae |
| Synonyms: | Common juniper, juniper berry, genievre baies oil. |
| See Also: | |
| Parts Used: | Crushed, dried or partially dried ripe berries. N.B. The greater part of all commercial juniperberry oil, however, is derived from the fermented fruits as a byproduct of the central European juniper brandy manufacturing. |
| Extraction Method: | Steam Distillation, Occasionally water distillation is used |
| Appearance: | Clear to very pale yellow liquid |
| Aroma Description: | Balsamic woody, pine-needle like odor |
| Perfume note: | Middle |
| Consistancy: | Thin |
| Strength of Initial Aroma: | |
| Blends well with: | |
| Historical Uses: | Used as a fragrance in soaps, cosmetics, perfumes and in many food groups. In Afghanistan it is used for treating migraine. |
| Modern Uses: | Used medicinally for urinary infections, for respiratory problems as well as gastro-intestinal infections and worms. It helps expel the build-up of uric acid in the joints and is employed in gout, rheumatism and arthritis. Used in herbaceous flavours, for drinks; in green note fragrance compounds for alcoholic and cosmetic perfumery |
| Cautions: | Non-sensitzing, may be slightly irritating, non-toxic. Stimulates the uterine muscle and must not be used during pregnancy. Should not be used by those with kidney disease due to its nephrotoxic effect. |
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