Thuja Essential Oil
Thuja occidentalis, a species of thuja, is an evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae, native to the northeastern U.S. and southeastern Canada, from central Saskatchewan east to New Brunswick, and south to eastern Tennessee in the Appalachian Mountains. Unlike the closely related Thuja plicata (Western Redcedar), it is only a small tree, to 10-20 m tall and 0.4 m trunk diameter (exceptionally to 30 m tall and 1.6 m diameter). The bark is red-brown, furrowed and peels in narrow, longitudinal strips. Thuja occidentalis should not be confused with the Chinaberry, Melia azedarach, an Australian deciduous tree also known as the White Cedar.
....more
| Botanical Name: | Thuja occidentalis L. |
| Family: | Cupressaceae |
| Synonyms: | Swamp cedar, white cedar, northern white cedar, eastern white cedar, tree of life, American arborviae, cedarleaf. techny arborvitae, eastern arborvitae, northern whitecedar, eastern whitecedar |
| See Also: | |
| Parts Used: | Leaves, twigs and bark |
| Extraction Method: | Steam Distillation. |
| Appearance: | Colourless to pale yellow liquid |
| Aroma Description: | Sharp, fresh, camphorous |
| Perfume note: | |
| Consistancy: | Thin |
| Strength of Initial Aroma: | |
| Blends well with: | |
| Historical Uses: | Thuja oil has been used as an incense and for coughs, fevers, cystitis and venereal diseases. |
| Modern Uses: | Thuja essential oil is often used in pharmaceaticals as a disinfectant, also use as a fragrance ingredient in soaps and toiletries. |
| Cautions: | Oral toxin, due to high thujone content. Abortifacient. |
|
|
|
