Let me start by saying I love Cedarwood EO. No, I mean really loooovvvveeee Cedarwood EO. It is hands down one of my top 3 favorite oils ever in the history of the world. Okay, I know that’s a bit excessive, but it is so worthy of all the oily praise! Let’s take a journey into land of cedar and explore why it just might be your next “go to” oil.

First, cedarwood and lavender. O…M…G….  It is lights out at my house when this goes into the diffuser at bed time. We all know how soothing Lavender EO is, but adding Cedarwood EO to it is ultra-calming and soothing. We’ve talked about how our sense of smell is directly related to our emotional center, our limbic system. Well, cedarwood has the highest content of sesquiterpenes of all the EOs in existence. What that means for you is its molecular structure allows it to penetrate that blood brain barrier to influence a sense of peace and calmness on your sub-conscience level. It is seriously scientific stuff.

And while we’re on that deep consciousness conversation, Cedarwood EO is fantastic for stress reduction both physical and emotional. Any kind of stress. From your average daily work/life stressors to treating PTSD in our veterans and active duty soldiers and first responders. God has laid it on my heart to find a special blend, Cedarwood EO being a large component of that, dedicated to helping our service members heal from their traumatic experiences while in combat. And if you’re so inclined, say a prayer for all our soldiers and first-responders. They need all the health, healing and protection they can get while they protect us and those whom are precious to us. I’ve explained before that EOs high in sesquiterpenes, have the ability to get into the “downstairs” part of your brain, the sub-conscience where your “fight or flight” mechanism resides. We do not have conscience access to that area, but Cedarwood EO does and it allows our brains to reset and calm down, returning to a normal state.

Now on the topical side of the joys of Cedarwood, it has some great physical uses for all parts of your body! We talked a couple weeks ago about how some of my friends use Rosemary as a hair growth stimulant. Well, add a drop or two of Cedarwood EO to that and it will help stimulate the blood circulation to your hair follicles. There have been numerous studies over the years with using EOs to treat all kinds of hair loss scenarios. From different kinds of alopecia to typical male pattern baldness, to female hormone irregularity hair loss. In each case, a notable number of people experienced definite improvement with the thickness and quality of their hair growth. And like we mentioned with Rosemary, EOs are not oily like your carrier oils. EOs will sink into your skin in record time, not leaving a residue.

Cedarwood is a best friend to your face! It’s perfect for treating acne, as its anti-bacterial and an astringent. It’ll help to clear out that yucky bacteria that can cause inflammatory acne and tighten your pore to keep outside pollutants from clogging them up again. You can make a great facial skin scrub by simply mixing a two or three drops of Cedarwood EO, with some Epsom salts and coconut oil. Enough of the latter two ingredients until you get a rough textured substance. I would try a 2:1 ratio of Epsom salt to oil to start. Rub all over your face just like any other facial exfoliant and rinse with water. You’ll see a reduction in your acne and a lift in your skin’s appearance in just a few days!

And lastly, Cedarwood EO and arthritis. It’s an anti-inflammatory, so add four or five drops to your bath water at night and it will help to reduce any of that arthritic pain and swelling that comes with it. It’s also great for sore tired muscles, too. Whether you put it in your bath or mix it with your favorite carrier oil and apply it topically, you benefit greatly from its use.

There a ton of uses for Cedarwood and I have a feeling this won’t be the only post you see about it. Until next time, Happy Oiling!!