Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil

Latin (Botanical) Name:  Cinnamomum zeylanicum

Plant Family:   Lauraceae

Common Extraction Method:   Steam distillation

Typically Used Plant Part:   Leaves

Color:   Brownish golden yellow

Aromatic Characteristic:   Peppery, earthy, spicy, woody aroma 

Cinnamon leaf oil is obtained from the tree called Cinnamomum zeylanicum and/or Cinnamomum vervun, which is considered true cinnamon. It can be obtained from the outer bark or leaves of the tree, so the two main varieties are "Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil" and "Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil".

Cinnamon is considered one of the oldest and most valuable spices in the world. It has continued to be used for thousands of years since and after the time of the ancient Egyptians, even becoming a staple in Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine.

Cinnamon was imported in Ancient Egypt as early as 2000 BC. Historical records indicate that Cinnamon can be considered equal to or higher in value than gold. Therefore, a person who owned Cinnamon at that time was considered wealthy. In Egyptian society, cinnamon was used in mummification, witchcraft, and love potions. It was considered valuable enough to be presented as a gift to rulers and gods. Cinnamon was often used as a component of Kyphi, an incense that is burned for both religious and medicinal purposes.

According to a 7th-century BC Greek poem, cinnamon was grown in Arabia along with myrrh and labdanum, and because these plants were so highly respected, they were guarded by winged snakes. Throughout history, cinnamon has been a symbol of wealth and good luck.

For Europeans in the Middle Ages, cinnamon was a spice that only the wealthy class could import from the East. It was a symbol of high-ranking social status. Since it had healing properties, it was ideal for the treatment of indigestion and similar ailments. In addition, cinnamon was necessary to hide or eliminate the unpleasant odor of smoked meats, especially when they began to spoil. According to the records, one Roman pound of cinnamon was equivalent to fifty months' salary. Due to its high price, it was not used in funeral ceremonies. Despite this, it is believed that at his wife's funeral, Emperor Nero burned the city's annual cinnamon stockpile.

Today, cinnamon is continued to be used as a spice, medicinal herb, in powder and tea forms for emotional and physical ailments such as depression, for respiratory and digestive problems, colds, flu, weight gain, diarrhea, fungal infections, heavy menstrual bleeding, menstrual cramps, arthritis and skin infections.

Cinnamon leaf oil offers many benefits thanks to the active ingredients it contains.



      KEY COMPONENTS / ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

• Cinnamic aldehyde
• Cinnamyl acetate
• Eugenol
• Linalool
• beta Caryophyllene
• Benzyl benzoate
• Myrcene
• p-Cymene

 

 

      BENEFITS

• Skin friendly:

Cinnamon leaf oil shows antioxidant characteristic [1] [2]. Applied topically, cinnamon leaf oil helps to calm dry skin, nourish the skin, slow the appearance of aging and rejuvenate the skin tone.

 

• It shows anti-inflammatory characteristic [3] [4]:

Cinnamon leaf oil helps to reduce pain and stiffness in muscles and joints, arthritis pain and inflammation with its anti-inflammatory characteristic.

 

• It helps to raise the mood:

Cinnamon leaf oil helps reduce symptoms of emotions such as depression, anxiety, and fatigue [5].

 

• It shows antibacterial and antimicrobial characteristics:

 

• It shows antifungal characteristic:

Cinnamon leaf oil helps reduce fungi with its antifungal characteristic [11].

 

• It supports oral health:

Studies have found that the antibacterial and antifungal characteristics of cinnamon leaf oil are effective against Streptococcus mutans and Candida ssp biofilm that cause oral infections and dental caries [12] [13].

 

      WARNINGS

• IT IS AN ESSENTIAL OIL, DIRECT APPLICATION MAY CAUSE SKIN IRRITATION. Always dilute essential oils in a carrier oil before applying topically. You can do a patch test before using the oil if you want to make sure it doesn't irritate your skin.
• FOR EXTERNAL USE, NON-DRINKABLE.
• Avoid contact with eyes, in case of contact rinse with plenty of water.
• Do not use the product if you have a known allergy to any of its ingredients.
• It is recommended that children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people using medication should consult their doctor before using cinnamon leaf oil.

 

 

      ACADEMIC STUDIES

[1] Ribeiro P. R. E., Montero I. F., Saravia S. A. M., Ferraz V. P., Santos R. A., Marcía J. A. F., Linhares B. M. (2020). Chemical composition and antioxidant activity in the essential oil of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Nees with medicinal interest. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, Vol. 14(7), pp. 326-330, July, 2020.

[2] G. Singh, S. Maurya, M.P. deLampasona, C. A.N. Catalan (2007). A comparison of chemical, antioxidant and antimicrobial studies of cinnamon leaf and bark volatile oils, oleoresins and their constituents. Food and Chemical Toxicology 45 (2007) 1650–1661.

[3] X. Han, T. L. Parker (2017). Antiinflammatory Activity of Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum) Bark Essential Oil in a Human Skin Disease Model. Phytother. Res. (2017).

[4] Tsuji-Naito K. Aldehydic components of cinnamon bark extract suppresses RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis through NFATc1 downregulation. Bioorg Med Chem 2008;16(20):917683.

[5] R. Sohrabi, N. Pazgoohan, H. R. Seresht, B. Amin (2017). Repeated systemic administration of the cinnamon essential oil possesses anti-anxiety and anti-depressant activities in mice. Iran J Basic Med Sci 2017; 20:708-714.

[6] I. Utchariyakiat, S. Surassmo, M. Jaturanpinyo, P. Khuntayaporn, M. T. Chomnawang (2016). Efficacy of cinnamon bark oil and cinnamaldehyde on anti-multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the synergistic effects in combination with other antimicrobial agents. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2016; 16: 158.

[7] El Atki Y, Aouam I, El Kamari F, Taroq A, Nayme K, Timinouni M, et al. Antibacterial activity of cinnamon essential oils and their synergistic potential with antibiotics. J Adv. Pharm Technol Res., 2019; 10:63-7.

[8] Veerasophon J, Sripalakit P, Saraphanchotiwitthaya A. Formulation of anti-acne concealer containing cinnamon oil with antimicrobial activity against Propionibacterium acnes. J Adv Pharm Technol Res  2020;11:53-8.

[9] Ghovvati, M., Afshari, G. K., Nasrollahi, S. A., Firooz, A., Samadi, A., Karimi, M., Talebi, Z., Kolahdooz, S., & Vazirian, M. (2019). Efficacy of topical cinnamon gel for the treatment of facial acne vulgaris: A preliminary study. Biomedical Research and Therapy, 6(1), 2958-2965.

[10] O. Senhaji, M. Faid, I. Kalalou (2007). Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7 by essential oil from Cinnamomum zeylanicum. Braz J Infect Dis 11 (2), Apr 2007.

[11] U. Sukatta, V. Haruthaithanasan, W. Chantarapanont, U. Dilokkunanant, P. Suppakul (2008). Antifungal activity of cinnamon oil and their synergistic against postharvest decay fungi of grape in vitro. Kasetsart J. (Nat. Sci.) 42 : 169 - 174 (2008).

[12] L. K. D, Chaudhari, B. A. Jawale, S. Sharma, H. Sharma, C. D. M. Kumar, P. A. Kulkarni (2012). Antimicrobial activity of commercially available essential oils against Streptococcus mutans. J Contemp Dent Pract. 2012 Jan 1;13(1):71-4.

[13] M. L. Rangel, S. G. Aquino, J. M. Lima, L. R. Castellano, R. D. Castro (2018). In Vitro Effect of Cinnamomum zeylanicum Blume Essential Oil on Candida spp. Involved in Oral Infections. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Volume 2018, Article ID 4045013, 13 pages.