We know you’ve heard about many different essential oils, with magical properties and plenty of benefits, but surely you’ve never heard of Camphor essential oil, so we’re here to introduce you to one of the best essential oils you’ll ever find, even though it is not so famous as it should.
The scientific name of the Camphor tree is Laurus camphora, and it is native to the island of Borneo, located in Asia. Its use has spread throughout Europe and for centuries it has been used to alleviate symptoms of various diseases and to control bad odors.
Camphor essential oil is derived from camphor trees native to parts of Asia, particularly Japan, China, and Taiwan. Today, the trees are also cultivated in India, Egypt, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. Camphor is a crystalline substance with a slight whitish-white mother-of-pearl color, often used as an insecticide, antiseptic and flavoring agent.
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Camphor essential oil
Many essential oils are useful for plenty of medical conditions, and Camphor essential oil is not an exception. It is important to note that there are different types of camphor, and only the white camphor is suitable for medicinal uses, while the brown and yellow camphor turn to be toxic and it is not advisable for personal uses. So, we’ll be referring to white camphor in this article.
Pure camphor essential oil is made from a distillation process characterized by steam entrainment in various parts of the camphor tree. The essential oil was originally extracted only from mature trees that are a minimum of 50 years old. The oil is extracted by steam distillation from various parts of the trees, including root stumps, branches, flowers, and chipped wood.
Not all the oils that are on the market are 100% natural, so it is important to go to specialized stores or pharmacies on which you can rely because a bad-quality oil could cause serious damages to your organism.
Benefits of camphor essential oil
This essential oil is widely used in natural therapies because of its health benefits. It is well-known thanks to its aromatic properties and it is a popular ingredient in massages and aromatherapy.
Without a doubt, camphor essential oil is one of the best allies you can get for relieving spasms and muscle pain. It is perfect for massaging sore muscles when they’re too tight after a workout session or just a hard day. It is often used as a topical pain reliever.
Camphor also has excellent antispasmodic properties, being perfect for relieving spasms and cramps on muscles. Before applying, and as with any other essential oil, it is important to dilute camphor essential oil, since it can be counterproductive to use it without dissolving.
A little breath of fresh air
It is also excellent when you’re suffering from respiratory problems since it is a great decongestant. In fact, it is a common ingredient in many decongestant remedies which action is almost immediate. It also helps relieve any blockages in the respiratory system, including the nasal passages, lungs, pharynx, larynx, and bronchi.
If you often suffer from rheumatic pain and arthritis, you should consider applying a little bit of camphor essential oil in painful joints. Camphor has excellent anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties that will help relieve pain and reduce inflammation. It is also useful for other painful joint ailments such as gout.
As if all of this weren’t enough, camphor essential oil has antiseptic properties and, if diluted, can be an excellent remedy for soothing minor wounds, grazes, bruises and burns. Just be careful and do not apply it to open wounds.
Camphor essential oil is also perfect to relieve pain. It contains cooling and soothing properties, letting it act as an analgesic when it is applied to the body. If you apply it to your skin, it will have a cooling effect, similar to peppermint oil, and help to block pain nerves in the skin. Camphor essential oil is also known for relieving different pains, like headaches, sinusitis, and neuralgia.
If you feel anxious, worried, or can’t sleep, you can use camphor essential oil as a natural alternative to sleeping pills. It may not be the greatest somniferous there is, but at least it will give you a little calm and well being that will probably help you with insomnia.
Other amazing uses for camphor essential oil
We all know that, when the rain comes, insects fly along. But, luckily, camphor essential oil has a powerful and intense fragrance that keeps all the insects away from your home. It is worth mentioning that the famous mothballs, designed to keep insects away from clothing, are primarily made of camphor.
Its strong odor is not only useful for repelling insects. It is also a very common ingredient in soaps, disinfectants, and deodorants. Besides, one of its more well-known uses is to cover the strong odor on athletes’ (and non-athletes) feet. It is a powerful aromatizer and washing clothes with a few drops of camphor essential oil can make the clothes smell really nice and be protected against moths.
It is also widely used for skin problems like acne, pimples, blackheads, or for people that have oily skin and need to maintain it hydrated and clean. Many use camphor oil as a reliable face mask to improve the looks of skin, making it less tight and softer to touch.
Finally, we could note that camphor increases circulation by stimulating blood flow. It has stimulant properties that can boost metabolism, blood circulation, and digestion. By improving circulatory health, it can treat many of the problems related to poor digestion, metabolism, and circulation, such as bloating and pain.
There are multiple remedies offered by this oil that acts as a bactericidal, diuretic, expectorant, vermifuge, and stimulant. While it has no such wide-spread use in perfumery, its amazing benefits for health and even for well-being should be an important reason to buy camphor essential oil as soon as possible and take advantage of the great number of benefits it has to offer. No matter if you combine it with other oils, such as bergamot essential oil, or simply dissolve it in water, you’ll probably find in camphor essential oil the perfect solution for you.
