Atlas Cedarwood Essential Oil

Latin name Cedrus atlantica - Family species Pinaceae

Atlas Cedarwood essential oil is commonly used in perfumery, especially men’s fragrances, and incense. Its Latin name ‘Cedrus atlantica’ means, literally, “Atlas cedar”. Atlas Cedarwood is also referred to as Atlantic Cedar, Atlas Cedar, African Cedar, Moroccan Cedarwood, and Libanol. Red cedar oil is NOT the same and refers to Juniperus virginiana.

“It [Atlas Cedar essential oil] is a useful oil for traveling, as it repels mosquitoes and other insects, leeches, and rats! Aromatherapists use it to soothe chronic anxiety, stress, and skin and bronchial conditions…” -Lesley Bremness (Crabtree & Evelyn Fragrant Herbal: Enhancing Your Life with Aromatic Herbs and Essential Oils)

Oil Selection Guide

Color - Pale yellow to orange / deep amber
Viscosity - Viscous to semi-solid
Scent - Warm, sweet, soft, woody balsamy undertone, camphoraceous top note
Perfume Aroma - Base / middle note

Oil Source Information

Plant Type - Tree
Parts Used - Wood
Countries of Origin - Morocco, Algeria, United States, China
Extraction Method - Steam distillation

Known Chemical Constituents

Alpha and beta cedrene, cedrol, altantone, caryophyllene, cadinene

Uses

Used in aromatherapy and found in pharmaceutical products and cosmetics. Insect (mosquitoes) and rodent (rat) repellent.

Cedarwood blends well with

Special Precautions*

Atlas Cedarwood oil can cause irritation to sensitive skin.
* See Safety and Usage.

References and Resources

See References and Resources page.

Studies Involving Cedarwood

Aerosolized essential oils and individual natural product compounds as brown treesnake repellents.

United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Wildlife Services, National Wildlife Research Center, 4101 La Porte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA.

Autonomic responses during inhalation of natural fragrance of Cedrol in humans.

Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical University, Sugitani 2630, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.

Bactericidal activities of plant essential oils and some of their isolated constituents against Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica.

Western Regional Research Center, Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Albany, California 94710, USA.

Inhalation aromatherapy during radiotherapy: results of a placebo-controlled double-blind randomized trial.

Cancer Care Centre, St George Hospital, Gray St, Kogarah, Australia, 2217.

Larvicidal effects of various essential oils against Aedes, Anopheles, and Culex larvae (Diptera, Culicidae).

Omar Almukhtar University, P.O. Box 919, Elbieda, Libya.

New woody and ambery notes from cedarwood and turpentine oil.

Symrise GmbH Co. & KG, Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Mühlenfeldstrasse 1, D-37603 Holzminden.

Persistency of larvicidal effects of plant oil extracts under different storage conditions.

Omar Almukhtar University, P.O. Box 919, Elbieda, Libya.

Randomized trial of aromatherapy. Successful treatment for alopecia areata.

Department of Dermatology, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Foresterhill, Scotland.

Reduction of infectivity of schistosome cercariae by application of cercaricidal oil to water.

Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, and Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Center for Water and Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.

Repellency of essential oils to mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae).

Center for Medical, Agricultural, and Veterinary Entomology, USDA-ARS, Gainesville, FL 32604, USA.

The sedative effects and mechanism of action of cedrol inhalation with behavioral pharmacological evaluation.

Biological Science Laboratories, Kao Corporation, Haga-gun, Tochigi, Japan.