Juniperus communis fruit, steam distilled from dried crushed berries, from the pine woods and moors of Scotland and England.

Aroma: Crisp, earthy, herbaceous, with almost a hidden fruity note. Juniper Berry has a fresh, rich-balsamic, woody-sweet and pine needle-like odor reminiscent of evergreen oils.

History: In traditional Himalayan Indian medicine, the oil is applied externally to relieve rheumatic pain and to counteract hair loss, and to stop bleeding in wounds.
Juniper is one of the very first plants to be used by humankind... The aromatic, antiseptic quality of the plant meant that it was commonly burnt as a fumigant and ritual incense — by the Ancient Greeks to combat epidemics, and by the Tibetans and native Americans for ceremonial purposes. — Gabriel Mojay, From Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit, page 86

Colour: Clear

Consistency: Thin

Perfumery Note: Middle

Strength of Initial Aroma: Mild - Medium

Blends well with: clary sage, sandalwood, bergamot, geranium, marjoram, rosemary, chamomile, eucalyptus.

Common Uses: Juniper Berry essential oil is credited as being a supportive, restoring, tonic aid, and a good oil for meditation. It is a popular oil in weight loss and detox blends, because it is diuretic, and considered purifying and clearing.

It's a great "Hair of the dog that bit me" addition to men's products, with a gin-like scent that helps detoxify from the effects of drinking alcohol. - TTF

Possible Uses: Cellulitis, gout, hemorrhoids, obesity, rheumatism, toxin build-up. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 58-61.]

Urinary tract, bladder and kidney infections, especially E-Coli, under the direction of a medical professional - TTF

Constituents: Pinene, Sabinene, Borneol, Terpinenol, Camphene, Myrcene [Shirley Price, The Aromatherapy Workbook (Hammersmith, London: Thorsons, 1993), 54-5.]

Contents: α-pinene, sabinene, myrcene, 1,4-cineole, cymene, terpinenol, limonene,
ß-pinene, phellandrene, terpinene, bornyl acetate, camphene, caryophyllene

Safety Information: Avoid during pregnancy and those with kidney problems. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 157.]

Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand does not indicate any special precautions when using this oil. [Robert Tisserand, Essential Oil Safety (United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone, 1995), 142.]

Ethical Issues

Formerly frequent in Britain, many of its large population areas have shrunk, and small ones have almost disappeared, but this is hard to estimate as the individual bushes are very long-lived and disguise the lack of new seedlings.

The two main threats to its future are excessive grazing and loss of grazing altogether. Excessive grazing prevents seedling development, whereas loss of grazing leads to development of tough scrub and tree cover which in turn causes shade that slowly kills the plants. Bush fires are also a threat.

Photo thanks to Juniper Berries by Anne Burgess, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons