Cinnamomum camphora steam distilled from the leaves in Madagascar. Commonly known under the names camphor tree, camphorwood or camphor laurel. Also known as Ho Leaf Oil, Ravintsara Oil is often confused with Ravensara Oil or Ho Wood Oil. Ravintsara, Ravensara and Ho Wood oils are very different essential oils.
Aroma: Fresh, earthy, eucalyptus-like with woody and subtle peppery notes.
Common Uses: Influenza, Shingles, Supports the Immune System, Stress, Depression, Calms the Nerves, Promotes Sleep, Muscular Aches and Pains. [Kurt Schnaubelt, Ph.D., The Healing Intelligence of Essential Oils (Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press, 2011), 125, 142, 144, 178.] In addition to these uses, Dr. Schnaubelt discusses the applications for Ravintsara alongside conventional cancer treatment on page 178.
Colour: Clear
Consistency: Thin
Perfumery Note: Top
Strength of Initial Aroma: Medium
The aroma of Ravintsara Essential Oil is somewhat similar to Eucalyptus in some ways, but I find it to be greener. Aromatically, it blends especially well with Eucalyptus and oils in the wood, mint and citrus families.
Although Ravintsara Essential Oil is distilled from the leaves of the same plant that yields various camphor oils and crystals, camphor does not appear as a constituent within Essential Oil Safety or the various GC/MS reports that I've seen for the oil.
Ravintsara Essential Oil
Emotionally, the oil shows a lot of promise for use in helping to focus in the midst of stressful situations and for helping to calm the nerves.
Although some sources suggest use of Ravintsara for viral and respiratory issues with children, it's important to heed Tisserand and Young's precautions (see Safety Information) below.
Color
Clear
Consistency
Thin
Perfumery Note
Top
Strength of Initial Aroma
Medium
Primary Constituents for Ravintsara Oil Originating From Madagascar
1,8-Cineole
Sabinene
a-Terpineol
a-Pinene
B-pinene
Tisserand and Young report that oil sourced from China may contain Safrole and Methyleugenol.
See Essential Oil Safety for more complete list of constituents.
[L. Zhu, Y. Li, B. Li, et al. Aromatic Plants and Essential Constituents. (South China Institute of Botany, HK, 1993). J.C. Chalchat, I. Valada. Chemica Comosition of Leaf Oils of CInnamomum from Madagascar: C. zeylanicum Blume, C. camphora L., C. fragrans Baillon and C. angustifolium. (Journal of Essential Oil Research 12, 2000), 537-540. Sources cited in Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 304.]
Ravintsara Essential Oil Safety Information
Tisserand and Young remind that "essential oils high in 1,8-cineole can cause CNS [central nervous system] and breathing problems in young children." They also caution not to use topically near the face of babies and children. [Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 304.]
Ravintsara essential oil is used to relieve infections, reduce inflammation, relieve headache & congestion amongst other things. Its oil is obtained from distilling the leaves of the tree and produces an odour similar to camphor. Source: Wikipedia
Photo thanks to John Robert McPherson, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
