Cinnamon Oil Use

"Moreover the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:
'Take thou also unto thee the chief spices, of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty,
and of cassia five hundred, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin.
And thou shalt make it a holy anointing oil, a perfume compounded after the art of the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.
And thou shalt anoint therewith the tent of meeting, and the ark of the testimony,
and the table and all the vessels thereof, and the candlestick and the vessels thereof, and the altar of incense,
and the altar of burnt-offering with all the vessels thereof, and the laver and the base thereof.
And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy; whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy. ~ Exodus 30:22-25.

So potent is the cinnamon as a plant itself that even God chose to include the extracts of it for the concoction of the holy anointing oil with which all could be purged of sin, everything could be consecrated. Cinnamon has been a much favored spice throughout human history for its distinct musky, peppery, earthy and woody aroma which is very strong. An English name derived from the Greek kinnámōmon, meaning a tube or a pipe, and called darchini in Bengali, the oil derived from the cinnamon bark and leaf are both extensively beneficial.

The oil that makes up 0.5% to 1% of the bark is extracted by first crudely buffeting the woody, brown bark of the plant, then softening and further breaking it down with sea water and then immediately distilling it. It is golden-yellow in color and is composed of cinnamaldehyde or aldehyde up to 60%, which renders it so aromatic. Other than that, it also has benzyl benzoate, beta-caryophyllene, ethyl cinnamate, eugenol, eugenol acetate, linalool, and methyl chavicol. Cinnamon leaf oil, of course, is made up of anethole, cinnamaldehyde, cinnamyl acetate and eugenol. It is the bark oil which is in more demand, given its increased effectiveness and is hence costlier than the essential oil obtained from the leaves through distillation. Amazingly, the leaves constitute 1.6 - 1.8 % of the oil which is more than that of the bark. Let us now move on to see some common cinnamon oil uses.

Uses for Cinnamon Oil
What is cinnamon oil used for? Actually quite a few things. Below enumerated are some of them.

• According to 'Science Daily', one of the most potent uses of cinnamon oil extracted from the leaves is as a killer of mosquito larvae. If you dilute it and sprinkle it in and around your household and especially in stagnant water bodies, mosquito larvae are eliminated totally.
• Also, the 'Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry' has recently published a report wherein, a study conducted by the National Taiwan University states that the cinnamaldehyde content in cinnamon oil kills mosquitoes and, therefore, if you add a few drops of it in your daily lotion or dab it on your clothing after diluting it with water, mosquitoes are likely to stay far away from you.
• Here is how to use cinnamon oil at home and make the most of its aroma. Just add a few drops of it into a bowlful of potpourri and voila! Men are bound to like it and so will a great number of not so fragile women.
• Known to have a warming effect, cinnamon oil is known to alleviate rheumatic and joint related pains.
• Health benefits of cinnamon oil include boosting the immune system and when used with patchouli oil in a ratio of 1:50 as a massage oil, it is known to act as an aphrodisiac, to improve blood circulation and also act an excellent astringent for the skin.
• As an aromatherapy oil, it relieves stress, eradicates depressive tendencies of the mind and induces sleep for better mental function.
• A nemesis for most pathogenic bacteria, cinnamon bark oil is a very good germicide. In fact, the addition of cinnamon bark oil in food after dilution, not only helps as a flavoring agent, owing to cinnamaldehyde content, but also happens to kill infectious germs in the body and in the process harness and treat bladder infections and the alimentary canal. It helps in the treatment of inflammation of the urinary bladder and the ureters. It also tends to any enzyme deficiencies in the stomach.
• When added to food in extremely diluted versions, cinnamon oil acts as a preservative and effectively works as an antioxidant.
• It is a treatment for diarrhea and flatulence, working to correct digestive patterns of a person.
• Diterpenes in cinnamon oil makes it an antihistamine while the cinnamaldehyde renders it antifungal. Drinking one drop in a cupful of warm water can treat candidiasis therefore.
• An emmenagogue, it soothes menstrual spasms when used in hot compresses.
• The ancient Egyptians used cinnamon oil as a palliative of sore foot and so one can still dilute it and use it to massage the soles of the foot.
• Cinnamon oil has its uses in perfumery and the cinnamon leaf oil is used in some soaps and toiletries.

By large, these are the uses for cinnamon oil. However, one should be cautious while using this oil. One must always refrain from breathing in the aroma of this oil directly from a diffuser, either for aromatherapy purposes or to treat a bad cold, as it with damage your nasal and mucus membranes. Moreover, DO NOT use it in its undiluted form on the skin as cinnamon bark oil is toxic for your skin owing to its cinnameldehyde content. Finally, pregnant women must keep away from this oil as it promotes menstrual discharge.

It is only with further studies that we can uncover other cinnamon oil uses that the oil may have to offer. One already knows about the numerous health benefits of cinnamon. Since the oil is extracted from such a potent plant, it is bound to serve such constructive purposes for man.