Cinnamon Leaf Oil: Perks From a Spice Oil

What Is Cinnamon Leaf Oil?

Cinnamon is one of the oldest spices known to man. It was valued in ancient Egypt not only as a medicine and beverage flavoring, but also as an embalming agent and is also mentioned in the Bible. Cinnamon was so precious that it was considered more valuable than gold throughout some of its history.

Cinnamon leaf oil has a musky and spicy scent, and a light-yellow tinge that distinguishes it from the red-brown color of cinnamon bark oil.

Uses of Cinnamon Leaf Oil

Cinnamon leaf oil can be used as an additive in soaps and a flavoring to seasonings.When used in aromatherapy — diffused, applied topically or added to your bath water — it can have health-promoting effects. Just remember that it can be a skin irritant, so it’s best to dilute with a mild essential oil or mix in your favorite cream, lotion or shampoo. Here are some ways to use cinnamon leaf oil for your health and around your home:

•Use it to clean your fruits and vegetables — Cinnamon leaf oil is known for its antibacterial and antioxidant properties. In a 2012 study published in Flavour and Fragrance Journal, applying an edible pectin film with cinnamon leaf oil not only reduced bacteria growth on fresh-cut peaches, but also increased their antioxidant status.12

A 2013 study also found that using cinnamon leaf oil as a vegetable wash may help eliminate salmonella from leafy greens, such as baby and mature spinach, and iceberg and romaine lettuces.

•Use cinnamon leaf oil as an insect repellent — According to the "Green Pesticides Handbook," cinnamon leaf oil has good antitermitic (termite-repelling) properties, thanks mainly to its eugenol, cinnamaldehyde and a-terpineol content. It can help ward off rice weevils (S. oryzae), making it efficient as a stored paddy rice protectant. The book also notes that cinnamon essential oil may inhibit yellow fever-carrying Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

•Gargle as a mouthwash or use to ease toothaches — Cinnamon leaf oil may help keep your breath fresh and may serve as a first-aid treatment for toothaches. Add a drop or two to a glass of purified water, and gargle with it.

•Add it to your shampoo to kill head lice — Cinnamon leaf oil can help keep your hair healthy and, in children, may help kill stubborn head lice. A 1996 study found that this essential oil is efficient in eliminating Pediculus humanus, along with other oils like aniseed, nutmeg and peppermint.

Benefits of Cinnamon Leaf Oil

“The Essential Oils Complete Reference Guide” notes that cinnamon leaf oil has potent astringent, aphrodisiac and stimulant properties. It can work wonders as a quick pick-me-up or stress buster after a long and tiring day, or if you want to soothe your aching muscles and joints.

This oil has a warm and antispasmodic effect on your body that helps ease muscular aches, sprains, rheumatism and arthritis. It's also a tonic that assists in reducing drowsiness and gives you an energy boost if you're physically and mentally exhausted.

How to Make Cinnamon Leaf Oil

Cinnamon leaf oil, which is more delicate than cinnamon bark oil, is produced via steam or water distillation. The leathery green leaves are pruned from the trees and then left to dry for several days. Afterward, they go through a special water-steam distillation machine that extracts the oil.

Cinnamon leaf oil can also be distilled via traditional methods, where a huge wooden vessel is fitted with a copper head on top that holds as much as 200 kilograms (441 pounds) of dried cinnamon leaves. The vessel is then placed in a wood-fired boiler that produces the steam for distillation