Among the many varieties of essential oils, cedar occupies a special place, the main raw material for the production of which is, in fact, cedar (Siberian, Canadian red, etc. varieties), as well as other conifers, in particular, thuja and juniper.

This natural plant product, due to its unique chemical composition, found widespread use in culinary, traditional medicine, aromatherapy, cosmetology. About how to use cedar oil in caring for your appearance, what cosmetics from it can be prepared, including at home, as well as what benefits they can bring, are described in the review below.

How to use oil for cosmetic purposes

Essential oil, or aromatic oil, is a highly concentrated and very volatile combination of fragrant components isolated from different parts of the plant by extraction, water-steam distillation or extraction.

In appearance, this mixture is usually a colorless or slightly colored liquid, which is poorly soluble in water, but soluble in alcohol, resin, milk, cream, honey.

Since the content of biologically active elements in such a product can be tens, or even hundreds of times higher than in the starting material, aromatic oils are often called the soul of the plant. For the same reason, the beneficial qualities of raw materials (flowers, leaves, bark, wood, roots or fruits) in oil manifest themselves brighter than in any other pharmacological form.

It is not surprising that aromatherapy oils have long been used by cosmetologists. Their common property is the ability to enhance the effect of any body care products. In addition, most of them have a pronounced anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, analgesic, wound healing, antispasmodic, mucolytic, as well as soothing, moisturizing and nourishing effects.

Important! Aromatic oils obtained from bark and wood are considered warming. Squeezes extracted from the leaves, on the contrary, cool, plant flowers provide a hypnotic effect, nuts, seeds and fruits - invigorating, and the roots, as a rule, are fixed.

Adding essential oils to cosmetic products guarantees not only rejuvenation and getting rid of various skin problems, but also relieving symptoms of certain diseases, such as a runny nose or headache.

However it must be remembered that such a potent component is almost never used in its pure form - Otherwise, serious skin burns may occur. The basis is usually taken ordinary vegetable oil (linseed, olive, sesame, burdock, etc.), into which several drops of concentrated potion are added. An exception to the general rule is only a few soft aromatic oils, such as lavender or tea tree.

By the way, oil can also be obtained from pine nuts, and it should not be confused with the essential oil extracted from pine needles and wood. The first version of the oil is suitable for the base in the preparation of body care products, the second - for a valuable complement.

Another product similar in structure, obtained from cedar, which must be able to distinguish from more expensive and useful analogues - resin, or turpentine. Outwardly, it looks like a viscous substance, similar to hardened plasticine or cream (depending on the degree of purification) with a characteristic smell of needles.

Did you know? In Russia, cedar resin was used to treat cough. The frozen resin was mixed with beeswax, set on fire, and the smoke emitted in large quantities was fumigated with a hut.

But essentially gum is a resin of conifer. It also has numerous healing properties (heals wounds, disinfects, etc.), but, for obvious reasons, is much lower than real essential oil obtained through complex technological processes.

Rules of use and beneficial properties of oil

Real cedar essential oil cannot be confused with anything. It has a very strong, tart and slightly bitter smell of cedar with pronounced resinous notes and a slight admixture of “haze”. Of all the oils of coniferous trees, it is cedar that is considered the richest and most saturated.

On sale you can buy essential oil made from cedar needles or from its wood. The second version of the product is cheaper, more common, but it is considered less valuable and more toxic. The highest quality oils recognized in the United States (Texas) and East Africa. The healing properties of a product are primarily determined by its chemical composition.

Important! There are more tocopherols in pine nuts than in almonds, walnuts, and earths (peanuts). And cedar oil is three times higher than coconut oil and five times olive in terms of vitamin E content.

Cedar oil, in particular, contains:

• vitamins, including carotenoids, tocopherol (vitamin E), water-soluble vitamins (thiamine, pyridoxine), calciferols, etc .;
• minerals - phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, iodine, etc. (cedar is a leader in the plant world in terms of magnesium content);
• about two dozen amino acids, 2/3 of which are irreplaceable or conditionally irreplaceable;
• polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids (stearic, palmitic, oleic, linoleic, gadoleic, linolenic);
• flavonoids, phospholipids, diterpenoids, phenols and other active compounds that improve digestibility and enhance the effect of vitamins and minerals.

• Due to the complex action of all the mentioned components, cedar oil, even with its external use, provides:
• relaxing and calming effect, relieving fatigue, raising mood, increasing working capacity - both mental and physical (thiamine and other B vitamins);
• vasodilation, decreased excitability, improved blood circulation, stimulation of metabolic processes (magnesium, vitamin E);
• prevention of hair loss (hemoglobin deficiency often leads to such trouble, and iron produces it);
• elimination of convulsions and nervous tremors (magnesium);
• cell growth and regeneration (vitamin A, linolenic and linoleic acids);
• general improvement of skin tissues, including through the establishment of fat metabolism (a complex of fatty acids);
• reduction of allergic manifestations, especially in people living in adverse ecological regions or employed in hazardous industries;
• strengthening immunity, antioxidant effect (vitamin E);
• pronounced antifungal effect (used to treat dandruff);
• anesthesia and healing of wounds, ulcers, cuts, burns, the prevention of inflammatory processes in connection with a violation of the integrity of the skin;
• restoration of hormonal balance;
• treatment of many skin diseases, elimination of ulcers, acne, rash of various nature;
• prevention and treatment of other ailments (tuberculosis, anemia, lingering cough, etc.);
• elimination of harmful substances from the body (including through the skin), minimizing their negative effects;
• restoration of the regenerative and protective function of skin cells;
• softening and moisturizing the skin, giving it elasticity;
• removal of swelling, itching, redness;
• deep cleansing of the skin.

In cosmetology, the healing properties of cedar oil have been widely used in the manufacture of various care products:

• skin of the face and body;
• hair
• nails.

Did you know? Scientists have noticed that years of active growth and fruiting of cedars in the Siberian taiga are accompanied by a sharp increase in the number of squirrels and sables. It turns out that it is tocopherol-rich pine nuts that are the main factor that increases the number of offspring of these valuable species of mammals.

For skin and face

The main purpose of using cedar oil in face and body products is to rejuvenate the skin, increase its elasticity, smooth wrinkles. For this reason, the product is often part of the ingredients of anti-aging creams and lotions.

At the same time, the anti-inflammatory and bactericidal properties of cedar make the oil made from it indispensable for combating skin irritation, as well as various types of rashes, including teenage. Due to the regulation of fat metabolism, promoting the elimination of excess fluid and salts from the body, enhancing lymph outflow, stimulating blood circulation, the product is very useful for problem and oily skin.

It helps to cleanse it, helps to remove bags under the eyes, puffiness, double chin, tighten the skin. The presence of age spots, uneven skin tone, including after an unsuccessful tan, is another reason to use the beneficial properties of cedar oil.

The main uses of cedar oil for face and body care:

1. When conducting anti-cellulite massage - Add 10 drops of the product to the main massage oil.
2. Deodorizing and decongestant foot baths - Just a few drops in a suitable container of water.
3. Soothing and relaxing baths - make 5-6 drops of the emulsion, add aromatic salt, it is recommended to take in the evening, especially with severe insomnia.
4. For healing wounds and cracks in such problem areas as heels, elbows, etc., - used in pure form by rubbing. The same method is suitable for a number of dermatological diseases as one of the components of complex therapeutic therapy.
5. As an additive to your favorite day cream - protects the skin from wind, frost, sunlight, city dust and other adverse factors.
6. As a remedy for acne - add a few drops of emulsion to any nourishing face mask or mix with any base oil, warm and apply to the face. Another option is to lubricate only problem areas on the skin with cedar oil without additional additives. Acne control products should be applied to well-cleaned and warmed skin (for example, after a hot bath) so that the pores are open.
7. Makeup remover - use in its pure form, applying to a slightly moistened cotton pad or sponge and rubbing his face with it.
8. For deep cleaning - in the form of a scrub. For the preparation of funds as a basis, it is recommended to take 2 tbsp. l pine nuts, grind them to the state of a heterogeneous paste (pieces of a larger fraction should remain in the slurry), add 2 tbsp. honey and 5 drops of cedar oil. The resulting mixture should be applied to cleansed face skin, rub in for several seconds with massage movements, then leave for 5-10 minutes and then rinse with cool water.
9. Lip skin care - A few drops of the emulsion should be applied to a soft brush or cotton pad and massage your lips. It is recommended to perform the procedure every morning immediately after brushing your teeth.

Cedar oil is detrimental to the herpes simplex virus, so people suffering from this unpleasant disease should get in the habit of regularly applying this balm to the skin around their lips.

For hair

In the modern world, human hair is subjected to constant stress. This is especially true for women, in the pursuit of fashion, conducting a variety of experiments on their hair: from perms, dyeing to softer, but everyday ones - drying, straightening, winding, styling using foams, varnishes, wax and other chemical fixatives.

From all such events, as well as the negative effects of aggressive weather conditions (cold, ultraviolet rays, wind), urban pollution, adverse ecology and some internal diseases, the hair becomes brittle, lose its natural shine, split off at the ends, grow poorly and even begin to fall out en masse.

The solution to these problems can be effectively helped through the use of cedar essential oil.

Here are some simple tips:

For nails

In a mixture with lemon essential oil, where both components are taken in equal parts, cedar oil is very useful to rub into the nails on the hands and feet as a prophylaxis and treatment of fungal infections. In addition, such a tool perfectly strengthens the nail plate, protects it from cracks and delamination, stimulates faster nail growth.

In its pure form, cedar oil is also very useful for hands and nails as a source of nutrition, protection, moisturizing and recovery. Thanks to the emollient effect of the component on the cuticle, adding an emulsion to the hand baths before makeup will make the procedure easier and less painful.

If you lubricate your hands with cedar oil at night and then put on special nourishing mask gloves, in the morning you can observe the complete disappearance of traces of chapping, drying out and wilting, the skin of the hands will look beautiful and well-groomed.

Precautionary measures

Like any potent healing product, cedar oil has one important contraindication - individual intolerance. However an allergy to it almost never manifests itself in the form of skin reactions. Thus, when applying a drop of it to the skin of the hand and observing possible changes in the sensations or appearance of the epidermis, no dangerous symptoms, as a rule, arise.

Important! When pure cedar essential oil is applied to the skin, chills and slight tingling are felt during the first few minutes, but this effect is normal and does not indicate the presence of allergies.

Troubles can start unexpectedly, but they usually appear along the lines of the respiratory system: a person feels suffocation, and it can be very strong. In order to protect yourself, it is better not to apply a potential allergen to the skin, but carefully inhale its aroma. When the first signs of a negative reaction appear, immediately go out into the fresh air.

Among the contraindications are also called children's age (up to 12 years) and acute infectious diseases of the kidneys.

Among other precautions, one can only mention that essential oils, unlike conventional vegetable oils, not intended for human consumption, therefore, such funds should be kept away from food and, of course, in places inaccessible to children.

• Due to the high activity of the components and the lack of reliable data on possible side effects from the use of the drug, one should refrain:
• during pregnancy;
• while taking a course of chemotherapy;
• with increased nervous excitability.

Cosmetic Performance

Cedar oil has a pronounced antimicrobial, antifungal, disinfecting, anti-inflammatory, anti-aging, immunostimulating and antioxidant effects. Cosmetic products with the addition of such a component are suitable for all skin types, while, depending on the specific recipe, they can both tone up (invigorate) and soothe.

Did you know? Vasily Markovich Florinsky, an outstanding Siberian physician of the 19th century, in his scientific work entitled “Russian common folk herbalists and healers” noted that cedar oil “will remove the scab from the body and heal various ulcers, and the lice will run away from that”.

The product is also the strongest aphrodisiac, and therefore its use - both as an ingredient in balms, masks, lotions or shampoos, and for aromatherapy - gives a side positive effect in the form of increased sexuality, increased sexual desire, and a more vivid impression of love games.

Another feature of cedar oil is its high adaptogenicity. The drug helps to better adapt to sudden changes in life, moving to a new place, climate change, divorce, and other stress factors. Self-doubt, nervousness, irritability, causeless anxieties or unrest - the influence of all these troubles can be reduced by inhaling the spicy aroma of cedar.

Cedar oil has many healing properties, which are widely used in cosmetology. The drug equally beneficially affects both the body (skin, nails and hair), and the emotional state of a person. Accordingly, everyone who cares about their health, beauty and well-being, and prefers the means donated by nature to modern chemical preparations, should definitely replenish their home medicine cabinet with cedar essential oil.