If a peaceful walk through the woods had a scent, it might just be Cedarwood.

Warm, earthy, grounding and comforting, Cedarwood is one of those oils that can feel like an invitation for the body and mind to slow down. It is especially beautiful at the end of a stressful day, during times of emotional overwhelm, when the mind simply will not shut off, or as part of a calming bedtime routine.

But Cedarwood is much more than a “sleep oil.”

Its naturally occurring plant compounds, particularly its high concentration of sesquiterpenes, make Cedarwood an interesting oil for supporting the nervous system, emotional balance, focus, skin and scalp health, and overall wellness.

For someone whose body seems to be carrying a lot of stress, Cedarwood may be a wonderful oil to bring into a simple daily routine.

CEDARWOOD AT A GLANCE

• Warm, woodsy, grounding aroma
• • Creates a peaceful and comforting environment
• • Wonderful for evening and bedtime routines
• • Supports relaxation during stressful seasons
• • Helps create an environment conducive to restful sleep
• • Supports emotional grounding
• • May help quiet an overly busy mind
• • Wonderful during meditation, prayer or journaling
• • Supports focus and concentration
• • Helps maintain healthy-looking skin
• • Supports a healthy-looking scalp and hair
• • Naturally deodorizing
• • Traditionally used for cleansing
• • High in naturally occurring sesquiterpenes
• • Pairs beautifully with Lavender, Frankincense, Vetiver, Tangerine, Bergamot, Patchouli and Northern Lights Black Spruce

WHAT MAKES CEDARWOOD SO INTERESTING?

Young Living identifies several naturally occurring constituents in Cedarwood, including:

• Alpha-himachalene
• Beta-himachalene
• Gamma-himachalene
• Delta-cadinene

Cedarwood is particularly known for being rich in sesquiterpenes, a large family of naturally occurring aromatic plant compounds.

These compounds are one reason Cedarwood continues to attract scientific interest.

Laboratory research on Cedrus atlantica essential oil has demonstrated antioxidant, antimicrobial and antifungal activity. This does NOT mean that applying or diffusing Cedarwood treats an infection inside the human body, but it gives us an interesting scientific look at the biological activity of the plant.

KEY CONSTITUENTS

Constituents are naturally occurring compounds in plants (and therefore essential oils) that give them sprecic health-supporting properties. All three of the key constituents found in Cedarwood are sesquiterpenes. In fact, Cedarwood is 98% sesquiterpenes, the oil with the highest amount!

• Alpha-himachalene, Beta-himachalene, Gamma-himachalene: These compounds stimulate the limbic system of the brain, help lower brain waves from overly active to focused or from focused to meditative, help elevate the mood and calm the body.

Sesquiterpenes are a powerful tool! They help with oxygenating the pineal and pituitary glands, which are responsible for producing hormones related to sleep and stress. Sesquiterpenes also stimulate Beta Wave production in the brain, which helps with focus. When we are performing a difficult task or working on a problem, our brain increases the amount of beta waves. Sesquiterpenes stimulate and support that natural production and therefore ability to focus. These compounds also help delete negative information in the cellular memory, making them extremely helpful tools when experiencing or processing trauma of any kind (chemical, medical, physical, emotional, relational).

CEDARWOOD + THE NERVOUS SYSTEM

This may be one of my favorite reasons to reach for Cedarwood.

We spend so much time talking about food, supplements, digestion and exercise that we sometimes forget another enormous piece of the wellness puzzle:

The nervous system.

Our bodies are not designed to remain in “go, go, go” mode all day long.

Chronic emotional stress can affect sleep, digestion, appetite, blood sugar regulation, energy and how we feel overall.

This is where simple tools that help us create moments of calm can be so valuable.

Research involving cedrol, a naturally occurring compound found in some cedarwood oils, is especially interesting.

In a human study, inhaled cedrol was associated with:

• Increased parasympathetic nervous-system activity
• Reduced sympathetic nervous-system activity
• Lower respiratory rate
• Lower heart rate
• Changes consistent with a relaxation response

Another study involving women from Japan, Thailand and Norway also found changes suggesting increased parasympathetic nervous-system activity after cedrol inhalation.

Think of the parasympathetic nervous system as our body’s rest, digest and restore mode.

This doesn’t mean Cedarwood essential oil itself has been proven to produce all of these effects, because the research studied isolated cedrol rather than Young Living Cedarwood. But it does give us an interesting window into why cedar aromas have traditionally been associated with relaxation.

CEDARWOOD + STRESS

When stress becomes chronic, the effects aren’t only emotional.

Your nervous system communicates continuously with your digestive system, immune system, hormones, cardiovascular system and brain.

This is why supporting the nervous system can be part of supporting the whole person.

Cedarwood’s warm aroma makes it especially useful during times when you feel:

• Overwhelmed
• Mentally exhausted
• Worried
• Emotionally drained
• Unable to switch your brain off
• Restless
• Scattered
• In need of grounding

Try simply inhaling Cedarwood from the bottle, placing a drop in your hands and breathing deeply, or diffusing it while you unwind.

Sometimes wellness doesn’t need to be complicated.

CEDARWOOD + THE GUT-BRAIN CONNECTION

Your digestive tract and brain communicate constantly through what we call the gut-brain axis.

Stress can influence digestive function, while what’s happening in the digestive system can also influence how we feel mentally and emotionally.

When we are chronically stressed, the body may spend more time in sympathetic “fight or flight” mode and less time in parasympathetic “rest and digest” mode.

That is why I like thinking about gut health beyond simply taking a probiotic.

We can nourish the gut with fiber, hydration and supportive foods while ALSO asking:

What is happening with stress?

Am I sleeping?

Am I slowing down when I eat?

Am I giving my nervous system opportunities to feel safe and calm?

Cedarwood can become one of those simple sensory cues that tells us:

The day is slowing down. It is time to rest.

For someone working on digestive health while also carrying a lot of emotional or mental stress, this can be a beautiful piece of the bigger picture.

CEDARWOOD + SLEEP

This is probably Cedarwood’s best-known everyday use.

Young Living specifically recommends Cedarwood for creating a relaxing, calming and comforting atmosphere as part of a nighttime routine.

Try:

• Diffusing it 30–60 minutes before bedtime
• Applying 1–2 drops to your pillow
• Applying diluted Cedarwood to the bottoms of the feet
• Using it behind the ears or along the back of the neck
• Pairing it with Lavender
• Pairing it with Lavender + Frankincense
• Pairing it with Vetiver when your mind will not slow down

The goal isn’t simply “knocking yourself out.”

We want to create consistent signals that tell the brain:

It is nighttime. The work is finished. You can slow down now.

CEDARWOOD + EMOTIONAL WELLNESS

Cedarwood has long been associated in aromatherapy with feelings of stability, strength and grounding.

Its aroma can be particularly comforting when emotions feel scattered or overwhelming.

Consider Cedarwood during seasons of:

• Worry
• Grief
• Sadness
• Emotional exhaustion
• Major life changes
• Feeling unsettled
• Mental overload

Diffuse it while journaling, praying, reading or simply sitting quietly.

Pair Cedarwood with Tangerine for a beautiful combination.

Cedarwood brings the grounding.

CEDARWOOD + FOCUS

Interestingly, an oil that we often associate with relaxation is also commonly used for focus.

Sometimes what feels like an inability to concentrate isn’t a lack of stimulation.

It is too much stimulation.

When the nervous system is overloaded and the mind is racing, grounding aromas may help create a calmer environment for concentrating.

CEDARWOOD + SKIN

Young Living describes Cedarwood as having skin-cleansing and moisturizing properties and recommends adding it to skin-care products.

Try adding a drop to:

• Facial moisturizer
• Body lotion
• Hand cream
• Body oil

Cedarwood can be especially nice when paired with Frankincense or Lavender.

Always start conservatively when using essential oils on sensitive skin.

CEDARWOOD + HAIR & SCALP

Young Living recommends massaging Cedarwood into the scalp to support the appearance of healthy-looking hair.

There is also published human research worth mentioning.

In a randomized controlled trial involving people with alopecia areata, participants massaged a combination of Cedarwood, Rosemary, Lavender and Thyme essential oils in jojoba and grapeseed carrier oils into the scalp.

CEDARWOOD + CLEANSING

Cedarwood has historically been associated with cleansing, and modern laboratory research gives us another interesting perspective.

Studies of Cedrus atlantica essential oil have demonstrated antimicrobial and antifungal activity in laboratory settings.

Researchers have tested Cedarwood compounds against various bacteria and fungi, including Candida species.

Again, laboratory findings do not mean Cedarwood should be used to treat bacterial or fungal infections in people.

But they do help explain why this plant has had such a long history of traditional cleansing uses.

WHY I ESPECIALLY LIKE CEDARWOOD WHEN WORKING ON GUT HEALTH

Gut health isn’t just about what we eat.

Digestion, sleep, stress, hydration, the microbiome, intestinal health, blood sugar and emotional health all interact.

If we’re constantly stressed, rushing through meals, sleeping poorly and never giving the nervous system an opportunity to settle, we may be missing an important piece of the wellness puzzle.

Cedarwood isn’t a treatment for digestive disease.

Instead, I see it as one of the tools we can use to support the stress and nervous-system side of the gut-health conversation.

Pair that with nourishing food, adequate fiber, hydration, supporting beneficial gut bacteria, good sleep, movement and time between meals, and we begin looking at the whole person rather than one isolated symptom.

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email: Viviane@VivianeNiemann.com

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