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Profile: Ho Wood Essential Oil

Commonly known as: Cinnamomum Camphora Linalooliferum Wood Oil (I.N.C.I.), also known as Shiu Wood, Camphor Tree, Camphor Laurel, and Chinese Bay.
Botanical name: Cinnamomum camphora var. linaloolifera Y.Fujita.
Extraction process: Steam distillation of wood, bark, and foliage derived from organic farming.
Family: Laurel Family.
Part of the plant extracted: Wood, bark, and foliage.
Location: China, Taiwan, and Japan.
Flowering: /
Provenance, origin: China.
Phytochemical composition: Monoterpenols (linalool, terpinen-4-ol), monoterpenes (α-phellandrene, β-phellandrene, limonene, γ-terpinene, myrcene, α-terpinene, cis-β-ocimene, trans-β-ocimene, para-cymene), terpenic oxides (1,8-cineole, cis-linalool oxide, trans-linalool oxide).
Sensorial properties: Appearance: Liquid; Color: Colorless to pale yellow; Scent: Woody, floral.
Physical characteristics: Density: 0.860 - 0.872 g/cm3; Refractive Index: 1.458 - 1.470.
Benefits: Soothing, fragrant, regenerating, revitalizing, anti-inflammatory, purifying, antibacterial, toning.
Concerns: All skin types, particularly irritated, blemished, and mature skin; All hair types, especially those with irritated scalps prone to itching.

Details

Applications

  • Facial Care (masks, serums, creams, cleansing gels);

  • Body Care (body lotions/balms, hand and foot creams/lotions);

  • Hair Care (shampoos, conditioners, masks, oils);

  • Hygiene (solid soaps, deodorants);

  • Makeups (lipsticks).

Method of Preservation

Store in a place protected from air, light, and at a stable and moderate temperature.

Contraindications, Usage Precautions

The essential oil of Ho Wood should not be used in pregnant women less than 3 months along, as well as in children under 3 years old. Before any application to the skin, it must be diluted to 20% in a vegetable oil. Given its high content of linalool, the essential oil of Ho Wood presents a high allergenic potential. Remember to perform the elbow bend test before the first application on the skin.

Find out more

The Ho Wood presents a chemotype with linalool, which has been used for centuries in China and Japan. Its botanical name in Latin, Cinnamomum camphora, can be confusing. It can refer to the camphor tree from Madagascar, whose leaf distillation produces the essential oil of ravintsara rich in 1,8 cineole (Cinnamomum camphora CT cineole), as well as the Shiu (or Ho), whose wood distillation produces an essential oil rich in linalool (Cinnamomum camphora CT linalool). The essential oil of Ho Wood has a similar composition and properties to the essential oil of rosewood, which can be a good alternative.