Sassafras Essential Oil

Sassafras Essential Oil

Botanical Name: Sassafras albidum
Plant Family: Lauraceae
Country of Origin: USA
Plant Part: Root Bark
Extraction Method: Steam Distillation
Color: Orange yo Brown
Consistency: Light to Heavy
Perfumery Note: Middle
Strength of Aroma: Medium

The name 'Sassafras', applied by the Spanish botanist Monardes in the sixteenth century, is said to be a corruption of the Spanish word for saxifrage. The tree stands from 20 to 40 feet high, with many slender branches, and smooth, orangebrown bark. The leaves are broadly oval, alternate, and 3 to 7 inches long. The flowers are small, and of an inconspicuous, greenishyellow colour. The roots are large and woody, their bark being soft and spongy, rough, and reddish or greyish-brown in colour. The living bark is nearly white, but exposure causes its immediate discoloration. The roots are imported in large, branched pieces, which may or may not be covered with bark, and often have attached to them a portion of the lower part of the trunk. The central market for all parts is Baltimore. The entire root is official in the British Pharmacopoeia, but only the more active bark in the United States, where wood and bark form separate articles of commerce. The bark without its corky layer is brittle, and the presence of small crystals cause its inner surface to glisten. Both bark and wood have a fragrant odour, and an aromatic, somewhat astringent taste.

Common Uses: Sassafras essential oil has been used as an anti-infectious, parasitic, antiseptic, analgesic, dermatitis, kidney stones, gout, arthritis, lumbago, diuretic, rheumatic pains, and it has been praised as a dental disinfectant. The essential oil of sassafras can be used in frictions and unction. It is often used against the dependences (addiction to smoking). The oil is said to relieve the pain caused by menstrual obstructions, and pain following parturition, in doses of 5 to 10 drops on sugar, the same dose having been found useful in gleet and gonorrhoea.

Blends Well: Sassafras should only be used in drops and blends well with Guaiacum or Sarsaparilla.

Cautions: This oil can produce marked narcotic poisoning, and death by causing widespread fatty degeneration of the heart, liver, and kidneys, or, in a larger dose, by great depression of the circulation, followed by a centric paralysis of respiration. Sassafras oil should not be used at all during pregnancy, nor by inexperienced aromatherapists.

Disclaimer: Personnel at Body Ecology Online© makes no claims to be medical practitioners. We do not diagnose, treat nor prescribe any medical treatment or advice. Always discuss treatment of medical conditions with your medical practitioner before using any alternative therapies, natural supplements, or vitamins. Our safety precautions are listed as guidelines only. Always consult an experienced Aromatherapist about essential oil usage and always inform your primary care physician to what essential oils you are using as they may not be conducive with his/her prescribed therapy and/or medications.

Nt. Wt. 0.14 oz.

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