Featured:
Allergies
Grilling Guide
eHow Now Blog

Description of the Essential Oil Camphor

Camphor oil is distilled from the wood of the camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora), a species native to Vietnam, China and Japan. The oil has a variety of uses in alternative medicine, including treating coughs and rheumatism.

  1. Identification

    • Camphor oil can be brown, yellow or white in color. Brown and yellow camphor oils contain safrole, a cancer-causing compound.

    Function

    • Since white camphor oil does not contain safrole, it is used in aromatherapy and alternative medicine applications.

    Benefits

    • Camphor oil contains cineol and other antiseptic compounds that can fight germs that cause upper respiratory infections. Its most common use is as a cough remedy.

    Significance

    • Germany has approved camphor oil as a treatment for coughs, rheumatic pain, low blood pressure, bronchitis and certain heart problems.

    Use

    • For respiratory issues, patients can inhale camphor oil vapors. For skin and circulation problems, the oil is diluted and applied to the skin.

    Warning

    • Camphor oil should never be ingested since the oil is toxic. Pregnant or nursing women, children and people with epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and asthma should not use camphor. The oil can also cause skin irritation in some people.

Related Searches:

References

Resources

You May Also Like

  • Snake Oil for Skin Cancer

    Several class action suits were filed during 2006 by plaintiffs alleging that major sunscreen manufacturers were guilty of selling snake oil to...

  • What is Camphor Oil?

    Camphor oil is often used in salves for tired, aching muscles. The trees from which it is derived must be 20 years...

  • What Are the Dangers of Camphor Essential Oil?

    Camphor oil is an extract of the Cinnamomum camphora plant. The oil itself is seldom used internally but the vapors of the...

  • Camphor Spirit Information

    Camphor spirit is a natural substance that has been used in traditional medicine for centuries to treat a number of health conditions....

  • Descriptions & Uses of Essential Oils

    Descriptions & Uses of Essential Oils. An essential oil is a concentrated extract with the characteristic odor or flavor of the plant...

  • Facts on the Camphor Tree

    Found in many countries,including Indonesia, China, Korea, Japan, Australia and the United States, the camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora) is a dense, broadleafed...

  • Information on Camphor

    Camphor is obtained from the evergreen tree Cinnamonum Camphora, a relative of the laurel. It is a white, crystalline substance that can...

  • Uses for Camphor

    Camphor oil has been used for centuries to treat a plethora of ailments. It can act as an antiseptic, pain reliever, antidepressant...

  • Dangers of Perfume

    Since the 1940s, the majority of perfumes have been produced using chemicals. While scents made with natural materials will do little more...

  • Oregano Oil for Dogs

    Oil of oregano can do wonderful things for humans and dogs alike, and has been known to treat everything from arthritis and...

  • How to Use Oregano Oil for Whooping Cough

    Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a respiratory condition caused by bordatella pertussis bacteria. The first signs of whooping cough are...

  • The History of Placenta Cream

    Placenta cream, an anti-aging topical, develops from sheep placenta cells. The placenta, an internal organ that nourishes the fetus in the womb,...

  • Rosemary & Breast Cancer

    Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), a perennial herb known since ancient times, has myriad applications. In addition to serving as a condiment to flavor...

  • Camphor Essential Oil Uses & Benefits

    Slightly cool to the touch, camphor essential oil has an intense, penetrating odor. When applied topically, camphor oil has a numbing quality...

  • Is Camphor Oil Toxic?

    Recognizing the toxicity of camphor oil when ingested, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the sale of products containing camphorated...

  • Uses of Camphor Oil

    Camphor oil is derived the wood of the camphor tree. It is extracted from the wood by distilling it and separating it...

  • Uses for Camphor Water

    Uses for Camphor Water. Camphor is a ketone (organic compound) obtained from the camphor tree, which grows in Japan and China. It...

  • What Are the Dangers of Fabric Softeners?

    Fabric softener can cause irritation and nervous system damage. Jupiterimages/BananaStock/Getty Images

  • History of Camphor Oil

    Camphor was used as an incense resin and fragrant wood in ancient Egypt and Babylon and much later spread to Greece and...

Related Ads

thumbnail
Featured