Atlas Cedar Essential Oil: What are its benefits for the skin?

The essential oil of Atlas cedar also appears to have antibacterial activity. According to a study in vitro by GHANMI and his team, this would be directed against Gram-negative bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, and Gram-positive bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus cereus. This work carried out on an antibiogram disc showed a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.4 μL/mL for Escherichia coli and 0.2 μL/mL for Bacillus cereus and Bacillus subtilis. It can be assumed that this antibacterial activity of the Atlas cedar essential oil extends to other microorganisms, notably to Cutibacterium acnes, a bacterium involved in the pathogenesis of acne. If this hypothesis were confirmed, it would make the use of Atlas cedar essential oil relevant for combating imperfections.

Further work is still required to measure the extent of the antibacterial activity of Atlas Cedar essential oil.

The antifungal activity of Atlas cedar essential oil was tested in a 2019 study on various types of fungi, including Aspergillus niger, Thielavia hyalocarpa and four fungi derived from the genus Penicillium. The minimum inhibitory concentrations were measured and ranged from 0.5 to 1%, demonstrating that a low concentration of Atlas cedar essential oil is sufficient to achieve an antifungal effect.

The antifungal activity of Atlas cedar essential oil is attributed to its content of sesquiterpenes, particularly cedrol and himachalene. These compounds are believed to have the ability to exert a fungistatic action, meaning they could inhibit the growth of fungi. They would act at the level of the cell membranes and alter their permeability, thereby causing the leakage of components essential to fungal growth.

Further studies are still required before we can assert that Atlas Cedar essential oil can combat fungal infections.

In 2018, SAIDI and his team investigated the effects of Atlas Cedar essential oil on the wound healing process. In the study, the efficacy of a cream based on the essential oil was evaluated over 28 days on rabbits. The healing potential of the cream was compared to a placebo, which was the same cream but without the essential oil, and to a reference ointment containing 1% extract of Centella asiatica. According to this study, a significant reduction in the appearance of scars was observed from the first days of application for the essential oil-based cream and its effectiveness was said to be comparable to that of the reference ointment. However, no numerical data was provided and the mechanism of action of the Atlas Cedar essential oil in the wound healing process remains unknown.

It is necessary to conduct further research on the healing potential of Atlas Cedar essential oil.

Beyond its healing, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial benefits, Atlas cedar essential oil is also believed to have a pain-relieving effect, as demonstrated in a study on mice in which abdominal cramps were induced by acetic acid injection. The mice were divided into several groups and had previously been orally administered 12.5 mg/kg, 25 mg/kg or 50 mg/kg of essential oil or 10 mg/kg of diclofenac, a positive control. The percentages of cramp inhibition were measured and showed a dose-dependent effect of the Atlas cedar essential oil.

Some sources attribute to Atlas cedar essential oil a plausible effect on oily skin, a property that would stem from its unique biochemical composition. Indeed, the sesquiterpene content of the essential oil would allow it to exert a lipolytic action leading to the breakdown of fatty substances. This would thus prevent an excessive production of sebum by the sebaceous glands, which can give the skin a shiny appearance. However, scientific evidence is currently lacking and does not allow us to confirm that Atlas cedar essential oil is an interesting ingredient for targeting hyperseborrhea.