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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; Colour: Colourless 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, revitalising, anti-inflammatory, purifying, antibacterial, toning.
Concerns: All skin types, particularly irritated, blemished and mature skin; All hair types, especially irritated scalps prone to itching.

Details

Applications

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

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

  • Haircare (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 by pregnant women under 3 months, as well as 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 to the skin.

Find out more

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