Cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)
Fun fact: Cinnamon was once so highly valued that it was used as a trade commodity between India, China, and Egypt.
The smell of cinnamon wafting through the kitchen is probably the most beloved aroma of the Earth's population. First mentioned in Chinese literature as early as 2700 BC, cinnamon is considered a “warm” herb and is valued in many ancient traditional medical systems, including Ayurvedic medicine. Early Europeans considered cinnamon a “rare and precious spice”, and it was often used in tonics to treat coughs, colds and digestive ailments. Used in just about every kitchen of every culture, cinnamon is treasured for its culinary magic as well as its therapeutic benefits. However, the kitchen and the doctor’s office aren't the only places this delicious spice shines. It is also highly valued in the world of aromatherapy for its warming and comforting qualities. Cinnamon is especially good for colds, flu, arthritis, rheumatism, and other aches and pains. It also blends well other oils, especially citrus and spice scents. Cinnamon oil is also great to use in a diffuser before parties or open houses, as it lends a homey, welcoming quality people find comforting and appealing.
Mixes well with: Bergamot, clove, frankincense, geranium, ginger, grapefruit, lavender, lemon, marjoram, nutmeg, orange, patchouli, rose, rosemary, tangerine, thyme, and ylang ylang.
Parts used: Leaves and twigs (dried inner bark).
Extraction method: Steam distillation.
Safety Information: Avoid if pregnant. Not to be used if under age 18. People with sensitive skin should avoid cinnamon completely. Do not use in baths. Can irritate mucous membranes, so use with care.
Essential Oil FAQ's
What are essential oils?
Essential Oils are the naturally occurring volatile oils obtained by distillation or expression having the characteristic aroma of the plant part from which it was derived. These 100% pure oils are neat, meaning they have not been processed or manipulated in any way with solvents or other additives. Though a particular species of plant harvested and distilled for its essential oil during a particular growing season in a specific region may produce a fragrance that differs from the same species grown that season in a different region, many of the main chemical markers and physical specifications may be similar.
Do essential oils have a grading system to tell me which is better?
There are many companies selling Essential Oils today spinning many tall tales regarding the quality or grade of their products. To my knowledge there exists NO official grading system in any of the more respected sources of essential oil literature. Neither The Federal Register and Code of Regulations, FEMA nor AFNOR has to date adopted a system that grades these oils as an A, B or C grade. A product is either 100% pure essential oil or it’s not. All of our 100% pure essential Oils are labeled as such. We also sell oil blends that are formulated with essential oils or absolute extracts and pure grapeseed oil and are clearly labeled.
Are NOW essential oils pure or do they have anything added to them?
Again all of our 100% pure essential Oils are labeled as such. We also sell oil blends that are formulated with essential oils or absolute extracts and pure grapeseed oil and are clearly labeled.
Natural Essential Oils by their very definition will vary from season to season. We are committed to allowing nature take its course without adding isolated compounds to the oil in an effort to improve on the naturally occurring nuance. We take both the organoleptic (sight, smell and taste) and chemical properties into account when evaluating our essential oils.
What are NOW’s criteria for testing essential oils?
Our Quality Assurance and Control departments adhere to specifications used by the Essential Oils and Flavor Industry and published in The Essential Oils by Guenther, as well as Fenaroli’s Handbook of Flavor Ingredients.
These texts, as well as other sources of scientific information, detail specific physical and chemical properties that compose a fingerprint defining the peculiarities of a particular oil. A partial list of the components that we analyze for would include Specific Gravity, Refractive Index, Optical Rotation, Flash Point, Infrared Absorption (as published in FCC), Solubility, Taste/Odor, Color/Appearance, Heavy Metals and Predominant Active Chemical Components.
Our in-house laboratory employs state-of-the-art analytical equipment that allows us to perform highly specialized analyses, such as Gas Chromatography and Infrared Spectrometry. We use our own analysis results to confirm specification sheet results and certificates of analyses received from 3rd party outside laboratories and vendors. As always, when it comes to Essential Oils, individual practitioners and lay people will decide for themselves which variety of a flower or leaf produces the essential oil that best suits their particular need. The nose, eyes, ears, hands and heart of a man or woman, used with humility and wisdom, are still the best tools given us by God to discern what is necessary and good.
NOW® Foods is committed to offering the purest and most potent natural Essential Oils available. All of our 100% Pure Essential Oils are FCC or food grade and derived through natural distillation or cold pressing methods with no chemicals or solvents.
NR 9/03
Essential Oil Quality
By Lou DeMers, Quality Assurance, January 7, 2005
The Importance of Species
The quality of an essential oil, or the perception of this quality, involves many factors. One factor has much to do with the specific plant species used. When obtaining an essential oil, one must look past the common or trivial names and insist on the Latin binomial or scientific name. To do otherwise will result in the purchase and use of a material that is of lesser or no therapeutic value, and certainly of different aroma.
Take, for example, Sandalwood essential oil. The highest quality oil is derived from the East Indian Sandalwood tree species Santalum album. This essential oil has been vigorously analyzed to determine that it contains 16 major components, the chief being the alpha and beta Santalols at not less than 90% of the total content. There are 12 other sesquiterpene analogues of Santalol, which also lend to the overall characteristic aroma associated with this essential oil. Additionally, much of the therapeutic value is attributed to the two Santalol isomers and their high content.
Another sandalwood essential oil is the West Australian Sandalwood derived from the tree species Eucarya spicata, also called Santalum spicatum. While this essential oil does contain alpha-Santalol, it also contains other sesquiterpene alcohols that are not analogues of Santalol. Interestingly enough a typical analysis will state the free alcohol content (calculated as Santalol) as not less than 90%. But this is deceiving in that the actual Santalol content is much less than this at around 60-65%, and only the alpha isomer and not the beta isomer is present.
A third lesser-known sandalwood is another Western Australian sandalwood called Santalum lanceolatum. The essential oil from this species contains no Santalol whatsoever.
In conclusion, the Santalol content of the three sandalwood essential oils accounts for their very different aroma and therapeutic values, and care should be exercised to ensure the desired product is obtained.
You can be assured that the NOW Quality Assurance team is looking at these issues when deciding how to source our raw materials so you can be assured of the highest quality products in our label.
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