Cinnamon essential oil (Cinnamomum verum) evokes memories of holiday baking, warmth or even the turning of the seasons. The essential oil can be used for so much more!
Cinnamon oil can be produced from both the bark and the leaf. The two oils cannot be
used interchangeably as they have varying chemical compositions. Cinnamon bark oil contains 60-75% cinnamaldehyde, whereas cinnamon leaf oil contains up to 95% eugenol. While the oils come from the same plant, the two products are extremely different. Cinnamon bark oil is often adulterated with cinnamon leaf oil and cassia oil, so confirmation of oil quality should be obtained prior to use in aromatic medicine. The uses in this handout refer to cinnamon bark oil.
Cinnamon is a popular culinary ingredient and is used in herbal medicine to reduce insulin resistance and improve oral health. The uses in aromatic medicine are similar, though the oil should not be regarded as a cure-all for all forms of diabetes.
In multi-oil studies, cinnamon (bark) EO consistently demonstrates efficacy against
MRSA and similar microbes responsible for bacterial skin infections. In vitro studies also indicate that cinnamon EO works synergistically with pharmaceutical antibiotics in order to boost efficacy against gram negative strains of bacteria. (Valcourt, et al, 2016) This understanding and use could, in fact, help prevent the need for second- and third-generation antibiotics, helping to prevent antibiotic resistance.
However, a 2016 study confirms that cinnamon EO does harm gut health when ingested,
as expected given its indication as an antibiotic. (Dunn, Davidson, & Critzer, 2016) Therefore, while it is and can be quite beneficial for its indicated uses, care should be taken when ingesting oregano, just as one would with conventional antibiotics.
Cinnamon essential oil can be used in extremely small amounts for skincare products,
particularly wash-off products such as a body scrub. For medicinal purposes, it can be added to a balm for wound care or first aid. The oil is used in small amounts for culinary preparations such as cinnamon candies and breath mints, but medicinal internal usage is not recommended without advanced study in aromatic medicine from an authorized institution with qualified instructors.
Dose
Cinnamon essential oil can be used in skincare at dilutions up to 0.5% or in medicinal
applications such as a balm at dilutions ranging from 2% to 10% for an otherwise healthy adult, depending on the other ingredients and the severity of the condition being treated. Stronger concentrations are used by professional aromatherapists with proper training in related applications.
Dunn, L. L., Davidson, P. M., & Critzer, F. J. (2016). Antimicrobial Efficacy of an Array of Essential Oils Against Lactic Acid Bacteria. Journal of food science, 81(2), M438-M444.
Valcourt, C., Saulnier, P., Umerska, A., Zanelli, M. P., Montagu, A., Rossines, E., & Joly-Guillou, M. L. (2016). Synergistic interactions between doxycycline and terpenic components of essential oils encapsulated within lipid nanocapsules against gram negative bacteria. International journal of pharmaceutics, 498(1), 23-31.