Camphor White essential oil has a sharp, pungent camphoraceous odour. Useful for easing breathing, it can have a positive effect on colds, flu, chills and coughs. It is also an excellent insect repellent, against flies and moths and is used in moth balls.
- Latin Name
- Cinnamomum Camphora
- Family
- Lauraceae
- Note
- Middle
- Extraction
- Essential oil is produced by steam distillation from the wood, root and branches. Crude camphor is collected from the trees in crystalline form.
- Constituents
- White camphor has mainly cineol, pinene, terpineol, menthol, thymol.
- Origin
- China
This evergreen tree can grow up to 30 metres high, it first bears clusters of white flowers then red berries.
History
Camphor was used for heart failure, nervous and respiratory diseases, it was also known to speed recovery from colds. For protection it was traditional to wear a lump of camphor around the neck to prevent infectious diseases.
