Cinnamon essential oil (botanical name: cinnamomum zeylanicum) has a distinctive sharp, sweet and spicy aroma that instantly conjures the memory of baking cookies on Christmas. 

But besides conjuring holiday spirit, what are the key Cinnamon essential oil benefits?

Both Cinnamon Bark essential oil and Cinnamon Leaf essential oil go through steam distillation and are rich in antioxidant cinnamaldehyde. Cinnamon Bark oil has more cinnamaldehyde, resulting in a sharper aroma, while Cinnamon Leaf oil is slightly less intense. Whichever you prefer, warm, woody Cinnamon is ideal for aromatherapy use in diffusers, topical balms and more. 

Aside from Cinnamon Bark and Cinnamon Leaf there is also Cassia essential oil. Cassia oil is closely related to the “true cinnamon” (cinnamomum zeylanicum) and is the typical cinnamon sold in North America. 

In this short guide, we’ll go over what to use Cinnamon essential oil for and five amazing benefits you can experience when you add a little warm spice to your daily routine.

1. Uplifts Your Mood 

Cinnamon has been valued by cultures around the world for over 4,000 years. In its early history, cinnamon was a luxury good and status symbol. It was used for everything from spicing dishes to preserving meat!

While the price of true cinnamon no longer rivals the price of gold, the same qualities that made it an ancient commodity are just as evident today. After all, there’s nothing like a cinnamon stick to complement a cup of delicious hot chocolate. 

Our natural associations with this aromatic spice mirror Cinnamon oil uses in aromatherapy, which include:

• Alleviating sadness – Reaching for Cinnamon when you’re struck with the winter blahs can be great for a burst of positivity.

• Boosting energy  – Considered to be “heating” in Ayurvedic medicine, the aroma of Cinnamon stimulates the senses and the mind.

• Promoting mental focus – Cinnamon can leave you feeling brighter and perkier making it much easier to focus on the tasks at hand.

To experience one of the most popular Cinnamon essential oil uses, place a few drops in your aromatherapy diffuser or use one of our uplifting synergy blends that contain some of our other favorite oils along with Cinnamon!

• Bliss: Bliss synergy blend can be diffused everyday to promote positivity in your home. This diffuser blend contains Orange, Clove Bud, Star Anise, Lemon Myrtle, Nutmeg, Vanilla CO2, Ginger, Cinnamon Bark and Zdravets.

• XOXO: XOXO synergy blend is the perfect gift or self care blend for anyone who needs some extra encouragement and love in their life! This essential oil blend contains Cardamom, Cinnamon Bark, Ginger, Clove Bud, Sandalwood, Jasmine, Vanilla CO2 and Damiana.

2. Helps Support Healthy Immune Function

Like many other essential oils, antioxidant Cinnamon possesses several properties that can help enhance our bodies’ natural immune system defense.

• Cinnamon has been proven effective against numerous bacteria. When diffused, it may help clear congestion and support a healthy immune system response during the cold and flu season.

• In a study of over 100 ingredients, Cinnamon was found to be the most highly anti-inflammatory. By helping the body combat inflammation, Cinnamon may hasten healing and reduce secondary symptoms of inflammation like fatigue and discomfort.

• Cinnamon also exhibits antiviral and antifungal properties.

If you want to double up on this essential oil’s potential immune-boosting properties, try out the following blends:

• Guardian synergy blend – This warm, sweet blend combines potent Cinnamon with Clove Bud, Orange and Rosemary to help you keep your guard up against pathogens.

• Fighting Five synergy blend – Slightly higher notes than Guardian, the Fighting Five harnesses the power of Cinnamon alongside Eucalyptus, Lemon and Rosemary to fight back against cold symptoms and support a healthy immune system response.

3. Soothes Soreness

Cinnamon is an analgesic. That means that it can help reduce sensations of discomfort including:

• Sore muscles

• Aching joints

• Tension (i.e., at the neck or temples)

• Menstrual cramps

Because Cinnamon is rich in anti-inflammatory cinnamaldehyde, applying it topically can also help target the root cause of discomfort. Dilute Cinnamon essential oil with a carrier oil and treat yourself to a warming self-massage at the site of your discomfort.

• Choose Cinnamon Bark oil for your limbs and torso to experience the full effects of cinnamaldehyde. Note, Cinnamon Bark has a recommended maximum dilution rate of .07%.

• Use Cinnamon Leaf oil from the neck downwards to avoid irritating sensitive facial and respiratory tissue. Dilute Cinnamon Leaf to its maximum recommended dilution rate of .6% or lower to obtain its full benefits. 

4. Reduces Microbes In Cleaning Products 

Traditional Chinese medicine has been using Cinnamon in herbal remedies for centuries. 

Not only can Cinnamon oil make you feel more energized (which is perfect when you need some extra motivation to clean), but it can be added to your DIY or store bought natural cleaning products to help reduce microbes. 

Cinnamon is a natural botanical energizer that possesses something called eugenol, a constituent of Clove Bud and an inhibitor of virus growth. Two of Cinnamon’s other constituents include cinnamaldehyde and cinnamic acid which damage the cell membrane of bacteria to inhibit its growth. 

Add Cinnamon essential oil to your daily cleaning routine to help you kill germs and fight off sickness.

5. Repels Insects

Last but not least amongst Cinnamon essential oil benefits are its pest-defying properties.

Essential oils are the first line of plants’ immune system defense from predators including insects. That means that oils like Cinnamon are already adept at warding off bugs!

Many pests find the aroma of true Cinnamon intolerable. Spritzing a spray bottle full of diluted cinnamon oil around your home can help to ward off insects including:

• Flies

• Ants

• Mosquitos

Alternately, you could place Cinnamon oil in a diffuser.

Just be sure to avoid using this oil indoors if you have furry friends, because it may cause irritation.

Spice Up Your Life With Edens Garden

So, what is Cinnamon oil good for? Just about everything. From promoting great skin to brightening your mood, all of these Cinnamon oil benefits make it one of our favorite do-it-all essential oils. 

When you’re incorporating Cinnamon and other oils into your daily wellness routines, it’s important to use high-quality oils. At Edens Garden, we responsibly source our oils, then third-party test them to ensure they’re free of chemicals, pesticides and other additives.

Sources: 

1. History. Cinnamon’s Spicy History. https://www.history.com/news/cinnamons-spicy-history
2. Utchariyakiat, Itsaraporn et al. “Efficacy of cinnamon bark oil and cinnamaldehyde on anti-multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the synergistic effects in combination with other antimicrobial agents.” BMC complementary and alternative medicine 16.1 (2016). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4888607/
3. Gunawardena, Dhanushka et al. “Anti-inflammatory activity of cinnamon (C. zeylanicum and C. cassia) extracts – identification of E-cinnamaldehyde and o-methoxy cinnamaldehyde as the most potent bioactive compounds.”   Food and Function 3 (2015).. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2015/fo/c4fo00680a/unauth#!divAbstract