Ravintsara (Cinnamomum camphora) to the Rescue

Over the past few weeks I've been reaching for one of my favorite oils Cinnamomum camphora or Ravintsara for all sorts of reasons. You may not have heard of it before but once you read about its benefits and perhaps even give it a try I'm guessing you'll love it as well.

Ravintsara is distilled from the leaves of the Cinnamomum camphora tree. It has an invigorating camphoraceous scent and some chemical similarity to eucalyptus radiata or globulus.

Ravintsara is an excellent germ fighter and has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-spasmodic properties meaning it can calm muscles and soothe coughs. Ravintsara can support the lungs and energetically can boost mood, help one relax, and support feelings of confidence.

1,8 cineole, generally present in copious amounts in ravintsara has been linked to cognitive enhancement and improved focus and work performance. So ravintsara may help one to better focus and support work or study. (1)

One of the ways I used this oil recently was to create a steam blend for someone who was feeling under the weather and family members who did NOT want to get sick. Ravintsara is perfect to help fight germs when you are feeling under the weather or help keep you from becoming under the weather.

If you start to feel unwell simply boil some water, place it in a bowl, add ONE DROP of your blend, close your eyes, and pull a towel up over your head and breathe. The combination of steam and essential oils will help open up your airways and you'll want to keep some tissues near by.

I like combining the ravintsara with some peppermint, Siberian fir, and maybe a little tea tree. You could even add in some eucalytus or simply steam with ravintsara alone. But it's key to be consistent. Steam 2-3 times a day for several days.

The virus or bacteria keep working to multiply so you've got to keep working to knock them out and support your immune systems efforts to clear out the germs.

Ravintsara combined with tamanu oil is also an effective way to deal with shingles blisters. A 50:50 mixture of these oils dabbed onto the blisters 5 o 7 times per day can help them dry up and reduce the risk of Postherpetic neuralgia pain.

And I've also used ravintsara to create aroma inhalers to support focus and memory. I like to combine ravintsara with rosemary, peppermint, and some citrus such as grapefruit or orange. This inhaler is bright and fresh. It opens the airways and give me a little invigorating jolt when I'm feeling a little sleepy or unfocused.

This oil is sometimes confused with ravensara (Ravensara aromatica). While they are similar in some ways their chemistry is quite different so be sure to look for the scientific name to ensure what oil is in the bottle.

If you have questions about ravintsara, aromatherapy or essential oils or supporting health naturally please contact me or come visit us at the Be Kekoa Apothecary in Old Town Temecula (28636 Old Town Front St Suite 200, Temecula, CA 92590).

So those are a few reasons to love ravintsara. Have you ever tried ravintsara? What do you think?

Aromatic blessings,

Tricia