Cedarwood Oil
Cedarwood oil comes from several unrelated trees (Juniperus, Cedrus and others). What the human research is, what animal studies show, and the irritation and sensitization warnings.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Natural products can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read essential oil safety before you use anything on this page.
Safety note: an EFSA safety opinion says cedarwood Texas oil should be considered an irritant to skin and eyes and a skin and respiratory sensitiser. [1] Use on the skin and in the air only as sources describe; do not swallow essential oils. If anyone swallows one, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US); call 911 for collapse, a seizure or trouble breathing.
Which tree? "Cedarwood" is not one plant
Several unrelated trees are called "cedar". Besides the true cedars (Cedrus species), a 2026 review lists tree groups including Juniperus, Cupressus, Thuja and others whose wood oils are called cedarwood oils. [2] The main oil components differ by tree: cedrenes, cedrol and thujopsene are abundant in oils from Cupressus funebris, Juniperus ashei and Juniperus virginiana. [2]GBIF lists these accepted names: Juniperus virginiana L. (in the cypress family, Cupressaceae), Juniperus ashei J.T.Buchholz, Juniperus deppeana Steud. and Cedrus atlantica (Endl.) Manetti ex Carriere (in the pine family, Pinaceae). [3] So an oil called cedarwood Virginia, Texas or Atlas comes from a different species, and results for one do not carry over to another. Virginia cedarwood oil is made by steam distillation of Juniperus virginiana. [4] EFSA's opinion on "cedarwood Texas oil" concerns oil from the wood of Juniperus deppeana. [1] NCCIH lists cedarwood among the many oils used in aromatherapy. [5]
Traditional use
The sources we read do not describe region-specific traditional uses of cedarwood oil, so none are described here. One mouse study notes only that eastern red cedarwood oil "has been used to relax mind and enhance comfort for medical purposes". [6]What research shows
| Use | What the source found | Strength of evidence | Population and form studied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patchy hair loss (alopecia areata) | In a double-blind controlled trial of 7 months, 19 of 43 patients (44%) using a scalp massage with thyme, rosemary, lavender and cedarwood oils in carrier oils improved, against 6 of 41 (15%) using carrier oils alone. [7] | Promising but limited; cedarwood cannot be separated from the other oils | 86 people with alopecia areata, 1998; a four-oil blend |
| Acne | One case report describes a patient in whom adding cedarwood oil was helpful. [8] | Insufficient evidence (single case) | One patient |
| Anxiety | In mice, eastern red cedarwood oil had an anti-anxiety effect in one test but not in another. [6] | Preclinical (animals) | Mice; oil given by injection, not smell |
| Sleep | NCCIH says it is not known whether aromatherapy helps insomnia because little rigorous research has been done. [5] | Insufficient evidence | Aromatherapy in general |
| Other claims (immunity, "detox", pests in the body) | Proper evidence not found. We searched PubMed for cedarwood oil, cedarwood essential oil and Cedrus atlantica essential oil and found mainly laboratory, insect and industrial studies. | Marketing claim | Not applicable |
A review of oils from Cedrus species says more preclinical analyses as well as clinical trials are needed to evaluate their potential. [9] For hair, see essential oils for hair growth and scalp. The alopecia trial used a mixture, so it says little about cedarwood alone.
Forms, and why the form matters
The trial used a massage into the scalp of four oils blended in jojoba and grapeseed carrier oils. [7] The mouse work used injected oil. [6] Neither tells a reader what a diffuser or a bottle of single oil will do. We give no amounts or dilutions (how dilution charts differ).Quality and labels
Because "cedarwood" covers many trees, a label should give the botanical name and the part used (reading a label). Poison Control notes that essential oil products are not well regulated and that it can be hard to know what is in the bottle. [10]Official statements
- EFSA FEEDAP Panel (EU), 2024: cedarwood Texas oil (Juniperus deppeana) is an irritant and sensitiser; safety limits were set for animal feed only. [1]
Uses studied and safety checks for Cedarwood Oil
Read the safety checks first. Each card says whether a finding comes from people or only from the lab, which way the oil was used (scent, on skin or swallowed) and how strong the evidence is. A finding for one way of using an oil does not carry over to another.
Check before you use (5)
- Skin and eye irritation, and skin allergy. EFSA says cedarwood Texas oil (Juniperus deppeana) should be considered an irritant to skin and eyes and a skin sensitiser.
- Breathing: respiratory sensitiser. EFSA says cedarwood Texas oil should be considered a respiratory sensitiser.
- Undiluted use and dilution. Poison Control says to dilute pure essential oils in a carrier oil before skin use and not to use them on damaged skin. We could not verify any cedarwood-specific dilution figure.
- Swallowing: poison center advice. Poison Control says essential oils are dangerous if swallowed and to call Poison Help (US 1-800-222-1222). Cedarwood-specific poisoning data were not found.
- Children and pets. Poison Control says children may be more vulnerable because their skin is thin and their livers immature, and that oils should be out of sight and reach of children and pets.
Scalp massage blend and patchy hair loss (alopecia areata)
Preliminary or mixedOne 7-month double-blind trial of 86 people found more improvement with a scalp massage of thyme, rosemary, lavender and cedarwood oils in carrier oils than with carrier oils alone (44% vs 15%).
Supplements: A four-oil blend, not cedarwood alone; no trial of cedarwood on its own was found.
Toxicity data for Virginia cedarwood oil on skin
Not enough evidenceThe US National Toxicology Program tested Virginia cedarwood oil on the skin of rats and mice for 3 months because exposure is widespread and toxicology data were lacking.
Supplements: Animal study; results not read in detail.
Anxiety (mice, injected oil)
Lab or animal research onlyEastern red cedarwood oil had an anti-anxiety-like effect in one mouse test but not in another; cedrol, one component, acted in both.
Supplements: Animal study only.
Antioxidant and DNA-protection tests (Cedrus atlantica, cells)
Lab or animal research onlyIn human blood cells in a dish, Atlas cedar oil did not damage DNA at the concentrations tested and reduced hydrogen-peroxide DNA damage.
Supplements: Laboratory only.
Acne (single case report)
Not enough evidenceOne case report describes a patient whose acne was better controlled after cedarwood oil was added.
Supplements: One case.
Sleep and relaxation scent
Not enough evidenceNCCIH says it is not known whether aromatherapy helps insomnia because little rigorous research has been done.
Supplements: Aromatherapy in general.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, seizures and medicines
Not enough evidenceNot described for cedarwood oil in the sources we read.
Supplements: No information found.
Connected topics
Open a group to see how each topic connects and how strong the evidence is.
Health goals (1)
- Hair SupportPreliminary or mixed
Only a four-oil blend was tested, in people with patchy hair loss.
Body systems (2)
- Skin, Hair & BeautyDocumented risk
Irritation and allergy warnings apply to the skin; hair-loss trial used a blend.
- Respiratory HealthDocumented risk
EFSA lists a respiratory-sensitiser hazard for cedarwood Texas oil.
Body parts (2)
Conditions & symptoms (1)
- Alopecia AreataPreliminary or mixed
A four-oil scalp massage that included cedarwood did better than carrier oil alone in one 1998 trial; cedarwood alone is untested.
Frequently asked questions
Is cedarwood oil the same as cedar oil?
Not always. Several different trees are called cedar, and their oils differ in composition. [2] Check the botanical name.
Does cedarwood oil help hair grow?
One 1998 trial of 86 people with alopecia areata found more improvement with a four-oil scalp massage that included cedarwood than with carrier oil alone. [7] The effect of cedarwood by itself is not known.
Does cedarwood oil help sleep or anxiety?
Proper evidence not found in humans. The anxiety result is from mice, with mixed results between tests. [6]
Can cedarwood oil irritate skin?
EFSA says cedarwood Texas oil should be considered an irritant to skin and eyes and a skin sensitiser. [1]
Is cedarwood oil safe around pets and children?
Keep all essential oils out of reach of both. [10] Species-specific pet data are not described in the sources we read.
More details: evidence, limits and cautions
The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.
Safety
- Skin, eyes and breathing. The EFSA opinion (2024) calls cedarwood Texas oil an irritant to skin and eyes and a skin and respiratory sensitiser. [1] It was written about use as an animal feed additive, but the hazard description applies to the oil itself. See skin reactions and allergy.
- Toxicity data are thin. The US National Toxicology Program tested Virginia cedarwood oil on the skin of rats and mice because of widespread human exposure and a lack of toxicology data. [4] We did not read the results in detail.
- Children. Poison Control says children have thin skin and immature livers, which might make them more susceptible to toxic effects. [10] Cedarwood-specific child data are not described in the sources we read (babies and children).
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding, medicine interactions, liver and kidney, asthma: not described for cedarwood oil in the sources we read. Ask a pharmacist (medicine interactions).
- Surgery: tell the surgical team about any oil product.
- Pets: keep oils locked up, out of the sight and reach of children and pets. [10] See essential oils and pets.
References
- EFSA FEEDAP Panel, essential oil from the wood of Juniperus deppeana (cedarwood Texas oil), EFSA Journal 2024. Read 2026-10-23.
- Cedarwood Oils: The Wood Essential Oil Compositions from Trees Known as "Cedar", Plants 2026. Read 2026-10-23.
- GBIF species-matching service (plant names checked 2026-10-23). Read 2026-10-23.
- Toxicity studies of cedarwood oil (Virginia) administered dermally to F344/N rats and B6C3F1/N mice, NTP Toxicity Report 2016. Read 2026-10-23.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), Aromatherapy. Read 2026-10-23.
- The anxiolytic effect of Juniperus virginiana L. essential oil and determination of its active constituents, Physiology and Behavior 2018. Read 2026-10-23.
- Hay IC and others, Randomized trial of aromatherapy: successful treatment for alopecia areata, Archives of Dermatology 1998. Read 2026-10-23.
- Cedarwood Oil as Complementary Treatment in Refractory Acne, 2016. Read 2026-10-23.
- Phytochemical and pharmacological properties of essential oils from Cedrus species, Natural Product Research 2018. Read 2026-10-23.
- Poison Control (National Capital Poison Center), essential oils article. Read 2026-10-23.