Camphor Essential Oil: Properties, Uses & Safety

Camphor oil is distilled from the wood of the camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora), a species native to Vietnam, China and Japan. The oil has a variety of uses in alternative medicine, including treating coughs and rheumatism.

Identification

• Camphor oil can be brown, yellow or white in color. Brown and yellow camphor oils contain safrole, a cancer-causing compound.

Function

• Since white camphor oil does not contain safrole, it is used in aromatherapy and alternative medicine applications.

Benefits

• Camphor oil contains cineol and other antiseptic compounds that can fight germs that cause upper respiratory infections. Its most common use is as a cough remedy.

Significance

• Germany has approved camphor oil as a treatment for coughs, rheumatic pain, low blood pressure, bronchitis and certain heart problems.

Use

• For respiratory issues, patients can inhale camphor oil vapors. For skin and circulation problems, the oil is diluted and applied to the skin.

Warning

• Camphor oil should never be ingested since the oil is toxic. Pregnant or nursing women, children and people with epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and asthma should not use camphor. The oil can also cause skin irritation in some people.