Hinoki Essential Oil

Hinoki Essential Oil is sometimes referred to as Japanese Cypress Essential Oil or Hinoki Cypress Essential Oil.
Hinoki Essential Oil is steam distilled from Chamaecyparis obtusa, a conifer that is native to Japan. Hinoki Essential Oil is available in limited quantities as a wood oil, root oil and needle (leaf) oil. The chemistry and actions are somewhat different depending on what part of the tree the essential oil was distilled from.


The Hinoki tree and essential oil goes by several common names. It's always important pay close attention to an essential oil's botanical name, and that holds especially true for Hinoki Essential Oil. An essential oil steam distilled from Chamaecyparis formosensis and known as Taiwan Hinoki Essential Oil (and other similar names) is also available. The two essential oils should not be confused. Both botanicals are considered in the aromatherapy world to be  endangered. This is another really fabulous reason of WHY doTERRA!

You don't have to guess and we can trust that if doTERRA is making it available, they have guarded sustainability. 

For centuries, the wood of the Hinoki tree has been used to build shrines and temples across Japan, and is still used today in the timber industry. While Hinoki is a prized resource, its wood has been over-populating areas of Japan for years. Seeing an environmental and economic need, doTERRA has partnered with groups in Japan to use the timber industry’s by-product of Hinoki wood to create this beautiful essential oil. Through the Hinoki Co-Impact Sourcing effort, doTERRA not only contributes to Japan’s forest management programs, but also creates needed jobs across rural Japan—ensuring that this unique, premium oil continues to give back to the people of its native land.

Emotionally and energetically, the Hinoki Needle Essential Oil is uplifting, cleansing, comforting and opens the mind for new perspectives. [Musacchio, 2018)

JUST THE FACTS: 

Botanical Name of Hinoki Essential Oil: Chamaecyparis obtusa
Common Method of Extraction: Steam Distilled
Plant Part Typically Used: Needles, Twigs/Wood or Root.
Color: Clear to Pale Yellow
Perfumery Note: Middle
Strength of Initial Aroma: Medium

Hinoki Essential Oil smells woody and sweet. The aroma varies between the wood, root and needle (leaf) oils.

Hinoki Needle (Leaf) Essential Oil Uses / Actions

• Possible Neuroprotective Affects  
• Respiratory Support
• Protective against threats
• Supporting the body in an inflammatory state
• Reducing anxious feelings
• Supporting health hair growth
• Immune system support
• insect repellant

Uses

• Massage into the feet, back, and/or chest prior to bedtime for a calming aroma
• Add two to three drops to bathwater for a relaxing aroma at the end of a long day
• Rub two drops into the palms of your hands and inhale deeply for a comforting aroma
• Add one drop to your moisturizer for a soothing effect in your skincare routine
• Add four to five drops to your hardwood floor cleaner for a woody, fresh sce

Diffusion: Use three to four drops in the diffuser of your choice. 
Topical use: Apply 1 drop with 5-10 drops of a carrier oil to
minimize skin sensitivity.

For those of you still reading, we know a lot about our oils and how to use them by chemistry... Hinoki essential oil is complex, with many chemical components, mainly: 

• α-pinene
• Δ-cadinene
• Δ-amorphene
• α-muurolene

What you really probably want to know is... does it work? Try it and see! 

References: 

• doTERRA.com https://media.doterra.com/ca-otg/en/pips/hinoki-oil.pdf
• Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 301-302.
• ​The International Journal of Professional Holistic Aromatherapy, Volume 7, Issue 1), 55-61.]

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