Ingredient Library

Camphor

Cinnamomum camphora

CoolingClarifyingSoothing

Camphor is an aromatic botanical that cools and refreshes while soothing the feel of skin and muscles. Invigorating, it suits tired skin and balm formulas.

Ingredient type

Aromatic compound from the camphor tree

Best for

Congested, irritated, or overheated-feeling skin

Physical Properties

Light, Penetrating

Energetics

Cooling

Key actions

Cools, clarifies, soothes

Notable for

A fragrant treasure of Asia for millennia

A natural history

Camphor is the white, fragrant, crystalline aromatic drawn from the wood and leaves of the camphor tree, a stately member of the laurel family native to East Asia. These grand trees can rise thirty to forty meters tall and live for centuries, and for thousands of years their fragrant wood has been treasured across Asia and beyond.

Few aromatics carry such a long history. Camphor was burned as incense in temples, chosen because its smoke did not sting the eyes, and valued in traditional medicine for its cooling, clarifying touch. It scented perfumes and preserved precious things. That same cool, penetrating freshness is what camphor lends, in gentle measure, to skin care today.

What it does for your skin

Camphor brings a distinctive cooling, clarifying sensation. Science has shown that camphor activates the skin's cold sensing receptor, the very one that responds to menthol, which is why it feels so refreshing on contact.^[1] The aromatic oil of the camphor tree also shows mild antimicrobial, clarifying activity in laboratory testing.^[2] In a formula, used at gentle levels, camphor gives a cool, soothing, clarifying feel to congested or overheated skin.

References

[1] Selescu T, et al. Camphor activates and sensitizes transient receptor potential melastatin 8 (TRPM8) to cooling and icilin. Chem Senses. 2013;38(7):563-575. doi:10.1093/chemse/bjt027

[2] Chen J, et al. Metabolomics analysis to evaluate the antibacterial activity of the essential oil from the leaves of Cinnamomum camphora. J Ethnopharmacol. 2020;253:112652. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2020.112652

Found in these formulas

72 Herbs Muscle and Joint Relief Balm, 2oz→Muscle and Joint Bath Soak, 16oz→Muscle and Joint Mineral Rub, 4oz→

Questions, answered

It gives a cool, clarifying, soothing sensation, used at gentle levels to refresh congested or overheated-feeling skin.

It activates the same skin receptor that senses cold and menthol, which is what creates its refreshing, cooling feel.