Ingredient Library
Cedarwood
Cedrus atlantica
Cedarwood is a grounding wood oil that balances and comforts while lending a warm, woody scent. Calming, it suits oily, combination, and stressed skin.
A natural history
The great cedars are among the most storied trees in human history, tall and fragrant and slow to grow, revered across the ancient world. The cedar of Lebanon in particular was a sacred and prized timber, its warm, resinous wood sought by pharaohs and kings, used to raise temples and, according to scripture, the temple of Solomon itself.
Cedar even appears in the oldest literature we have, in the epic of Gilgamesh and its legendary cedar forest. From that long lineage comes a quiet, grounding aroma that has perfumed sacred spaces and fine toiletries alike, carrying a sense of calm and steadiness into modern care.
What it does for your skin
Cedarwood is a grounding wood oil with a balancing, clarifying character. In laboratory study, atlas cedarwood oil showed antioxidant activity along with antimicrobial and skin protective qualities.[1] Further analysis confirmed its antioxidant and antibacterial activity, set by its rich woody compounds.[2] In a formula, cedarwood lends a balancing, clarifying touch to oily or combination looking skin and scalp, with a warm, grounding scent. That balancing, protective character is documented in laboratory antioxidant and antimicrobial studies.
References
[1] El Hachlafi N, et al. Antioxidant, volatile compounds; antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and dermatoprotective properties of Cedrus atlantica essential oil: in vitro and in silico investigations. Molecules. 2023;28(15):5913. doi:10.3390/molecules28155913
[2] Ez-Zriouli R, et al. Chemical composition, antioxidant and antibacterial activities and acute toxicity of Cedrus atlantica, Chenopodium ambrosioides and Eucalyptus camaldulensis essential oils. Molecules. 2023;28(7):2974. doi:10.3390/molecules28072974
Found in these formulas
Questions, answered
It is a grounding wood oil with a balancing, clarifying character, used to lend oily or combination-looking skin and scalp a clearer, calmer feel.
The cedars of Lebanon were sacred, prized timber of the ancient world, used in temples and treasured by pharaohs and kings.