15 Remarkable Cypress Essential Oil Benefits & Uses to Jumpstart Your Health

Forests and woodlands are special, sacred places, promoting your sense of well-being.

Being surrounded by the diverse, wonderful and complex scents of forest and woodland contribute to a profoundly relaxing experience, said to be similar to that brought about by meditation.

One unique tree which offers this experience is the C. sempervirensis ess, with the botanical name Cupressus sempervirens. This scientific name of the cypress tree derives from a Greek word that means “ever living.” In many cultures all over the world, the C. sempervirensis tree is a symbol for the immortal soul.

Among Buddhists, disciples of the Shinto faith and followers of the Tao, it was sacred and cultivated near pagodas and temples. 

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The cypress tree has many interesting features, including being resistant to drought, harmful dust driven by winds, sleet, and various gases in the atmosphere.

It's root system is highly developed. It can thrive in both alkaline and acidic soils.

The tree has been regarded as a medicinal tree at least since medieval times.

Avicenna, the Persian physician who is known as the most influential medical writers in the middle ages, mentions in his "Qanoon-fel-teb" (Canon of Medicine), the use of various parts of this tree for the treatment of gout, arthritic pain and chronic wounds.

It's desiccated leaves are used for stomach pain, as well as to treat diabetes, and its desiccated fruit is used to treat toothache, inflammation of the larynx and as a contraceptive and astringent.

In addition, it's desiccated seeds have found application in curing bruises, wounds, sores and ulcers. Other minor skin conditions such as pustules, pimples and skin eruptions can also benefit from its application.

The essential oil from its leaves, cone and needles is used externally for headache, colds, cough, and inflammation of the bronchi.

C. sempervirens is widely used as a key ingredient in the art of perfume and soap manufacture, including the “essential” oil fraction distilled from it's aerial parts (“essential” in its old sense of the “essence” or “principle” of the plant’s fragrance.).

The oil has a unique, relaxing fragrance. Young aerial parts of the C. sempervirensis are treated with steam and the vapors condensed to produce an essential oil with a brisk, invigorating fragrance.

The aromatic compound “(+)-Cedrol”, forms about 74 % of the oil. Its other important constituents include alpha-pinene, delta-3-carene, alpha-terpinyl acetate, terpinolene, and (+)-limonene.

Cypress essential oil occupies a unique place of pride among medicinal essential oils. Its many uses and benefits are as follows.

Utilizing cypress oil as a vapor or a rub is safe. When applying the oil externally, it is best to mix it with a diluent (coconut or jojoba oil).

Here are some methods to use this essential oil in your everyday life:

1. Vaporize 5–7 drops of cypress essential oil at your residence or workspace for calm and energizing effects, restore emotional balance and help with those feelings of disquiet and restlessness.

2. Rub cypress essential oil, diluted with a similar amount of carrier oil, on the affected body part to mitigate arthritis, “restless leg” symptoms, cramps, asthma, bronchial inflammation, cough or cold and the carpal tunnel syndrome.

This can be done a few times daily, depending on the severity of the condition.

3. Apply 2–3 drops of cypress oil to the affected area to reduce the manifestation of cellulite, distended veins and scars of wounds, cuts or incisions.

4.Vaporize a few drops of cypress essential oil by adding these to warm water, to treat respiratory conditions. You can also dilute cypress with carrier oil and apply the mix to the chest.

Add 3–5 drops of cypress oil to steaming hot water, and inhale the steam for 5–10 minutes, to reduce phlegm and chest congestion.

5. To freshen up the home with a delightful fragrance, add a few drops to cleaning soap or water and spray the mix on curtains, sheets and sofas;

6. To block germ growth and body stench in shoes, hats and jackets, apply a few drops of cypress oil to them.

7. For skin care, add a few droplets of cypress oil to your homemade face wash. It produces a thorough clean, and is also beneficial to the skin because of its antimicrobial properties.

For hair care, add a few drops to your shampoo. The high cedrol content of the oil promotes thick, lush hair grow and is also beneficial due to its antimicrobial action. 

Treats Wounds and Infections

Due to its camphene content, cypress oil can heal wounds, and prevent infections. It can be added to soaps to exploit its capacity to eliminate germs on the skin.

It can also cure skin conditions like sores, pimples, boils and eruptions.

Benefits pulled muscles and cramps

Cypress oil can be used to treat abnormal muscle contractions and in relieving “restless leg syndrome” (throbbing and wrenching spasms in the legs).

This condition can lead to insomnia and daytime tiredness; difficulty in concentrating. Whenapplied externally, cypress oil relieves cramped muscle, improves circulation and decreases chronic pain.

The “carpal tunnel syndrome” is commonly seen with heavy computer keyboard usage, hormonal changes or arthritis; the carpal tunnel syndrome occurs when a very small passage just below the carpal bone at the distal end of the arm, that acts as a conduit for the nerves and forms the attachment of the arm to the palm and fingers, gets inflamed with overuse.

Cypress oil reduces the associated pain, drains the retained fluid, improves circulation and decreases inflammation in this syndrome.

Cypress essential oil increases circulation to mitigate abnormal contractions of muscles, aches and pains.

Some of these contractions are due to the accumulation of lactate, which is cleared away with cypress oil’s ability to promote urination, thus relieving discomfort.

Flushes out the toxins from your system

Cypress oil promotes urination, thus helping the body flush out internal toxins. It promotes sweating and perspiration, aiding the body in removing redundant salt, water and toxins.

This benefits the body all over. Acne and other skin conditions caused by toxin accumulation get cleared away.

By this mechanism, cypress oil also cleanses the liver, and helps lower cholesterol levels naturally.

A 2007 study showed that components of cypress essential oil, including caffeic acid, p-coumaric acid and cosmosiin, possess hepatoprotective activity.

These isolated components significantly decreased plasma enzymes “glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (“SGOT)” and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (“SGPT”) , indicating improved liver function.

They also reduced triglycerides and cholesterol while causing a notable increase in total protein in rats. In the rat liver tissue experiments, cypress essential oil antioxidant compounds helped rid the tissues of excess toxins and free radicals.

Helps the clotting of blood

Cypress essential oil can staunch bleeding, and help the clotting of blood. Cypress oil causes the contraction of hair follicles, gums, skin, and muscles.

It's astringent properties allow it to strengthen hair follicles, thus minimizing hair loss.

Cypress essential oil is helpful in mitigating heavy periods. To help regulate heavy periods and reduce the pain of menstrual cramps, mix with carrier oil and gently massage onto the lower abdomen.

Cypress oil works as a natural fibroid treatment and endometriosis remedy. It increases circulation and is one of the best remedies for endometriosis sufferers.

It boosts the nutrient-rich blood throughout the body to provide pain relief. Along with this it is also a natural antispasmodic. Apply externally, after dilution, to the lower abdomen or simply add cypress oil to the hot water bath.

Treatment of Respiratory Conditions

Cypress oil treats chest and nasal congestion and helps clear phlegm that develops in the respiratory system.

The oil “calms” the respiratory system and has utility as an antispasmodic agent —in serious conditions like asthma and inflammation of the bronchi.

Cypress essential oil is also an antimicrobial agent, useful in respiratory bacterial infections.

It was reported in a 2004 paper that camphene in the cypress essential oil inhibited nine species of bacteria and all the yeasts under investigation.

It can thus be preferable over conventional antibiotics which can cause damage to the useful intestinal bacteria and also cause “leaky gut”.

Deodorant and freshener

Cypress essential oil has a rich, spicy fragrance that can lift the spirit and stimulate happiness and energy. It's antimicrobial properties prevent germ growth and bodily stench.

The addition of mere drops of cypress oil to general cleaning or laundry soap, leaves clothes and surfaces free of germs and smelling like a garden, which can be a delight during the winter season, stimulating feelings of joy and happiness. 

Relief of Anxiety:

Cypress oil has soothing effects, inducing a calm, happy feeling when spread in the air or applied externally to the skin.

It can energize, and stimulate feelings of happiness and wellbeing, thus helping people who are under stress, have trouble sleeping, or have undergone trauma recently.

For use as a natural remedy for restlessness, vaporize a few drops of oil in your surroundings. It can be especially helpful to create a mild vapor of cypress oil at night in your bedroom, to treat restlessness or insomnia.

Varicose Veins and Cellulite

Varicose veins are abnormally enlarged and swollen veins that occur most often in the legs. They are usually accompanied by a dull, aching pain as a result of weakened valves inside the vein which causes the legs to feel heavy crampy.

Blood can only go towards the heart in veins, so when the valves that help prevent blood from pooling back down become compromised, blood begins to accumulate and stretch out the vein.

This causes spider and varicose veins. Because of cypress essential oil’s activity of enhancing blood circulation, it can be used to treat varicose veins at home.

Cypress oil can also mitigate the manifestation of cellulite, a “cottage cheese” like appearance of skin on the legs, hips, belly and arms, caused by the retention of fluid, poor circulation, impaired collagen structure and accumulated body fat.

Because cypress essential oil promotes urination, it helps the body get rid of accumulated fluid and salt. It also enhances blood circulation.

Varicose veins, cellulite and other conditions that are caused by inadequate circulation, such as hemorrhoids, can also benefit by a direct application of diluted cypress essential oil.

Strong antimicrobial activity: The essential oil of Cupressus sempervirens L. is known to have several biological activities, especially antimicrobial activity.

The essential oil was examined against selected species of Gram-positive, Gram-negative bacteria and Candida species ( Candida albicans , Candida glabrata , Candida krusei and Candida parapsilosis. Candida is a genus of yeasts and is the most common cause of fungal infections worldwide.)

The oil can thus be used as antimicrobial supplement in the developing countries towards the development of new therapeutic agents. (+)-Cedrol (74.03%) was the major constituent.

The oil showed strong antimicrobial activity against selected microorganisms in concentration range 0.02 3- 3.03 µL/mL. (source)

Natural preservative ingredient in food and pharmaceuticals: In this report 20 compounds which made up 98.1% of the Cypress essential oil (Eo) were reported.

Limonene (4.6%), alpha-terpinolene (4.5%), delta-3-carene (22.1%) and Alpha-pinene (48.6%) were the main components comprising 79.8% of the oil.

The antibacterial and anti-fungal tests showed that the methanol extract of C. sempervirens strongly inhibited the growth of the test bacteria studied, except for yeast species while the Eo had moderate antibacterial, but no anti-candida activity.

The bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most vulnerable to the methanol extract. The quantity and exposure time of the essential oil and methanol extract for complete inhibition of bacterial viability of K. pneumoniae were found to be 250 μg at 30 min and 500 μg at 120 min, respectively.

The results presented here may suggest that the essential oil and extracts of C. sempervirens possess antimicrobial properties and can penetrate and destroy bacterial “biofilms”(which can be hard to penetrate for an antimicrobial agent), and therefore, can be used as natural preservative ingredient in food and/or pharmaceuticals. (source)

Killing mosquito larvae: The present study evaluated essential oils from the shoots of eight Cupresaceae species.

The tested Cupressaceae essential oils demonstrated moderate toxicity against mosquito larvae (dose to kill 50% of the larvae = 47.9 to 70.6 mg/L). (source).

Anti-cancer effect: Antiproliferative (anti-cancer) effects of essential oils and their major constituents were tested on human kidney and skin cancer cells in cell culture.

Cupressus sempervirens ssp. pyramidalis leaf oil exerted the highest cytotoxic activity . It's major constituent Alpha-cedrol, was found to be active on both cell lines tested. (source)

Anti-obesity, anti-hyperlipidemia, and/or anti-diabetic effect: (+) Cedrol (CR), the major constituent of the Cypress essential oil, showed anti-obesity, anti-hyperlipidemia, and/or antidiabetic effect. (source)

Lowering blood pressure: Cedrol inhalation in both healthy subjects and anosmic patient led to a significant decrease in blood pressure.

The results showed that cedrol acts on the lower respiratory system and may help in hypertensive therapy in future. (source)

Maintenance of skin texture in aging: Cedrol stimulates production of type I collagen. Type 1 collagen is the most abundant structural protein in skin connective tissue and has a direct influence on skin tension.

During the aging process, skin gradually loses mechanical strength and elasticity, which leads to the formation of wrinkles.

This phenomenon is largely due to the collapse of dermal connective tissue, which coincides with the loss of fibroblast proliferation and reduced ECM production.

An abnormality in type I collagen synthesis has been suggested to cause the clinical changes observed in aged skin. Therefore, it has long been believed that enhancing fibroblast activity, in the context of extracellular matrix production, may help maintain skin texture. (source)

Treatment of neurological disorders: Acetylcholine is one of the major neurotransmitters by which nerve impulses are transmitted from nerve cell to nerve cell or involuntary muscles.

At the cholinergic synapses, the enzyme acetylcholinesterase rapidly breaks down Acetylcholine into choline and acetate. Acetylcholinesterase therefore regulates nerve impulse transmission across cholinergic synapses .

Inhibition of acetylcholinesterase has been considered as a promising strategy for the treatment of neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, senile dementia, ataxia and myasthenia gravis, in which a deficit in cholinergic neurotransmission is involved.

Potential acetylcholinesterase inhibitors isolated from plant sources have been studied, including essential oils. Higher percentages of enzyme inhibition were obtained with higher concentrations of C. sempervirens oils.

The oil thus has potential use in the treatment of the aforementioned neurological diseases. (source)

Action against H. pylori: Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium usually found in the stomach. It is often present in a person with chronic gastritis and gastric ulcers. H. pylori harms the stomach and duodenal linings by several mechanisms.

Individuals infected with H. pylori have a 10 to 20 % lifetime risk of developing peptic ulcers and a 1 to 2% risk of acquiring stomach cancer. H. pylori has been associated with colorectal polyps and colorectal cancer.

It may also be associated with eye disease. Ohno et al. reported the action of 13 essential oils against strains of H. pylori from clinical and standard origin (ATCC).

The study found activity against all strains tested with oils extracted from Cupressus sempervirens. (source)

Smoke from the burning of the cypress plant is used as a repellent against housefly, Musca domestica L. (source)

Antiglycation properties for prevention of diabetic and cardiovascular complications: Essential oils obtained from the shoots and fruits of C. sempervirens var. horizontalis display antioxidant and, in particular, antiglycation properties.

Essential oils were extracted from the shoots and fruits of C. sempervirens var. horizontalis using the steam distillation method.

Hemoglobin glycation (the irreversible chemical reaction of hemoglobin (Hb) with glucose, an indication of the general “damage” being caused by high blood glucose) was inhibited by both shoot (44.8, 62.6 and 54.0% at 200, 400 and 600 μg mL(-1), respectively) and fruit (41.0, 62.8 and 48.5%) oils.

As for the insulin glycation, inhibitory rates were 66.1, 69.2 and 73.8% for shoot oil, and 80.0, 76.9 and 81.5% for fruit oil (at 200, 400 and 600 μg mL(-1), respectively).

RBC hemolysis was also inhibited by both shoot (49.9, 38.5 and 15.0% at 180, 220 and 260 μg mL(-1), respectively) and fruit (45.9, 38.6 and 25.0%) oil.

Finally, the oils mitigated linoleic acid oxidation at the double bonds, which was peaked after 4 h for both shoot (39.5, 35.6 and 53.4% at 180, 220 and 260 μg mL(-1), respectively) and fruit (47.5, 58.6 and 59.8%) oil.

These activities of the oils may find application in the mitigation of diabetic and cardiovascular complications. (source)

Medical importance of Cupressus sempervirens - A review: Ali Esmail Al-Snafi. Abstract: The preliminary phytochemical analysis showed that the plant contained alkaloids 0.7%, flavonoids 0.22%, tannin 0.31%, saponins 1.9% , phenols 0.067%, essential oils, and many other biologically active constituents.

The previous pharmacological studies revealed that Cupressus sempervirens possessed antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, antiparasitic, insecticidal, antioxidant, wound healing, anticancer, estrogenic, anticoagulant and many other effects.

This review was designed to highlight the chemical constituents and pharmacological importance of Cupressus sempervirens. (source) 

We can conclude from the discussion above that in cypress essential oil, Mother Nature has handed us an invaluable resource in treating many medical problems and for inducing a sense of calm and well-being.

Best wishes for accessing these benefits for yourself and your near and dear ones!

I hope you enjoyed learning about all of the cool benefits and uses that cypress essential oil offers. It is definitely one of the most versatile oils because it can be used to create so many different types of blends to solve your everyday problems.

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I highly recommend giving them a try. You can read more about my story of using their oils here.