Fall is a great season to use essential oils in an aromatherapy diffuser; not only does it create a warm, seasonal feel to the season, it can help to combat sniffles, coughs, and colds, if you choose your essential oil blend wisely. Here's a closer look at three tree essential oils that are beneficial for the season – and which essential oils to combine them with in a Fall diffuser blend.

Cypress Essential Oil for Fall Diffusers

Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) is an evergreen, cone-shaped tree with small flowers and round cones. The cypress tree is a member of the Cupressaceae plant family and it is a familiar sight in many parts of the Mediterranean region, where it grows wild.

Cypress is an ancient tree that has long been valued for use in medicine by early civilizations. The essential oil is extracted by steam distillation from the needles and it has a smoky, sweet-balsamic aroma that tends to linger despite its top to middle note perfume note classification.

Use cypress essential oil for coughs, colds, asthma, and bronchitis in a blend with bergamot (Citrus bergamia), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), and juniper (Juniperus communis) essential oils.

Juniper Essential Oil for Fall Diffusers

Juniper (Juniperus communis) is also an evergreen tree with blue-green needles, small flowers, and berries that mature from green, through blue, to black in subsequent years. Juniper is a member of the Cupressaceae plant family and it is therefore related to cypress. The juniper tree prefers the cold climate of the northern hemisphere, although alternative species of juniper may be found in other countries as well.

Juniper essential oil is extracted by steam distillation of the berries or the needles, producing either juniper berry essential oil or juniper needle essential oil, respectively. Juniper berry essential oil is often preferred for use in aromatherapy practice as it is less likely to be adulterated, although a quality producer may be able to distill a quality juniper needle essential oil in today's market.

Juniper berry essential oil has a fresh, woody-balsamic aroma whereas juniper needle essential oil has a fresh, sweet-balsamic aroma. Use juniper essential oil for colds, flu, coughs, and other Fall inflictions in a blend with cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica), sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), and elemi (Canarium luzonicum) essential oils.

Caution: Avoid the use of juniper essential oil in pregnancy and with kidney disease.

(Atlas) Cedarwood Essential Oil for Fall Diffusers

(Atlas) cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica) is another evergreen tree that is shaped like a pyramid. It is strongly aromatic and it is an ancient symbol of bygone civilizations who used the oil from the cedarwood species for both perfumery and medicinal purposes. Atlas cedarwood is indigenous to the Atlas mountains of Algeria, although there are several other species of cedarwood that produce an essential oil, too.

Cedarwood produces an essential oil by steam distillation of the wood. It is a warm, camphoraceous aroma, that is also balsamic and woody, with a lasting base note. Use cedarwood essential oil for congestion, coughs, and colds in a blend with neroli (Citrus aurantium var. amara (flos)), cypress (Cupressus sempervirens), juniper (Juniperus communis), and bergamot (Citrus bergamia).

Caution: Avoid the use of cedarwood essential oil during pregnancy.

Additional Cautions for Diffusing Fall Essential Oils Blends

In addition to the cautions mentioned in this article for each profiled essential oil, consider the cautions associated with both the other essential oils mentioned for use, and for use with essential oils in general. If you are not diffusing essential oils, always dilute essential oils in a carrier base before applying them to the skin. Dilution rate varies from 1% to 3%, depending upon the age group, specific health conditions, and if any other medication is taken.

Consult a certified aromatherapist for further information if you are unfamiliar with the use of essential oils.

This article is for educational purposes only and it is not a substitute for medical advice.

References:

• Falsetto, Sharon, 2014, Authentic Aromatherapy, US: Skyhorse Publishing
• Lawless, Julia, 1995, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils, UK: Thorsons
• A decade of the international training and experience of a certified aromatherapist.