Description
Botanical Name: Juniperus communis
Common Method of Extraction: Steam Distilled
Plant Part Typically Used: Berries
Color: Clear
Consistency: Thin
Perfumery Note: Middle
Strength of Initial Aroma: Mild – Medium
Aromatic Description: Crisp, woody, sweet, earthy, with almost a hidden fruity note.
Juniper Essential Oil Uses: Colds, flu, acne, cellulitis, gout, hemorrhoids, obesity, rheumatism, toxin build-up.
The branches and berries of the Juniper, a coniferous tree, have been used for medicinal and spiritual purposes since ancient times.
The Old Testament includes several references to the juniper tree including Psalms 120:4. This verse references burning a person with a false, deceitful tongue with the coals (perhaps burning branches/logs?) of the broom tree, an ancient name for a variety of juniper shrub that grows in Palestine. This passage can be looked at in several ways, one being that the juniper was used to cleanse, purify and eliminate that which is false and negative. Native Americans use juniper berries for medicinal applications and burn the berries to cleanse and purify the air.
Juniper berries are a natural antiseptic, as is the essential oil. It may help combat acne when used at low dilutions in skin care applications. A room mist/air freshener made with Juniper Berry Essential Oil may help to kill airborne germs.
Emotionally, Juniper Berry Essential Oil is calming and helps to ease stress without imparting the sedative effects that clary sage and the chamomiles are known for. Spiritually, Juniper Berry Essential Oil used in a room mist, diffuser or candle burner cleanses and purifies the air. It is a good choice for use during prayer or meditation.
Juniper Oil has a distinctive aroma that is woody, sweet, fresh and crisp. Juniper Berry Essential Oil blends well with wood oils like cedarwood, sandalwood and rosewood and other conifers like cypress and fir needle. I also enjoy it blended with clary sage, or the grounding base notes of vetiver or patchouli. I also enjoy juniper berry blended with citrus oils including orange or grapefruit.
Juniper berries are responsible for giving gin its distinctive flavor. The name gin is a loose derivative of the word juniper. Jenever, a Dutch predecessor to today’s gin was named from Jeneverbes, the Dutch word for juniper.
