Origin / History:
Amyris oil appears to lack the well-documented and historically rich background of other essential oils. This is largely due to the fact that the botanical origin of the tree used to produce amyris oil was not really identified until 1886. Until that year, it was mistakenly considered to be sandalwood. It was not recognized as a separate plant species until two people named Kirby and Holmes performed a complete microscopic evaluation of the amyris leaves, which allowed the botanical name to change from Schimmerelia oleisera to Amyris balsamifera. Since then it has also been called Candle Wood, West Indian Sandalwood, and Poor Man’s Sandalwood. Amyris oil is obtained by steam distillation of the wood of this tree, which belongs to the Rue family. Some people refer to it as candle wood, because the wood contains such a high level of oil that it is said to burn like a candle. Amyris balsamifera is a medium-sized aromatic tree 16 to 43 feet (5 to 13 meters) tall. It is bushy in nature and produces a white flower.
Features and Benefits:
As a note, amyris oil is a base (base) note. Base notes describe the aromas that remain after all other aromas have evaporated. On a strip of paper, this fragrance can last for several months. These essential oils are typically sweet and earthy scents that can promote inner strength and a grounded feeling. Amyris oil, amber oil, cedarwood oil, cinnamon oil, patchouli oil, sandalwood oil, fir oil, pine oil, juniper oil, and vetiver oil are commonly found in this category. The middle notes are essential oils that have floral or spicy aromas and can promote emotional balance. The top notes are essential oils that are refreshing and mentally stimulating. Amyris oil also helps to anchor the top and middle notes for the purpose of making perfumes.
The sweet, balsamic and wood-like fragrance of Amyris oil allows it to blend well with geranium oil, pine oil, fir oil, cedarwood oil, myrrh oil, galbanum oil, frankincense oil, oil cypress, clove oil, anise oil, lemon. oil, orange oil, rockrose oil and rose oil absolute. It is a less expensive replacement often used for sandalwood oil, but many say that the scent is not as attractive. Amyris oil has also been used in soap and in a more limited capacity to flavor liqueurs.
Therapeutically, Amyris oil has historically been associated with antiseptics, wound cleansers, labor recovery, diarrhea, and influenza. In 2006, Junwei Zhu, Xiaopeng Zeng, YanMa, Ting Liu, Kuen Qian, Yuhua Han, Suqin Xue, Brad Tucker, Gretchen Schultz, Joel conducted a study entitled “Adult repellency and larvicidal activity of five vegetable essential oils against mosquitoes “. Coats, Wayne Rowley, and Aijun Zhang. This study compared the repellency of 5 essential plant oils: thyme oil, catnip oil, amyris oil, eucalyptus oil, and cinnamon oil. 3 species of mosquitoes were tested and “Amyris oil demonstrated the greatest inhibitory effect”
Speaking chemically:
Chemically, 95% of the composition of Amyris oil is made up of fifty-six components. Of these 56 constituents, Amyris oil is dominated by sesquiterpene alcohols. Of the sesquiterpene alcohols, valerianol constitutes 43.8% and a minor amount of β-eudesmol constitutes 15.4%.
Precautions:
Dilute 5% or less in a carrier oil before applying to the skin. Keep out of the eyes and keep it out of the reach of children.