Cinnamon is definitely a highly used spice in most kitchens.  It is nearly impossible to find someone who has not heard of cinnamon. During the fall and winter months many companies release home fragrance products that are rich in cinnamon, clove oil and frankincense oil scents to enhance the feeling of the season.

Cinnamon is often equated to a happy and comfortable home. Whenever you smell it you are often reminded of apple cider, apple pie, pumpkin pie and crisp autumn afternoons. During the winter months cinnamon blends with cranberries or citrus are reminiscent of gatherings and DIY Christmas tree decorations. Many people bake with cinnamon or add it to their coffee, tea or cider to add a bit more flavor but cinnamon has several other uses throughout the home and many health benefits.

Cinnamon Bark Properties

Chewing gum, toothpaste and some home cleaners contain cinnamon because of its antimicrobial properties and mouth freshening abilities.  Cinnamon is known to help alleviate stomach aches so enjoying a tea with cinnamon or sucking on a cinnamon candy can help alleviate flatulence, diarrhea, constipation or heart burn. Cinnamon has shown to fight gum disease and plaque which is why many over the counter mouth washes and tooth pastes are available in mint or cinnamon flavors.

Cinnamon has antimicrobial properties that can kill off harmful bacteria living on surfaces; cinnamon is great when used as a cleaning agent. These are all over the counter and mass produced products that do contain many chemicals and manufactured ingredients. You can easily create your own natural products at home with cinnamon bark essential oil. 

Cinnamon Bark Oil DIY

Before you start mixing up your DIY blends you will need to know a little bit about cinnamon bark essential oil. Cinnamon bark essential oil is derived from the cinnamomum species and is sometimes referred to as zeylancium. There are actually over 250 evergreen trees and shrubs spread out throughout Asia and Australia that fall into the cinnamomum species. The true cinnamon tree is native to the Lauracece family and can grow up to 30 feet in height. The leaf of the tree can be steam distilled and are often referred to as cinnamon leaf oil. The bark is also steam distilled but leaves behind pure reddish colored oil that is referred to as cinnamon bark essential oil.

The oil created is extremely potent and can have skin-sensitizing properties.  The most common way to benefit from cinnamon bark essential oil is via the use of a diffuser. If you are going to use it topically or if you plan on ingesting it you need to be sure it is highly diluted or used with carrier oil. When purchasing cinnamon bark essential oil you will want to purchase organic to ensure the trees were never sprayed with any chemicals that could compromise the quality of the oil. 

Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil Uses

Cinnamon has been used as a remedy for lowering blood sugar levels, decreasing cholesterol and easing up joint pain through its anti-inflammatory properties. When blended with carrier oil cinnamon bark essential oil can be applied directly to the stomach to help alleviate stomach pains or on aching joints to give relief. Cinnamon bark essential oil blends well with coconut oil, jojoba oil or sweet almond oil.

When creating this carrier oil and fess essential oil blend make sure to remember the age old saying “less is more”. Cinnamon oil is extremely concentrated and can have a burning or tingling sensation if too much is applied directly to the skin. Start out with only a drop or two in your carrier oil blend. Whenever using “hot” oils make sure you test your blend first on a small patch of skin. This test ensures you are not reactive to the essential oil. After a few hours’ time if you do not experience any skin sensitivity then you can carry on with using your blend.  

The Cinnamon bark oil has a quite distinct aroma when diffused. It has a warm and spicy scent that literally melts away stress and alleviates tension and headaches. Some easy ways to use cinnamon around your home would be to simply incorporate it into your home made all natural products. If you make your own home made toothpaste with baking soda, coconut oil and activated charcoal you can add a drop of cinnamon oil to the mix to help fight plaque and gum disease. A few drops of cinnamon oil added to homemade bug spray and spritzed on your clothing and hair can help repel unwanted insects while you are spending time outdoors. This is also great to spritz on children’s hair during lice outbreaks at schools.

Cinnamon Oil Benefits

Cinnamon oil has antimicrobial properties it is a fabulous essential oil to add to your home made cleaning surface spray. Simply acquire a large spray bottle and use equal parts distilled water and vinegar. Add about ten drops of each Young Living essential oil; cinnamon, tea tree, lemon, rosemary and lavender. These ingredients combined create a high quality combination of antimicrobial and cleansing properties that will eliminate germs residing on the surfaces of your counter tops.

The scent left behind is warm and inviting. Your immune system will thank you for using high quality essential oil based cleaners to remove unwanted germs from the home.  Diffusing pure organic cinnamon bark essential oil in your home during the cold and flu seasons will help boost your families’ immune systems while supporting their moods. Cinnamon is naturally warm and inviting which instantly creates happy moods. During the winter months many people suffer from seasonal depression due to less daylight and the cold temperatures.

Stores capitalize on this and often place cinnamon scented products right near their entry ways such as cinnamon scented pine cones or candles. You can create an all-natural cinnamon scent in your home by diffusing cinnamon near your doorway as well. You can even get creative and mix in some vanilla, clove and lemon for a festive blend. An inviting home filled with comforting scents naturally helps reduce those dreary moods.