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Catmint/Catnip Essential Oil

Catnip Oil

Botanical Name: Nepeta cataria Common Method of Extraction: Steam Distilled Color: Pale Yellow/Orange Consistency: Medium Perfumery Note: Middle Strength of Initial Aroma: Medium

Aromatic Description: Herbaceous with a subdued mint aroma.

Catnip Oil Uses: Minimal documentation on essential oil use. May act as a topical anesthetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, astringent, carminative, nervine, sedative. [Sylla Sheppard-Hanger, The Aromatherapy Practitioner Reference Manual (Tampa, FL: Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy, 1994), 309.]

Constituents: Nepetalactone (60-95%). [Robert Tisserand, Essential Oil Safety (United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone, 1995), 214.]

Nepetalactone, caryophyllene, epi-nepetalcatone, trans-ocimene, myrcene, cis-ocimene. [Sylla Sheppard-Hanger, The Aromatherapy Practitioner Reference Manual (Tampa, FL: Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy, 1994), 309.]

Safety Information: Tisserand advises that Catnip Oil may be a skin sensitizer and to use it with caution. Sheppard-Hanger advises to avoid use of Catnip Oil during pregnancy and to avoid use in babies and children.

Important Note: The essential oil information provided within the Essential Oil Properties & Profiles area is intended for educational purposes only. This data is not considered complete and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

General Safety Information: Do not take any essential oils internally without consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin. If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use essential oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children and give children only the gentlest oils at extremely low doses. It is safest to consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using essential oils with children. A skin patch test should be conducted prior to using an essential oil that you've never used before. Instructions on conducting a skin patch test and more safety information can be found by visiting the Essential Oil Safety Information page. For very in-depth information on essential oil safety issues, read Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand and Tony Balacs. 

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