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Aromatherapy and Essential Oil Information from AromaWeb (Logo)

Objective Insights Into Essential Oils & Aromatherapy

~ Since 1997 ~

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Aromatherapy and Essential Oil Information from AromaWeb (Logo)

Objective Insights Into Essential Oils & Aromatherapy

~ Since 1997 ~


Buddha Wood Essential Oil

Eremophila mitchellii

Eremophila mitchellii Tree Used to Produce Buddha Wood Essential Oil

Buddha Wood Essential Oil Profile Table of Contents:

Introduction

Buddha Wood Essential Oil has a wonderfully soft, semi-sweet woody aroma.

The analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties of Buddha Wood Essential Oil makes it beneficial and suitable for use in blends intended to ease muscular aches and pains.

It's unique composition of sesquiterpene ketones contributes to its benefits in helping to balance the emotions, provide a sense of calm and ease anxiety.

It is also used for meditation.

Numerous sources also indicate that it may have insecticidal properties.

The Buddha Wood tree is classified by the IUCN as being of least concern. Therefore, Buddha Wood Essential Oil is worth considering as an alternative to wood essential oils that are endangered. See the Sustainability and Conservation Status section for more information.

Where Does Buddha Wood Essential Oil Originate?

Australian Map

Buddha Wood Essential Oil is produced from the heartwood of a small evergreen tree (Eremophila mitchellii) that is native to Australia.

First Nations people of Australia traditionally have used the wood for medicinal, emotional and spiritual applications.1

Deby Atterby states that Buddha Wood is primarily found in arid regions of New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.1

Why is it Called Buddha Wood Essential Oil?

Buddha Wood Oil is very grounding and is widely used for meditation and in spiritual applications

I haven't been able to find a definitive explanation, but it's likely that the ol's use in spiritual applications played a strong part in the origins of its common name of Buddha Wood.

Does Buddha Wood Go By Any Other Names?

Buddha Wood is also known as Desert Rosewood and False Sandalwood.1, 2, 6, 7

Insights on Aromatic and Emotional Uses for Buddha Wood Essential Oil

Emotionally, Buddha Wood Essential Oil is a gently calming and grounding essential oil.

It can be helpful in blends intended to help ease stress and anxiety.

For chakra applications, Buddha Wood Essential Oil is aligned with the Root Chakra.

Buddha Wood Essential Oil possesses a deep, woody aroma and can serve as a natural fixative in perfumery and when making natural fragrances.2

It makes a suitable consideration for blends and products intended for men and those seeking more masculine aromas.

Eremophila mitchellii Tree Leaves and Blooms

Buddha Wood CO2 Extract

Buddha Wood Select CO2 Extract is available from some suppliers.

Mark Webb describes the aroma of Buddha Wood CO2 Extract as "Calming, tenacious with a hint of honey and woodiness... which has a much softer aroma than the essential oil whose aroma is more leathery and earthy."7

A subcritical CO2 extract of Buddha Wood may also be available because Madeleine Kerkhof's' profile of Buddha Wood CO2 in her book CO2 Extracts in Aromatherapy identifies the extract that she has worked with as being a subcritical extract.5

Mark Webb also includes a remark about Desert Rosewood Subcritical CO2 in the course notes for his CO2 Extract course (Desert Rosewood is another name for Buddha Wood).7

For information about CO2 Extracts, View AromaWeb's Introduction to CO2 Extracts.

Buddha Wood Essential Oil Benefits and Uses

  • Analgesic
  • Anti-depressant
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Anti-anxiety
  • Anti-microbial
  • Anti-bacterial
  • Sedative
  • Perfumery Fixative
  • Possible Insecticidal Activity
  • Meditation
  • Aphrodisiac

Sources:

Deby Atterby, Australian Essential Oil Profiles (Australia: AAT Publishing, 2021), 188-190.1

2Salvatore Battaglia, The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy Third Edition Volume 1 - Foundations & Materia Medica (Brisbane Australia: Black Pepper Creative, 2018), 184-185.2

Botanical Name

Eremophila mitchellii

Plant Family

Myoporaceae

Common Method of Extraction

Buddha Wood Essential Oil is typically steam distilled.

According to Salvatore Battaglia and Tony Burfield, Buddha Wood Essential Oil may also be produced that is first solvent extracted and then distilled at high vacuum.2, 3

Buddha Wood CO2 Extract is also available.

Plant Part Typically Used to Produce the Oil

Heartwood

Color

Bottle Depicting the Typical Color of Buddha Wood Essential Oil

Golden to Amber Brown

Viscosity (Thickness and Consistency)

Buddha Wood Essential Oil tends to be thick to work with. See AromaWeb's Guide to Using and Blending Thick Aromatic Oils for tips.

Buddha Wood Essential Oil on a Fragrance Test Strip

Perfumery Note

Base

Strength of Initial Aroma

Soft - Medium

Aromatic Description

Buddha Wood Essential Oil has a soft, slightly sweet, woody aroma.

I especially like Deby Atterby's aromatic description. She describes the aroma as having a "whiskey-like undertone."1

Some sources have used terms like "smoky" and "leathery" to describe the aroma, but I don't find those terms to be representative of the steam distilled essential oils that I have experienced in the past few years.

Buddha Wood Essential Oil Blends Well With These Essential Oils

Aromatically, Buddha Wood Essential Oil also blends wonderfully with other wood essential oils.

Sustainability and Conservation Status

Least Concern
Source: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/192234025/192234036

Buddha Wood is classified as being amongst the least concerning (least risk of being threatened) of botanicals on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Buddha Wood Essential Oil is steam distilled from the heartwood of the tree. Many essential oils that are distilled from the heartwood of a tree have caused endangerment for the tree. Examples include Indian Sandalwood, Atlas Cedarwood, Agarwood and Rosewood essential oils.

Numerous sources including Salvatore Battaglia indicate that the Buddha Wood tree is somewhat invasive in nature. For some uses, Buddha Wood Essential Oil may be a suitable substitute for wood essential oils that are endangered.1, 2

To learn more about the conservation status of essential oil bearing plants and how to use the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, please refer to AromaWeb's Guide to Essential Oils and Sustainability.

Major Constituents

  • Eremophilone
  • 9-Hydroxy-7(11),9eremophiladien-8-one
  • Santalcamphor

See Essential Oil Safety for more complete list of typical constituents.

Source: K.D. Beattie, P.G. Waterman, P.I. Forester, et al., Chemical Composition and Cytotoxicity of Oils and Eremophilanes Derived from Various Parts of Eremophila mitchellii Benth. Myoporacea. Phytochemistry 72, 400-408. Source cited in Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 221-222.4

Buddha Wood Essential Oil Safety Information

Tisserand and Young do not indicate any special precautions when using Buddha Wood Essential Oil.

Reading Tisserand and Young's full profile is recommended. [Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 221-222.6]

Buddha Wood Essential Oil References

  • 1 Deby Atterby, Australian Essential Oil Profiles (Australia: AAT Publishing, 2021), 188-190.
  • 2 Salvatore Battaglia, The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy Third Edition Volume 1 - Foundations & Materia Medica (Brisbane Australia: Black Pepper Creative, 2018), 184-185.
  • 3 Tony Burfield, Natural Aromatic Materials: Odours & Origins, Second Edition (Tampa, FL: The Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy, 2016), 385.
  • 4 K.D. Beattie, P.G. Waterman, P.I. Forester, et al., Chemical Composition and Cytotoxicity of Oils and Eremophilanes Derived from Various Parts of Eremophila mitchellii Benth. Myoporacea. Phytochemistry 72, 400-408.
  • 5 Madeleine Kerkhof, CO2 Extracts in Aromatherapy. (The Netherlands: Kicozo, 2018 (First English Edition). Page 57-58.
  • 6 Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 221-222.
  • 7 Mark Webb, CO2 Extracts Course v1.6 (Australia: AromaMedix Pty Ltd 2016-2019), Slides 86-89.
  • 8 Mark Webb, Presentation: Bush Sense: The Therapeutic, Spiritual, and Shamanic Uses of Australian Essential Oils and Aromatic Compounds. October 22, 2016, Salt Lake City, UT. National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy 2016 Beyond Aromatics Conference Proceedings page 143.

General Safety Information

Do not take any oils internally and do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin without advanced essential oil knowledge or consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. For general dilution information, read AromaWeb's Guide to Diluting Essential Oils. If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children and be sure to first read the recommended dilution ratios for children. Consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children, the elderly, if you have medical issues or are taking medications. Before using this or any essential oil, carefully read AromaWeb's Essential Oil Safety Information page. For in-depth information on oil safety issues, read Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young.

Shelf Life

View Shelf Life Information

Important Information About the Profiles

The essential oil information provided on AromaWeb is intended for basic educational purposes only. The references to safety information, test results, constituents and percentages is generalized information. Essential oils can vary greatly in composition. The data is not necessary complete and is not guaranteed to be accurate. The essential oil photos are intended to represent the typical and approximate color of each essential oil. However, essential oil composition and color can vary based on harvesting, distillation, age of the essential oil and other factors. Profiles for several CO2 Extracts and absolutes are included within the directory, and are denoted as such.

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