Siberian Fir Essential Oil
Abies sibirica
Description
Siberian Fir Essential Oil is sometimes known as Siberian Pine Essential Oil, but it is most appropriately classified as a fir oil.
Siberian Fir Essential Oil is one of my top favorite conifer oils because of its benefits, composition, beautiful aroma and affordable cost.
Siberian Fir Essential Oil tends to be less stimulating than most other commonly available conifer oils. It contains approximately 30% Bornyl acetate, an ester that contributes to the oil's calming, balancing and anti-inflammatory benefits.
It is a beautiful oil to use in blends intended for respiratory issues and muscular aches and pains. Its crisp, woody aroma can help to offset the more medicinal aroma of essential oils like tea tree or those that contain 1,8 cineole or camphor.
Aromatically, Siberian Fir Essential Oil possesses a beautifully fresh, crisp conifer aroma. It blends wonderfully with many other essential oils including essential oils in the conifer, wood, citrus and herbaceous families.
Emotionally, Siberian Fir Essential Oil is an uplifting essential oil that isn't too overpowering or stimulating. It's not the first essential oil that I would choose if I need an essential oil to help ease stress or anxiety, but it is one of the most calming of the conifer oils, and I think of it as a balancing oil that I love to use in blends to support emotional balance. Aromatherapy author and educator Jennifer Pressimone suggests Siberian Fir Essential Oil for anger, acceptance, contentment, intolerance of toxic relationships, feeling connected to self and moving forward without fear. [Reference: Jennifer Pressimone, JennScents(R) Holistic Aromatherapy Comprehensive Guide (Clermont, FL: JennScents, Inc., 2015), 104-105.]
For more information about fir and conifer oils, read AromaWeb's Guide to Coniferous Essential Oils.
Siberian Fir Essential Oil Benefits and Uses
- Arthritis
- Colds/Flu
- Digestion
- Muscle Recovery
- Pain
- Respiratory Issues
- Anxiety
- Confidence
- Anger
Reference: Jennifer Pressimone, JennScents(R) Holistic Aromatherapy Comprehensive Guide (Clermont, FL: JennScents, Inc., 2015), 104-105.
Botanical Name
Plant Family
Common Method of Extraction
Steam Distilled
Plant Part Typically Used
Color
Clear
Consistency
Thin
Perfumery Note
Top
Strength of Initial Aroma
Medium
Aromatic Description
Siberian Fir Essential Oil smells beautifully coniferous, woody, clean and crisp.
Sustainability and Conservation Status
Least Concern
Source: https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/42299/10681312
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
- Bornyl acetate
- Camphene
- A-Pinene
- gamma-3-Carene
- (+)-Limonene
- Santene
See Essential Oil Safety for a more complete list of typical constituents.
Reference: A. Orav, K. Kuningas and T. Kailas. Computerized Capillary Gas Chromatographic Identification and Determination of Siberian Fir Oil Constituents. (J. Chromatogr. 697, 1995), 495-499. Source cited in Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 285.
Siberian Fir Essential Oil Safety Information
Tisserand and Young indicate that there is a low risk of skin sensitization when using Siberian Fir Essential Oil topically. They precaution to avoid use of the oil if it has oxidized. 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), 284-285.]
This essential oil poses a higher risk of causing irritation and sensitization when used in the bath. Avoid using it in the bath, even if it is solubilized/diluted.
Siberian Fir CO2 Subcritical Extract
In addition to being available as an essential oil, this botanical is available from a small number of reputable sources as a CO2 extract. CO2 extracts offer many advantages. However, they can have differing safety precautions than essential oils because the natural chemistry of CO2 extracts can differ from their essential oil counterparts. Not much safety information is documented from trusted sources for CO2 extracts. Use CO2 extracts with great care and do not assume that every CO2 extract has the same safety precautions as its essential oil counterpart.
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
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.
