Pine Essential Oil is obtained from the pine needles of Pinus sylvestris or Norway/Scotch pine. The tree originated from Russia and Austria and later spread in different parts of the world as the species can tolerate both cold and warm climates. It’s valuable since the time of the Greeks in the treatment of respiratory ailments and various skin problems. It has a distinct fresh smell of the forest, is pale yellow to colorless and has a thin consistency. Most of you have probably used this species as fresh Christmas tree.
Pine Essential Oil has the most common and easily recognizable odor because it’s used in many personal and household products. It contains 50 to 97% monoterpene hydrocarbons that make it a great disinfectant and deodorizer. It also contains car-3-ene, bornyl acetate, sylvestrene, cadinene, camphene, a-terpineol, dipentene, y-terpinene, a-terpinene and β-pinene. Pine Essential Oil invigorates and purifies almost of your body’s systems. It helps you relax and relieves your tiredness. It helps you breathe easier. It’s also a good insect killer. Pine Essential Oil is used as flavoring for food and pharmaceutical products and used as fragrance in soaps, creams, lotions, detergents and air fresheners.
Pine Essential Oil Benefits
Pine Essential Oil has many health benefits that you can enjoy:
- Antimicrobial, antiseptic, antifungal, antibacterial
- Anti-rheumatic, anti-neuralgic
- Decongestant / Expectorant
- Muscle relaxant
- Stimulates metabolism
- Diuretic
- Antioxidant
- Pain reliever
- Mood and energy booster
- Good for acne and other skin problems
- Air freshener and deodorizer
Pine Essential Oil Uses
There are many proven uses of Pine Essential Oil and here are some of them:
- Pine Essential Oil for Pain Relief. It is effective in relieving pain due to its soothing properties. It stimulates the blood to come to the surface of the skin to remove toxins and speed up cell regeneration to quickly ease pain. Scientific studies also proved that the essential oil is good for treating pain due to burns. It’s also a good oil to relieve headaches.
- Pine Essential Oil as Anti-inflammatory Agent.With its natural anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties, it is an effective substitute for NSAIDs or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. It is an effective oil to reduce irritation and swelling due to chronic joint pain and arthritis.
- Pine Essential Oil as Antiseptic. You can use this essential oil as an antiseptic to treat athlete’s foot, sports injuries, cuts and boils. Its anti-fungal property also helps in the treatment. It is effective in treating acne, eczema, psoriasis and warts. It also has antioxidant properties that reduce the negative impact of free radicals on the skin, helping to remove the appearance of signs of premature aging, sagging and wrinkles with regular use.
- Pine Essential Oil as Mood and Energy Enhancer. Inhalation, direct or with a diffuser can quickly invigorate your mind and body. It’s a great reliever if you are physically or mentally fatigued. It helps improve your memory, alertness and focus and boost your self-confidence as well.
- Pine Essential Oil as a Natural Decongestant. Combine it with eucalyptus oil and the right amount of coconut oil and rub it on your throat, chest and upper back to ease sore throat, open your nasal passages and loosen phlegm.
- Pine Essential Oil to Freshen and Deodorize Your Home. Add a few drops of Pine Essential Oil into your diffuser or add some drops to water. Use a glass spray bottle and spritz the solution around your home or inside your car.
- Pine Essential Oil to Cleanse Carpets. Add 20 drops into a bucket of water and use it to scrub smelly areas and stains on your carpet to remove lingering odors. The solution will also kill microbes and odor-causing bacteria and leave your home smelling clean and fresh.
- Pine Needle Essential Oil as Flea Killer. The smell of pine oil deters fleas from coming or staying in your home. It can also dissolve the waxy coating of fleas and effectively kill them.
Pine Essential Oil Side Effects
Although Pine Essential Oil is generally non-irritant and non-toxic, there may be people who are allergic to it. It is good to do a skin test first after you have diluted the essential oil.
- It can cause skin sensitivity to stop using it if your skin gets irritated or inflamed.
- Keep Pine Essential Oil away from children.
- Dilute the essential oil further if you are going to use it on sensitive areas like the genital area, neck or face.
- Check with the physician before using Pine Essential Oil if you are currently receiving medical attention or are pregnant.
- The essential oil is volatile and flammable so do not use it near sparks, heat, flame or fire.
- Regular Pine Essential Oil should not be taken internally as it can cause kidney damage.
- Do not use this essential oil on people who have kidney disorders.
- If children and elderly persons are suffering from irritation or hypertension, refrain from giving them Pine Essential Oil.
How to Use Pine Essential Oil
Enjoy the invigorating aroma and wonderful effect of Pine Essential Oil.
- Add several drops of the essential oil to your diffuser together with neroli and cedar oils to relax you. Using Pine Essential Oil in your diffuser is an effective way to feel productive, clear and alert. It will also deodorize your home and boost the air quality in your rooms. Add a few drops to firewood to give your fireplace a fresh, woodsy scent.
- Topical Application. Dilute Pine Essential Oil with a carrier oil such as coconut oil (1:1 ratio) and apply topically as a compress. Add a few drops to your bath or put some on your palms and directly inhale its scent to get a boost of vitality and strength. Use it as a massage oil to soothe tired and sore muscles.
- Internal Use. It is possible to take Pine Essential Oil internally provided you use 100% percent pure therapeutic oil. Add one drop to drinking water, mix a drop with honey or add a drop to your smoothie.
How to Make Pine Essential Oil
The essential oil from pine is produced by steam distillation. Fresh pine needles and twigs, and at times sawdust from its hard wood are used. For Pine Essential Oil, only the species from the genus Pinus are used. Some of these are the Pinus sylvestris (Norway or Scotch pine), Pinus palustris (Long-leaf pine) or Pinus mugo (Dwarf pine). The raw materials are placed in a still and subjected to very high heat.
Pine Essential Oil Recipe
If you have access to Norway or Scotch pine, dwarf pine or long-leaf fine, you can make a batch of Pine Essential Oil at home. Here are the steps:
You’ll need:
2-3 cups pine tree needles
1/2 cup sweet almond oil
Clean and sanitized large-mouth glass jar with cover
Mortar and pestle
Cheesecloth
Dark amber bottle with tight cover for storage
Procedure:
- Gather fresh pine needles from the trees. Do not use the needles that have fallen to the ground.
- Wash the pine needles with mild detergent and warm water.
- Rinse the needles thoroughly and pat them dry with paper towels.
- Bruise the leaves gently with the mortar and pestle.
- Put the sweet almond oil in the large-mouth jar and add the pine leaves.
- Cover the jar tightly and shake it continuously until all the pine needles are covered with oil.
- Place the jar in a warm room. The ambient temperature should be 75°F or about 24°C. The jar should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
- Give the jar a vigorous shake once a day. Do this for seven days.
- When the week is up, place the jar inside a cupboard for dark storage. Leave the jar there for 14 days so it can ferment or age. Do not shake the jar during this fermenting stage.
- After the aging period, sift the oil using a clean cheesecloth. Squeeze the cheesecloth to get more of the oil.
- Transfer your Pine Essential Oil into the dark colored bottle and cover it tightly.
- Keep it in a cool dry place. The essential oil can be kept for 10 to 12 months only.
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Warning: Homemade Pine Essential Oil should only be used externally.
Where to Buy Pine Essential Oil
Pine Essential Oil is available at Walmart and several online stores such as Amazon and specialty stores that carry various brands such as Holland and Barrett, New Directions Aromatics, Puritan and NOW Foods.
Other Information about Pine and Pine Essential Oil
- Hippocrates was the first to investigate the many uses of Pine Essential Oil.
- In the olden days, pine needles are stuffed into mattresses to get rid of fleas and lice.
- Pine kernels were used in cooking by ancient Egyptians to decrease contamination and kill food bacteria.
- Rosin, which is used on a violinist’s bow, is made from crude pine resin.
- Crude pine resin is also used to produce turpentine.
- Recently, studies are conducted on the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of Pine Essential Oil, as they may have the potential to protect vital organs and fight the development of cancer cells.
