Ingredient
Cajeput Essential Oil
Fancy Latin Name
Melaleuca leucadendra, or Melaleuca cajuputi
About The Plant
Cajeput trees grow natively in Australia and New Zealand, and also grows in parts of Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Vietnam, and Thailand. They can grow up to 70-100 feet tall, and are known as weeping paperbarks, with thick, white, papery bark and weeping branches. Their happy place is in monsoon or coastal forests. It is believed that the word “cajeput” is derived from the Indonesian name for the tree, “kayu putih,” meaning white wood. In the UK, the spelling is cajuput.
Cajeput essential oil is steam-distilled from the twigs and some leaves of the tree, and smells camphorous, but much less medicinal than its close cousin, tea tree oil. Cajeput has more fruity and spicy notes, making it a lovely aromatic addition to aromatherapy blends, and a more pleasant choice for many people in skincare formulations than the more pungent tea tree oil.
Aromatherapy Benefits of Cajeput
Cajeput is helpful during cold and flu season, as it is high in the monoterpene 1,8-cineole; this compound is also known as eucalyptol, and is found in many essential oils, such as eucalyptus, rosemary, laurel, tea tree, sage, and niaouli. Animal studies suggest that 1,8 cineole acts as a bronchodilator, relaxing the smooth muscles of the airways and as a mucolytic, helping to break up and clear mucus from the airways more easily. If you want to try using cajeput next time you have a cold, an easy method is to place a drop or two on the floor or wall of your shower, away from the flow of water, and breathe it in during a steamy shower.
Skincare Benefits of Cajeput
Cajeput essential oil is effective against many gram positive and gram negative bacteria, as well as yeast, mold, and demodex mites, making it an excellent choice for acne-prone or dermatitis-prone skin (in the correct concentration and formulation, not used directly on the skin).
We use cajeput in our Spotless Blemish Oil for its antibacterial properties, given the role that bacteria can play in acne. In this formula, in combination with other antibacterial and anti-inflammatory essential oils, cajeput can help reduce the size and appearance of a blemish, even before it comes fully to the surface of the skin.
Safety Information
Cajeput essential oil is high in 1,8-cineole and should not be used on or around infants or young children as it can cause respiratory and/or CNS problems. Cajeput should not be taken internally without direct supervision by a medical professional.
Fun Facts about Cajeput
- Aboriginal people have long used the leaves of Melaleuca trees to cook food, and the bark to make shelters and canoes, and to wrap deceased loved ones before burial.
- Many different essential oils can be made from species in the Melaleuca genus, but the two most widely produced and used are Melaleuca alternifolia (tea tree) and Melaleuca leucadendra and/or cajuputi (cajeput).
- 1,8-cineole, one of the main constituents in cajeput essential oil, is sold in capsule form in Germany in a product called Soledum to treat acute respiratory infections like colds, flu, bronchitis, and sinusitis.
- Cajeput is one of the active ingredients in a well-know balm for aching muscles called Tiger Balm, along with camphor, menthol, and clove.
- Cajeput is used in treating bacterial and fungal infections in fish; Melafix and Bettafix are examples of products sold for this purpose.
Hope you learned some new things! Give cajeput a try if you're not a huge fan of tea tree oil—it would also be a great addition to a home essential oils set, especially useful in DIY cleaning products!
The information contained in this post is for educational interest only. This information is not intended to be used for diagnosis or treatment of any physical or mental illness, disease, or skin conditions.
Resources:
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