GET TO KNOW YOUR OILS
Black Spruce
Picea mariana
Chemotype: bornyl acetate / pinene type
- PLANT PART
- needles and twigs
- EXTRACTION
- steam distillation
- AROMA NOTE
- top
LEARN AS YOU COMPARE
What’s inside this oil?
Constituents are the natural chemicals that give an oil its character. See the main ones, learn what they do, and explore differences between batches.
Meet the main constituents, then select one to see what makes it interesting.
FOLLOW YOUR SENSES
Aroma & character
A closer look at this oil's scent, strength, and staying power.
- Aroma intensity
- 70 / 100
- Note layer
- top
If you like this scent, explore
A LITTLE CARE GOES A LONG WAY
Using it thoughtfully
Read the full safety context before bringing this oil into your routine.
- Cited dermal maximum · leave-on
- No restriction cited
- Phototoxicity
- Not flagged in this profile
- Oxidation risk
- medium
A cited maximum is a limit, not a suggested dilution. Missing restrictions do not establish safety.
No phototoxic effect was identified in the consulted black spruce technical and IFRA documents.
Contraindications & cautions
- minorThe NHR specification classifies black spruce oil as H317 and states that it may cause an allergic skin reaction.
Explore measured chemistry from supplier batches
A supplier report describes a particular sample. Open this workspace to investigate measured constituents and their original documents.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE SCENT
Inside the oil
An oil's character comes from its natural chemical composition. Explore each constituent to understand the connections.
About this composition
Public supplier technical documents for Picea mariana consistently show a conifer profile dominated by bornyl acetate and monoterpene hydrocarbons, especially alpha-pinene, camphene, beta-pinene, and delta-3-carene. This record uses a public NHR GC lot analysis for exact lot values and a matching NHR specification sheet for public compositional ranges and organoleptic metadata.
| Constituent | Typical amount | Reported range | Chemical family | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bornyl acetate | 19.02% | 12–35% | monoterpene ester | View sourceNHR Organic Oils Product Specification and Certificate of Analysis for Organic Black Spruce Essential Oil (Picea mariana) https://www.nhrorganicoils.com/uploads/20200309164922e_Spruce_Black_Spec.pdf (Bornyl acetate 12.00-35.00%); https://www.nhrorganicoils.com/uploads/certs/Spruce%20Black%20CofA%20191119-2.pdf (Bornyl acetate 19.02%) |
| alpha-Pinene | 20.23% | 12–22% | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceNHR Organic Oils Product Specification and Certificate of Analysis for Organic Black Spruce Essential Oil (Picea mariana) https://www.nhrorganicoils.com/uploads/20200309164922e_Spruce_Black_Spec.pdf (Alpha pinene 12.00-22.00%); https://www.nhrorganicoils.com/uploads/certs/Spruce%20Black%20CofA%20191119-2.pdf (Alpha pinene 20.23%) |
| Camphene | 15.16% | 10–25% | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceNHR Organic Oils Product Specification and Certificate of Analysis for Organic Black Spruce Essential Oil (Picea mariana) https://www.nhrorganicoils.com/uploads/20200309164922e_Spruce_Black_Spec.pdf (Camphene 10.00-25.00%); https://www.nhrorganicoils.com/uploads/certs/Spruce%20Black%20CofA%20191119-2.pdf (Camphene 15.16%) |
| beta-Pinene | 7.47% | 7.47–7.47% | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceNHR Organic Oils Certificate of Analysis for Organic Black Spruce Essential Oil (Picea mariana) https://www.nhrorganicoils.com/uploads/certs/Spruce%20Black%20CofA%20191119-2.pdf (Beta Pinene 7.47%) |
| delta-3-Carene | 9.41% | 9.41–9.41% | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceNHR Organic Oils Certificate of Analysis for Organic Black Spruce Essential Oil (Picea mariana) https://www.nhrorganicoils.com/uploads/certs/Spruce%20Black%20CofA%20191119-2.pdf (Delta 3-carene 9.41%) |
| Limonene | 3.58% | 3.58–3.58% | monoterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceNHR Organic Oils Certificate of Analysis for Organic Black Spruce Essential Oil (Picea mariana) https://www.nhrorganicoils.com/uploads/certs/Spruce%20Black%20CofA%20191119-2.pdf (Limonene 3.58%) |
Profile source: NHR Organic Oils Product Specification and Certificate of Analysis for Organic Black Spruce Essential Oil (Picea mariana); O&3 U.K. Limited IFRA Certificate for Spruce Black Essential Oil K0435 · https://www.nhrorganicoils.com/uploads/20200309164922e_Spruce_Black_Spec.pdf ; https://www.nhrorganicoils.com/uploads/certs/Spruce%20Black%20CofA%20191119-2.pdf ; https://files.plytix.com/api/v1.1/rn/public_files/pim/assets/96/f0/5c/64/645cf096b0a90000019bdc9c/texts/f4/51/ea/67/67ea51f47b44f06ee1fc3da0/IFRA%20Statement%20-%20Spruce%20Black%20Essential%20Oil-2.pdf/K0435ifrastatement.pdf
A TRADITION OF BOTANICAL CURIOSITY
Traditional & reported uses
These uses reflect the profile's reported traditions and literature. They are not established treatment recommendations.
- traditionally used in aromatherapy for grounding, calming, and easing occasional stress
- reported use in massage blends for muscular and respiratory comfort
- used in perfumery for a fresh, resinous, coniferous note
- traditionally associated with supporting a sense of emotional balance and openness
- reported use in winter/forest-themed diffuser blends for a fresh, woody atmosphere
For aromatherapy and wellness use only — not medical advice. Effect statements are traditional/reported associations, not treatment claims. The Synergy Rating scores blend craft, harmony and safety, not medical efficacy. Read the safety framework.
What we're still learning · 2 data gaps
Good decisions start with knowing what is — and isn't — in the evidence.
- No public source located in this pass gave directly measured volatility-rate or tenacity-hour values for black spruce essential oil.
- A fully primary peer-reviewed open-access GC profile for Picea mariana matching the exact commercial steam-distilled needles-and-twigs profile was not located during this pass; the composition here is therefore anchored to live public supplier technical documents.