GET TO KNOW YOUR OILS
Cedarwood Chinese
Cupressus funebris
Chemotype: alpha-cedrene / cedrol type
- PLANT PART
- wood
- EXTRACTION
- steam distillation
- AROMA NOTE
- base
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
- base
- Approximate tenacity
- 72–168 hours
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
- 1.26%
- Phototoxicity
- Not flagged in this profile
- Oxidation risk
- low
A cited maximum is a limit, not a suggested dilution. Missing restrictions do not establish safety.
No furocoumarin-driven phototoxic restriction was identified in the reviewed Chinese cedarwood sources.
Contraindications & cautions
- moderatePublic supplier safety guidance for Chinese cedarwood/weeping cypress (Cupressus funebris) oil consistently advises against use during pregnancy; Tisserand & Young describe Cupressus species cedarwood oils as non-toxic, non-irritant, and non-sensitizing overall, but the pregnancy caution is repeated across multiple independent aromatherapy safety sheets and is kept here as a precaution pending oil-specific reproductive-toxicity data.
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
This Chinese cedarwood profile is anchored to Duquesnoy et al. (2006, Flavour and Fragrance Journal), which reports a commercial steam-distilled Chinese cedarwood (Cupressus funebris wood) oil comparison sample with 53 identified components; the four highest-abundance named constituents from that commercial sample (thujopsene, alpha-cedrene, cedrol, beta-cedrene) anchor this record. Cuparene, corroborated as a recurring Chinese-cedarwood marker constituent by the USDA Carroll et al. (2011) GC/MS analysis of a separate Cupressus funebris wood-oil batch (in which only 66.8% of the total oil was identified), is retained as a minor constituent. The public literature shows meaningful batch variability across commercial Chinese cedarwood oils (Adams and Li 2008 note taxonomic-source uncertainty for commercial 'Chinese cedar oil'), so this record documents which published sample anchors each constituent rather than blending percentages across unrelated batches.
| Constituent | Typical amount | Reported range | Chemical family | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thujopsene | 25.9% | 25.9–25.9% | sesquiterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceComposition of a Pyrolytic oil from Cupressus funebris Endl. of Vietnamese origin (commercial Chinese cedarwood oil comparison sample) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ffj.1676 (commercial C. funebris wood-oil comparison sample, 53 components identified: thujopsene 25.9%) |
| alpha-Cedrene | 24.1% | 24.1–24.1% | sesquiterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceComposition of a Pyrolytic oil from Cupressus funebris Endl. of Vietnamese origin (commercial Chinese cedarwood oil comparison sample) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ffj.1676 (commercial C. funebris wood-oil comparison sample, 53 components identified: alpha-cedrene 24.1%) |
| Cedrol | 11.3% | 11.3–11.3% | sesquiterpene alcohol | View sourceComposition of a Pyrolytic oil from Cupressus funebris Endl. of Vietnamese origin (commercial Chinese cedarwood oil comparison sample) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ffj.1676 (commercial C. funebris wood-oil comparison sample, 53 components identified: cedrol 11.3%) |
| beta-Cedrene | 7.4% | 7.4–7.4% | sesquiterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceComposition of a Pyrolytic oil from Cupressus funebris Endl. of Vietnamese origin (commercial Chinese cedarwood oil comparison sample) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ffj.1676 (commercial C. funebris wood-oil comparison sample, 53 components identified: beta-cedrene 7.4%) |
| Cuparene | 5.4% | 5.4–5.4% | sesquiterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceEssential oils of Cupressus funebris, Juniperus communis, and J. chinensis (Cupressaceae) as repellents against ticks and mosquitoes https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/3122/CarrollEtAl2011b.pdf (PDF p.5/Table 1 and discussion: cuparene 5.4% for C. funebris) |
Profile source: Composition of a Pyrolytic oil from Cupressus funebris Endl. of Vietnamese origin (commercial Chinese cedarwood oil comparison sample); Cedarwood, Essential Oil dossier; Essential oils of Cupressus funebris, Juniperus communis, and J. chinensis (Cupressaceae) as repellents against ticks and mosquitoes; cedarwood oil china · https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ffj.1676 ; https://www.youwish.nl/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Dossier_Cedarwood-Essential-Oil.pdf ; https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/3122/CarrollEtAl2011b.pdf ; https://www.thegoodscentscompany.com/data/es1007241.html
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 as a grounding, meditative base note
- reported to support calm, focused breathing when diffused
- used in perfumery and incense for its dry, woody-camphoraceous facet
- traditionally associated with easing occasional mental tension
- used in blends as a fixative to anchor lighter top notes
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 · 3 data gaps
Good decisions start with knowing what is — and isn't — in the evidence.
- No public species-specific source found in this pass that provides a repository-native 0-100 odor-intensity scale; the stored intensity is a dataset normalization from GoodScents and perfumery-style odor descriptions.
- The Duquesnoy et al. (2006) commercial Chinese cedarwood comparison sample identified 53 components in total, but only the four highest-abundance named percentages (thujopsene, alpha-cedrene, cedrol, beta-cedrene) were accessible in this pass via abstract/secondary-source excerpts rather than the full paywalled composition table; the remaining ~49 minor constituents from that 53-component table remain unlisted, so this record's closure (approximately 74% of 100%) understates the source paper's own reported near-complete GC/MS identification.
- Cuparene is retained from a separate Cupressus funebris wood-oil GC/MS batch (Carroll et al. 2011, USDA), which itself identified only 66.8% of that oil's total composition; cuparene's percentage should be read as corroborating a recurring Chinese-cedarwood marker rather than as belonging to the same physical batch as the Duquesnoy majors.