GET TO KNOW YOUR OILS
Cedarwood Virginian
Juniperus virginiana
Chemotype: cedrene / cedrol / thujopsene 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
- 90 / 100
- Note layer
- base
- Approximate tenacity
- 32–32 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
- 1.25%
- 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 public sources for Juniperus virginiana wood oil.
Read the complete safety guideExplore 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
Virginian cedarwood is the steam-distilled wood oil of Juniperus virginiana, commercially also sold as Virginia cedarwood or eastern red cedarwood. Public GC/MS reports reviewed in this pass show a stable profile led by alpha-cedrene, cedrol, and thujopsene, with beta-cedrene, widdrol, and cuparene as smaller but recurring markers.
| Constituent | Typical amount | Reported range | Chemical family | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| alpha-cedrene | 27.69% | 27.34–28.04% | sesquiterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceGC/MS Report - Shay and Company; Percentage Identified - Praan Naturals https://shayandcompany.com/product/cedarwood-essential-oil-usa-grown/?attachment_id=102367&download_file=rqzzacrgnnukp (p. 2, alpha-Cedrene 27.34%); https://www.praannaturals.com/downloads/gcms/GCMS_Essential_Oil_Cedarwood_Virginia_LOT_031721-1427.pdf (p. 1, lines 74-79 and p. 2, lines 141-145: alpha-Cedrene 28.04%) |
| cedrol | 22.94% | 22.86–23.02% | sesquiterpene alcohol | View sourceGC/MS Report - Shay and Company; Percentage Identified - Praan Naturals https://shayandcompany.com/product/cedarwood-essential-oil-usa-grown/?attachment_id=102367&download_file=rqzzacrgnnukp (p. 3, cedrol 22.86%); https://www.praannaturals.com/downloads/gcms/GCMS_Essential_Oil_Cedarwood_Virginia_LOT_031721-1427.pdf (p. 1, lines 75-79 and p. 3, lines 211-212: Cedrol 23.02%) |
| thujopsene | 17.68% | 16.26–19.09% | sesquiterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceGC/MS Report - Shay and Company; Percentage Identified - Praan Naturals https://shayandcompany.com/product/cedarwood-essential-oil-usa-grown/?attachment_id=102367&download_file=rqzzacrgnnukp (p. 2, cis-Thujopsene 16.26%); https://www.praannaturals.com/downloads/gcms/GCMS_Essential_Oil_Cedarwood_Virginia_LOT_031721-1427.pdf (p. 1, lines 76-79 and p. 2, lines 145-148: Thujopsene 19.09%) |
| beta-cedrene | 5.52% | 4.98–6.05% | sesquiterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceGC/MS Report - Shay and Company; Percentage Identified - Praan Naturals https://shayandcompany.com/product/cedarwood-essential-oil-usa-grown/?attachment_id=102367&download_file=rqzzacrgnnukp (p. 2, beta-Cedrene 4.98%); https://www.praannaturals.com/downloads/gcms/GCMS_Essential_Oil_Cedarwood_Virginia_LOT_031721-1427.pdf (p. 2, lines 144-146: beta-Cedrene 6.05%) |
| widdrol | 4.39% | 4.39–4.39% | sesquiterpene alcohol | View sourceGC/MS Report - Shay and Company https://shayandcompany.com/product/cedarwood-essential-oil-usa-grown/?attachment_id=102367&download_file=rqzzacrgnnukp (p. 3, Widdrol 4.39%) |
| cuparene | 1.04% | 1.04–1.04% | sesquiterpene hydrocarbon | View sourceGC/MS Report - Shay and Company https://shayandcompany.com/product/cedarwood-essential-oil-usa-grown/?attachment_id=102367&download_file=rqzzacrgnnukp (p. 3, Cuparene 1.04%) |
Profile source: GC/MS Report - Shay and Company; Percentage Identified - Praan Naturals; CERTIFICATE OF CONFORMITY WITH IFRA STANDARDS; Cedarwood Virginian Essential Oil - PerfumersWorld; Cedarwood, Virginia EO - Eden Botanicals; Virginian Cedarwood Essential Oil: Benefits, Uses & Insights · https://shayandcompany.com/product/cedarwood-essential-oil-usa-grown/?attachment_id=102367&download_file=rqzzacrgnnukp ; https://www.praannaturals.com/downloads/gcms/GCMS_Essential_Oil_Cedarwood_Virginia_LOT_031721-1427.pdf ; https://shop.perfumersapprentice.com/Documents/IFRA-51/6421.pdf ; https://www.perfumersworld.com/view.php?pro_id=7WW00095 ; https://www.edenbotanicals.com/cedarwood-virginia.html ; https://www.aromaweb.com/essential-oils/virginian-cedarwood-essential-oil.php
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, meditative blends
- reported to support restful sleep when diffused
- used in perfumery and men's fragrance as a dry, pencil-shaving woody base note
- traditionally used in skin and scalp preparations reputed to support a balanced complexion
- used as an affordable fixative to extend the tenacity of lighter 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 · 2 data gaps
Good decisions start with knowing what is — and isn't — in the evidence.
- The oil-level maximum dermal value here is anchored to a public IFRA Category 5A leave-on limit rather than a directly viewable Tisserand and Young monograph page.
- Volatility rate 18 is an archive normalization based on the oil's public base-note classification and 32-hour smelling-strip life rather than a native published 0-100 lab metric.