Home Page > Essential Oil Profiles > Bay Laurel Essential Oil

Bay Laurel Essential Oil

Bay Laurel Oil is sometimes known as Laurel Leaf Oil.

Bay Laurel Oil and Bay Oil (Pimenta racemosa) are sometimes confused for one another due to their similar common names. Though they share some broad aromatic similarities, both are very different oils.

Aromatically, Bay Laurel's camphorous and spicy notes marry nicely with its softer sweet, fruity/floral notes.

Emotionally, I've always considered Bay Laurel Oil a wonderful oil for promoting confidence and for helping me maintain my courage and focus when dealing with challenges or new ideas. Recently, I noticed that Valerie Ann Worwood also shares this about Bay Laurel Essential Oil: "To encourage confidence, fortitude, inspiration, protection, direction and creativity." [Valerie Ann Worwood, Aromatherapy for the Soul (Novato, CA: New World Library, 1999), 202.]

Bay Laurel Essential Oil is heralded for being an effective expectorant, and can be a welcome addition to diffuser blends to help combat cold and flu symptoms.

As the safety section below states, Bay Laurel Oil is more likely to cause dermal irritation or sensitization. Use with extreme care and in extremely low dilutions (if at all) for topical applications.

For more information about Bay Laurel Oil, read the details shown below.

Bay Laurel Oil

Botanical Name: Laurus nobilis Common Method of Extraction: Steam Distilled Color: Clear Consistency: Thin Perfumery Note: Top Strength of Initial Aroma: Medium - Strong

Aromatic Description: Herbacous, fruity, fresh, camphorous.

	Bay Laurel

Bay Laurel Oil Uses: Amenorrhea, colds, flu, loss of appetite, tonsillitis. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 63-66.]

Constituents: a-pinene, B-pinene, myrcene, limonene, linalool, methyl chavicol, neral, a-terpineol, geranyl acetate, eugenol, cavicol. [B. Lawrence, "Bay Oil," Perfumer & Flavorist, April/May 1980, 33, cited in Salvatore Battaglia, The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy (Australia: The Perfect Potion, 1997), 144.]

Safety Information: Bay Laurel Oil is more likely to cause dermal irritation or sensitization. Lawless says that Bay Laurel Oil can be narcotic, can cause dermatitis and also should not be used in pregnancy. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 161.]

Important Note: The essential oil information provided within the Essential Oil Properties & Profiles area is intended for educational purposes only. This data is not considered complete and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

General Safety Information: Do not take any essential oils internally without consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin. If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use essential oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children and give children only the gentlest oils at extremely low doses. It is safest to consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using essential oils with children. A skin patch test should be conducted prior to using an essential oil that you've never used before. Instructions on conducting a skin patch test and more safety information can be found by visiting the Essential Oil Safety Information page. For very in-depth information on essential oil safety issues, read Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand and Tony Balacs. 

< Return to Essential Oil Profile Index

	Own Detailed Profiles on 160 Essential Oils The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils by Julia Lawless contains 160 detailed essential oil profiles complete with beautiful color photos.  Read a review of this book or purchase this book through Amazon.com. Also consider... Aromatherapy Science: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals In addition to the eight main chapters contained within the book, Aromatherapy Science: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals also includes over 65 detailed oil monographs (profiles) and over 30 appendices.  Read a review of this book or purchase this book through Amazon.com.