What Is Camphor Essential Oil?
Camphor essential oil is a medicinal oil usually obtained from the wood of the camphor tree. Most people know it more as a fragrance oil used within the home, while some people also use it to repel moths from home. However, camphor essential oil has proven to be way beyond that. It is an effective remedy for different health conditions. It eliminates inflammation, irritation, and body aches.
Today, camphor is one of the most used ingredients in herbal remedies. This is because of its natural properties like antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties, all of which work hand in hand and close to make sure that the body stays healthy and strong. In addition, camphor essential oil is easily absorbed by the skin. This is why it is as effective as it treats some health conditions, especially joint and muscle aches.
What is Camphor Essential Oil Used for?
Camphor essential oil is also useful in treating flu and decongestion of clogged airways and nostrils. What is more? Camphor oil’s health benefits are courtesy of these properties and their ability to sink in quickly into the skin.
This article is packed with more health benefits that camphor oil offers. However, while using camphor oil, it is important not to overuse the oil as it could be dangerous for you. This article also emphasizes the health risks of camphor oil if you overuse it.
Effects of the Overuse of Camphor Essential oil
As much as camphor oil supplies the body with numerous health benefits, heavy usage of camphor oil could expose you to several health risks. This is why it is important to use the oil moderately. The following are likely going to happen to you if you overuse camphor essential oil;
- Severe skin irritation and inflammation
- Damaged skin cells
- Skin sensitivity
- Headache
- Nausea and vomiting
Experts have also suggested the following for safe usage of camphor oil;
- Ensure that you carry out a patch test on the part of your skin first before applying the oils to your whole skin. This will help you check if there are any skin irritations.
- If you have open wounds, ensure that camphor oil does not come in contact with these wounds, no matter how tiny.
- Do not orally consume camphor oil, as it is not to be eaten but to be applied to the skin
- Before using camphor essential oil, dilute it with natural or carrier oils like coconut oil, jojoba oil, or olive oil
- While using camphor essential oil, ensure that it does not come in contact with your eyes and nose
Following all these rules will help you enjoy the benefits of camphor essential oil.
Health Benefits of Camphor Essential Oil
Treats Skin Infection
Camphor oil has proven to be an effective remedy for treating various skin infections. This is why it is one of the most sought-after oils in the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries for producing skincare products. Due to its antibacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties, camphor essential oil can treat different skin infections with which it comes in contact.
One of the most resounding ways to use this oil for treating skin infections is by adding a few driblets of the oil to your bathing water. Bath with this oil mixed with water once a day and monitor your skin afterward. According to research, camphor oil has proven more effective in treating some skin infections than some medicated creams. Camphor essential oil eliminates infections by killing their source and chain of reproduction in the skin.
Improves Blood Circulation in the Body
When applied to the body, Camphor essential oil can help improve blood circulation throughout the body. Massaging the oil deeply into your skin can help improve blood circulation by up to 60%. In addition, camphor essential oil also boosts metabolic activities in the body, like digestion, excretion, and secretion.
With camphor essential oil, health conditions are associated with blood circulation, excretion, digestion, and secretion. They are reduced or to the nearest minimum. Studies carried out on people who had blood circulation issues showed that after using camphor essential oils for a few weeks, they began to notice a significant improvement in their symptoms and their condition as a whole.
Pain
Pain, especially pains in the joints and muscles, comes with so much discomfort. This is why people try to avoid it as much as they can, and they also rush to treat it as quickly as they can when they begin to notice slight symptoms of it. If you are in any of the above-mentioned categories of people, then you are on the right blog.
This is because camphor essential oil has a long-standing record of effectively getting rid of pains in joints and muscles. It is this effective in getting rid of pains because it enhances the circulation of blood at the site of the pain and awakens receptors in the sensory nerves of the affected area. By so doing, the pain begins to vanish. For treating joint and muscle aches with camphor essential oil, you can massage the oil richly into your skin after you must have diluted it with carrier oils and conducted a patch test on your skin to prevent irritation.
Having done these, watch out for improvements in your joint and muscle aches.
Unclogs Clogged Sinuses
Congestion of the sinuses comes with numerous uncomfortable symptoms ranging from headaches to mild fever. Whenever you notice that your sinuses are congested, add a few drops of camphor essential oil to hot water and inhale the steam that comes out of the water. Repeat this process twice a day for maximum results. While doing so, ensure that the oiled water does not come in contact with your eyes, nose, and mouth to prevent irritation.
You can also run the oil on your palms and under your feet, then wear socks and gloves. This will help hasten your healing process. What is more? Studies have also shown that using this camphor technique can help treat cough, catarrh, upper respiratory tract infection, and difficulty sleeping, especially in children.
Has Antiaging Properties
One of the recent discoveries about camphor essential oil is that it increases the elasticity and collagen support of the skin. When these 2 factors are in place, the effects o old age on the skin will be reduced.
Diluting camphor essential oil in other carrier oils like olive oil and coconut oil and applying them to your skin at least once a week can help eliminate early aging effects on your skin. With camphor essential oil, you will look sweet sixteen again. Vamphyoil, according to studies, is one of the best oils to use to prevent wrinkles from sprawling lazily on your forehead, cheeks, and other parts of your skin.
Increases Libido
Studies showed that by applying and massaging your abdomen with camphor essential oil, your sexual life may receive a boost.
How is this so? Massaging this essential oil into the skin can increase the flow of blood and proper blood circulation into the reproductive organs, such that they become active and ready for action.
Aids Relaxation
Camphor essential oil is undoubtedly one of the most used oils in aromatherapy. This is a result of its effectiveness in relaxing the nerves and the brain after a thorough massage. Studies have even shown that oil can be narcotic.
Thus it relaxes the body and relieves it of stress. It also improves sleep and ensures healthier brain and nervous system activities. Experts suggest that since the oil can be narcotic, it is easy to get addicted to it. Thus, you have to be cautious about how you use it to prevent overuse due to addiction.
Conclusion
Camphor essential oil is an effective oil that treats various health conditions, ranging from aches to infections. From ancient times till today, this essential oil has been in use. Its effectiveness is still intact.
This is why those who know the benefits use it. Due to its natural properties and its medicinal abilities, many cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries use it as major ingredients for their skincare products.