Cinnamon Bark

Cinnamomum verum (syn. C. zeylanicum)

Middle (heart) note Spicy Gourmand Essential oil

Sweet, hot and rich: the cinnamon of cinnamon rolls and red-hot candies. Very potent and slightly biting.

Made from: Steam-distilled from the dried inner bark of the true cinnamon tree.
Strength: ●●●●● a little goes a long way
Cost: Pricey
Moods: Cozy Festive Nostalgic
Seasons: Autumn, Winter
Rooms: Kitchen, Living room, Entryway

Blend with it

Cautions

Skin sensitizer — keep low in anything touching skin
Can irritate skin or mucous membranes
Caution around pets (especially cats and birds) — don't diffuse in their space
Accelerates trace or seizes in cold-process soap
Discolors soap or wax (usually tan to dark brown)
IFRA-restricted material — use the supplier's certificate limits

A strong skin sensitizer and irritant, so keep it out of soap and anything worn on skin. It is toxic to cats and dogs.

How it behaves

CandlesGood

Excellent hot throw. It's costly, so most makers use it as an accent over cinnamon leaf or a cinnamon fragrance oil.

Wax meltsGreat

Reed diffuserWorkable

Room & linen sprayWorkable

Electric (water) diffuserWorkable

A drop or two in a blend at most, because it irritates eyes and airways.

Cold-process soapAvoid

Avoid. Cinnamaldehyde is a strong skin sensitizer, and it also accelerates trace and browns soap. Use cinnamon leaf or a skin-safe cinnamon fragrance oil instead.

Melt-and-pour soapAvoid

Avoid for the same skin-sensitizing reason as cold process.

Laundry & cleaningAvoid

Not worth it: it's expensive and sensitizing on fabric that touches skin.

Pairs well with

Base · Resinous & amber

Don't have it? Try Cinnamon Leaf.

A little lore

Cinnamon was among the most prized goods of the ancient spice trade, and control of Sri Lanka's cinnamon was fought over by the Portuguese, Dutch and British.