Cinnamon essential oil is steam distilled from the bark of the Lauraceae tree (laurel) that is natively grown in India, Madagascar, and Sri Lanka.
Uses and Benefits of Cinnamon Essential Oil
- Cramp Compress: add a few drops of cinnamon essential oil to a basin of hot water, add a towel, and apply the towel as a warm compress to your lower abdomen for 15-20 minutes
- Increase your hair growth: add 5-6 drops of cinnamon bark essential oil to 5 Tablespoons of your favorite carrier oil, massage into your scalp and let it sit for 45 minutes before washing with a natural shampoo
- Use to make your homemade Proverbs-Inspired Linen Spray
- Increase your hair growth by adding a drop of cinnamon essential oil to your shampoo routine
- Diffuse cinnamon bark essential oil to help uplift your environment and support your emotional wellbeing
- Make your own DIY Thieves Essential Oil Blend
- Cinnamon oil has been proven to help regulate blood glucose levels and glucose tolerance factor, which may also help you manage weight
- Add a few drops of cinnamon essential oil (or any of the diffuser blends below) to pine cones to help your home smell and look amazing
Safety Caution: May irritate your nasal membrane if inhaled directly out of the diffuser or bottle.
DIY Cinnamon Diffuser Blends
- Study Blend – 4 drops cinnamon essential oil, 3 drops peppermint essential oil, 2 drops rosemary essential oil
- Apple Cider Donuts – 2 drops each orange and cinnamon essential oils with 4 drops of Stress Away Essential Oil Blend
- Autumn Afternoon – 1 drop each ginger and cinnamon essential oil, 2 drops patchouli, and 3 drops of orange
- Snickerdoodle – 3 drops each cinnamon, clove, and ginger essential oils
- Fire and Ice – 2 drops each peppermint and cinnamon essential oil
- By The Fire – 1 drop cinnamon essential oil and 3 drops each of orange and frankincense essential oils
- Chai Tea – 1 drop each of cinnamon and black pepper essential oils with 2 drops each of clove and cardamom essential oils
- Apple Pie – 4 drops cinnamon essential oil, and 2 drops each of lemongrass, grapefruit, and bergamot essential oils
- Pumpkin Pie – 1 drop each clove and nutmeg essential oils with 5 drops cinnamon essential oil
- Cranberry Orange – 3 drops grapefruit, 2 drops each of orange and cinnamon essential oils, and 1 drop of nutmeg essential oil
- Fresh Baked – 2 drops cinnamon essential oils with 4 drops of Citrus Fresh essential oil blend
- Immune Support – 2 drops each of clove and orange essential oils with 1 drop of cinnamon essential oil
- Wellness – 3 drops cinnamon essential oil, 2 drops eucalyptus essential oil
- Immune Defense – 1 drop each of cinnamon, clove, eucalyptus, rosemary, and orange essential oils
- Thankful Fall – 2 drops each cinnamon and ginger essential oils with 1 drop of clove essential oil
- Edge of October – 5 drops clove, 4 drops cinnamon, 3 drops cedarwood, 3 drops frankincense, and 2 drops orange essential oils
- Fall Spice – 2 drops each of orange, ginger, and cinnamon essential oils
- Christmas Morning – 2 drops each of orange, pine (or fir), and cinnamon essential oils
- Winter – 2 drops each cinnamon, orange, and clove essential oils
Historical uses fo cinnamon essential oil
Historically, most ancient spices, including cinnamon, was included in nearly every medicinal concoction created in ancient china. Cinnamon was also used as a tranquilizer, tonic, for positively increasing mental health, and for helping strengthen a weak heart.
Other historic uses include supporting your body's circulation, soothing your breathing, supporting your digestion, enhancing your rest, and supporting your body's overall immune functioning.
Proverbs 7:17 “I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon
The Song of Solomon 4:14 “Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all the trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes with all the chief spices”
Culinary Recipes featuring Cinnamon Essential Oil:
If you're going to use cinnamon essential oil in a food, drink, or supplement recipe, be sure to use the Cinnamon Vitality bottle.
- Adding a drop of cinnamon oil to your smoothie may help with supporting healthy glucose levels
- See our Cinnamon Essential Oil Recipes
Essential Oils Perfect To Mix With Cinnamon Essential Oil
- All CITRUS oils
- Cypress essential oil
- Frankincense essential oil
- Geranium essential oil
- Juniper essential oil
- Lavender essential oil
- Rosemary essential oil
- ALL SPICE oils
Frequently Asked Questions about Cinnamon Essential Oil
What is the difference between cinnamon and cinnamon vitality essential oils?
Cinnamon and Cinnamon Vitality is the only set of Young Living oils that the vitality version is not the same as the regular one labeled for topical and aromatic use. These two oils do come from different types of cinnamon. Same quality, same process distilling, different plant.
If you're going to be using cinnamon essential oil in any of your culinary creations (drinks or food recipes), be sure to use the Cinnamon Vitality Essential Oil.
Is cinnamon essential oil safe to use while pregnant?
No. Generally cinnamon essential oil is not considered safe to use by itself while you're pregnant.
If you're using oils while pregnant, I highly recommend this reference guide. It contains some great advice for using essential oils while pregnant, plus some DIY Recipes you'll love too.
Is cinnamon essential oil safe for kids and babies?
Generally, no, not by itself. If it isn't the main oil in blends, you should be ok, but use it cautiously and in much less quantities than normal.
I do highly recommend only using lavender and frankincense on or around newborns and infants.
While essential oils may be safe for kids to use, please do not have your child use an essential oil internally without being under the direct guidance of a naturopathic doctor.
Can you be allergic to cinnamon essential oil?
There are a few reasons why you would experience an allergy-like reaction to essential oils. Usually, this is caused by not diluting the oil you're applying (or not diluting it enough). Please refer to our essential oils and allergies article for more in-depth information.
Is cinnamon essential oil safe for dogs and cats?
Cinnamon essential oil is safe to use with your dogs. It is considered safe to use around cats in SMALL amounts, and best if blended with other oils (if not the main oil in the blend).
If you're using essential oils around your family pets, be sure to allow them access out of the room and into a room where you're not diffusing. This way they're able to escape when they feel they've had enough. Please also consider picking up a reference guide specific to using essential oils with animals.
Should you use cinnamon essential oil if you're taking medication?
This is a very personal question, and really depend on which medications you're taking. I have an entire article dedicated to known medication contraindications that I highly recommend you check out… in addition to having a lengthy conversation with your local aromatherapist or pharmacist.
How often should you use cinnamon essential oil?
This is also a personal question. This depends on what you're using it for and how experienced you are using it. For beginners, I recommend only diffusing for 30 minutes at a time, then giving your body an hour break. If you diffuse too much, you could end up light headed. Personally, I have a diffuser running most of the day intermittently (using the intermittent setting on our diffuser). Or I'll wear a piece of diffusing jewelry with 3 drops of oil on it throughout the day (those 3 drops usually last a few days). Check out our article about diffusing essential oils safely for more info.
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Where to Buy Cinnamon Essential Oil
We purchase our oils through Young Living because they set a higher standard for essential oils than what the rest of the industry expects. Their Seed to Seal guarantee is unmatched, and shows their dedication to a farm-to-table type of approach.
Warning: DO NOT purchase your oils through Amazon or similar websites!
Any website that allows anyone to sell on, such as Amazon, eBay, Walmart… etc… are terrible places to purchase essential oils. While you may get a “good deal,” knowing who you're purchasing from is difficult. There are many counterfeit essential oils being sold that are causing health ailments, major skin reactions, and a lot of misery. Those are NOT high quality essential oils. They are fakes being sold purely for profit.
I also do NOT recommend purchasing from grocery stores, Walmart, Target, department stores, or drug stores. Many of the brands found at those stores have been proven to not actually contain any essential oil (which is perfectly legal to do).
I STRONGLY suggest you know the company that makes your oils, how the plants are cared for, what they do for distilling, how and how many times each batch is tested (and when), and their bottling processes. Many companies throw out fancy language for marketing purposes, but actually have no clue how their oils are made because the oils come from a broker (which are almost always diluted in solvents). Transparency is key.
I highly encourage you to check out our How To Find Quality Essential Oils post for in-depth information about why quality matters, and what to look for.
Where we purchase our essential oils, and why
We purchase our oils through Young Living because they set a higher standard for essential oils than what the rest of the industry expects. Their Seed to Seal guarantee is unmatched, and shows their dedication to a farm-to-table type of approach. This company has proven to me time and time again to be the closest thing out there to buying from your local farmer. They are totally transparent in their processes, and even open their farms so you can see for yourself (or involve yourself in the process).
Other Young Living products that contain Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil include:
- Abundance Essential Oil Blend
- Christmas Spirit Essential Oil Blend
- Cinnamint Lip Blam
- Egyptian Gold Essential Oil Blend
- Exodus II Essential Oil Blend
- Gathering Essential Oil Blend
- Highest Potential Essential Oil Blend
- Inner Defense wellness supplement
- KidScents Toothpaste
- Magnify Your Purpose Essential Oil Blend
- Mineral Essence wellness supplement
- Oola Grow Essential Oil Blend
- Thieves Essential Oil Blend
- All of the Thieves toothpastes
- Thieves Foaming Hand Soap
- Thieves Mouthwash
- Thieves Household Cleaner
- Thieves Lozenges and Cough Drops
- Thieves Cleansing Soap
- Thieves Spray
- Thieves Hand Sanitizer
- Thieves Wipes
Please let us know in the comments… Did this post help you? Have you tried using cinnamon essential oil? What is your favorite way to use cinnamon? What questions do you have? We would love to hear about it!
Nicole
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