Botanical name Aniba rosaeodora Ducke, Aniba amazonica
Family Lauraceae
Source Wood
Origin Canada
Processing Method Steam Distillation
Color/Consistency A thin, clear, colourless to pale yellow liquid.
Aroma A top note with a medium aroma, this oil has a warm and woody scent, though sweeter and slightly floral.
Blends With Orange, Bergamot, Neroli, LIme, Lemon, Grapefruit, Lavender, Jasmine and Rose. .
Product Abstract
Rosewood has incredible all-natural balancing qualities that can lessen the appearance of aging. Growing older is a natural part of life that we hope you embrace, but you don’t have to let your skin lose its luster. With a woody and flowery aroma that is often used in perfumery, Rosewood helps lift nervous tension and stress-related pain. As the wood of a tropical tree is chipped to make expensive furniture.
History
All genuine rosewoods belong to the genus Dalbergia. The preeminent rosewood appreciated in the Western world is the wood of Dalbergia nigra which is now a CITES-listed endangered species on Appendix 1, which means no commercial sales for wood that is cut after 1992. It is best known as Brazilian rosewood, but also as Bahia rosewood. This wood has a strong sweet smell, which persists for many years, explaining the name rosewood.
Harvesting/Extraction Information
Rosewood essential oil is extracted from the woody matter of the rosewood tree with the help of steam distillation. Its main components are alpha-terpineol, alpha-pinene, benzaldehyde, cineole, camphene, geranial, geraniol, neral, myrcene, limonene, linalool, and linalool oxide.
Common Usage
Caution
Dilute before use; for external use only. May cause skin irritation in some individuals; a skin test is recommended prior to use. Contact with eyes should be avoided.
Key constituents
Linalool 82.3–90.3%
a-Terpineol 0.5–5.4%
(Z)-Linalool oxide 1.5%
(E)-Linalool oxide 1.3%
1,8-Cineole 0.2–2.3%
Quality Rosewood oil may be adulterated with synthetic linalool, along with trace amounts of methyl heptenone, methyl heptenol, 3-octanol, p-methyl acetophenone and others.
Safety summary
Hazards None known.
Contraindications None known.
Regulatory guidelines
According to IFRA, essential oils rich in linalool should only be used when the level of peroxides is kept to the lowest practical value. The addition of antioxidants such as 0.1% BHT or a-tocopherol at the time of production is recommended.
Organ-specific effects
Adverse skin reactions Undiluted rosewood oil was not irritating to rabbit, pig or mouse skin; tested at 5% on 25 volunteers it was neither irritating nor sensitizing. It is non-phototoxic. A 65-year-old romatherapist with multiple essential oil sensitivities reacted to 5%, and weakly to % rosewood oil. Oxidation products of linalool may be skin sensitizing.
Reproductive toxicity The virtual absence of reproductive toxicity for linalool suggests that rosewood oil is not hazardous in pregnancy.
Systemic effects
Acute toxicity Rosewood oil acute oral LD50 in rats 4.3 g/kg; acute dermal LD50 in rabbits >5 g/kg.
Carcinogenic/anticarcinogenic potential Rosewood oil selectively killed human epithelial carcinoma A431 cells while only having a minor cytotoxic effect on normal keratinocytes. Linalool is neither genotoxic nor carcinogenic, and displays in vitro antitumoral effects.
Comments
Aniba rosaeodora (both wood and essential oil) is listed by CITES under their Appendix II: ‘species that are not necessarily now threatened with extinction but that may become so unless trade is closely controlled.’ This has legal implications for trade of bulk essential oil, although these limitations specifically do not apply to ‘finished products packaged and ready for retail sale.