Ancient wisdom of Cedrus Atlantica

Cedar is widely available and can be found in many forms from sachets to building materials. The word cedar conjures up cabins in the woods. Most of us who wear wool sweaters use cedar as a moth repellent. Drawers and closets are lined with cedar blocks or sachets to help keep the insects away and to also impart the woodsy fragrance to all of the clothes it touches.

Cedar has a very long history of being used by humans medicinally, as a material for building ships, temples, and houses and as incense in religious ceremony. The wood is fragrant and sturdy; the wood of fallen trees can be used for siding 100 years after the tree fell.

Cedar has long been highly valued for its use as building material as it grows straight and tall. 8,000 years ago, in a part of the world known as Mesopotamia, which is in the Middle East it was used to build temples and palaces. Can you imagine the sweet woodsy aroma filling each room of the building? Many believe that entire cities in ancient Mesopotamia were built using the wood. The wood is waterproof and resists decay and was used by many empires - The Egyptians, the Romans - to build boats and ships. Some postulate, that the Sumerians, a kingdom in Mesopotamia during the 8th century BCE, discovered how to extract the oil from the leaves and wood of this tree.

True Cedar grows in three places on earth - the western Himalayan mountains- Cedrus Doedara, the Atlas Mountain range in Northern Africa - Cedrus Atlantica, and in Lebanon - Cedrus Libani. The trees grow at higher altitudes. It is probable that the Atlas Cedar is closely related to the Cedars in Lebanon. The Cedars in Lebanon  and the Atlas Cedars are heavily protected as throughout the centuries they were over harvested.

The essential oil made from Cedar leaf has many beneficial properties for the skin. The oil acts as an astringent which can tighten and tone the skin. Cedar oil also may improve the growth of hair. Cedar oil has been shown to stimulate hair follicles and improve the circulation of blood to the scalp. This attribute can also help provide relief if your skin is dry or itching.

Our Organic Olive Oil Nourishing Soap in Cedar Tangerine joins all of the benefits of Cedar essential oil with the detoxifying properties of pink clay.

Add Cedar Tangerine to the Organic Five-Oil Moisurizing Blend and give yourself a delicious scalp massage that will bring benefits on multiple levels. The aroma of Cedar has been shown to relax and calm stressed nerves while the Essential Oil itself will stimulate the hair follicles and draw blood to the scalp.

Combat dry skin while fighting any signs of eczema by adding Cedrus Atlantica to Jojoba & Shea Butter Hydrating Lotion. Cedar is known to reduce peeling skin and will help to fight the infection that causes eczema.