Nootka Tree Essential Oil (Cupressus Nootkatensis)
- Nootka cypress from Canada. Steam-distilled yellow cypress, Callitropsis nootkatensis, from northwestern North America.
- 44.41% nootkatene. The largest single constituent in this oil, and what carries its dry, woody body. See the chemistry.
- Warm, woody, with a citrus lift. A bold scent where a little goes a long way, far more dry wood and resin than sweetness.
- One of the oils we keep in rotation. Like the rest of our range, we use this one ourselves.
- Third-party tested. Sent to an independent lab and checked for synthetics and adulterants before it ever ships.
- The same oil in every size. Pick the bottle that suits you on the Compare tab, and start small, since a drop of this oil goes far. Compare sizes.
Product specification
Batch transparency
View the full compositionNootka cypress, the yellow cypress of the Pacific Northwest
6 benefits of Nootka Tree Essential Oil
Diffused into a room
This oil fills a room with warm, dry wood and a lift of citrus over the top, and it doesn't take much. A little is plenty for a medium room. The scent reads bold and a touch polarizing, so start low and add more only if you want it.
An anchor a perfumer builds on
This oil sits low and anchors a blend, holding brighter oils in place while it adds a dry wood of its own. It works with citrus oils, other woods, resins and vetiver, and a small amount does the work. Perfumers use it where a heavier wood would turn too sweet.
One for the connoisseur
Nootka is hard to find and easy to fake, which is why we print the chemistry instead of asking you to take the name on trust. Three named constituents and an independent test tell you what a label alone can't. It rewards someone who already knows their woods.
The citrus in a woody oil
The bright, citrusy note in Nootka is no accident, it comes from valencene, a citrus-scented compound the oil shares with oranges. Valencene is the natural precursor to the compound behind grapefruit's scent, and it sits among the heavier woody constituents to lift the whole thing. That contrast, dry wood under a flash of citrus, is what makes the oil worth a second sniff.
A potent oil, used sparingly
Nootka is a strong oil, better worked into a carrier than used straight, since its carvacrol gives it a sharp bite on skin. A little is usually enough in a blend. Handle it the way you would any potent phenol-bearing oil and let a small amount speak.
A Pacific Northwest tree with a long history
Nootka cypress has been part of Pacific Northwest coast life for a long time, its wood carved into paddles, masks and dishes and its inner bark used for baskets and thread. The standing tree is famously slow-growing and long-lived. None of that is a claim about the oil, it's just where the oil comes from.
How to use
In a diffuser
In the airTo scent a room, add 3 to 5 drops of Nootka to a water diffuser and run it for 30 to 60 minutes at a time. Then give the room a rest, with some fresh air moving through. Nootka is potent, so begin at the low end and add a single drop only if you need more.
On the skin
TopicalTo wear Nootka on skin, dilute it to about 1 to 2 percent in a carrier oil, which is 6 to 12 drops per 30 ml. Keep the face lower, at 3 to 6 drops per 30 ml. Because its carvacrol can irritate, patch test on the inner forearm and wait a day before wider use. We do not use this oil neat.
In the bath
In the waterFor a bath, stir 4 to 6 drops into a tablespoon of carrier oil or unscented bath oil first, then swirl that through a full tub. Oil and water won't mix on their own, so the carrier is what brings the drops to your skin diluted rather than neat. Get in once it has spread through the water.
3 recipes using this oil
Tap a recipe to see the full formula and method.
Method. Add the drops to the diffuser and let it run. The bergamot lifts the opening and the fir sharpens the green edge, so the Nootka sits underneath as the dry wood.
Method. Combine the oils in a roller bottle and cap it, then roll a little onto the wrists and the base of the throat. The mandarin brightens the top while the vetiver and cedarwood deepen the wood beneath the Nootka. Shake it before each use.
Method. Mix the drops into the jojoba in a small bottle and roll it between your palms to warm it before use. Smooth it over the shoulders and the back of the neck, where the wood stays close without carrying across a room. Keep it capped and out of the sun, and use it within a few months.
Technical information for this batch
At 44.41% this batch is dominated by Nootkatene — the sesquiterpene behind this oil's dry, woody backbone. Carvacrol sits at 8.46%, Valencene sits at 7.5%. The oil is orange-amber color with thin consistency, and it reads as a base to middle note in a blend.
Compare sizes and pick your value
Every size is the same oil. The larger the bottle, the lower the price per ml.
Frequently asked questions
7 answers drawn from the product specification and our own use of this oil.
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