Giant Arborvitae Essential Oil (Thuja Plicata)
- Steam-distilled redcedar wood oil. From the timber of Thuja plicata, harvested in Canada; the western redcedar, also called giant arborvitae.
- Methyl Thujate 57.35%, the main constituent. The lead constituent of the wood oil, and the quickest way to tell it from a leaf-distilled arborvitae. See the chemistry.
- Woody, warm, and low. It reads as dry seasoned wood, the scent of the redcedar timber it comes from.
- An oil we use ourselves. Like everything we sell, we use this arborvitae ourselves.
- Third-party tested. Every oil we sell is checked by an outside lab for synthetics, pesticides and adulteration.
- A hard-to-find connoisseur oil. One of the rarer wood oils we stock, so pick the size that suits you on the Compare tab. Compare sizes.
Product specification
Batch transparency
View the full compositionGiant arborvitae, the wood oil of Thuja plicata
6 benefits of Giant Arborvitae Essential Oil
A deep wood in the diffuser
Giant arborvitae fills a diffuser with a low, warm wood, the timber Pacific Northwest peoples knew as their tree of life. A few drops carry a room without turning sharp. Sit with it while you read or meditate, and the wood settles into the background.
An anchor that holds a blend
This oil works as an anchor in perfumery, a warm, low wood that holds lighter oils in place as they lift and fade. It steadies citrus and green oils without turning sweet. Perfumers use a wood like this where a sharper one would take over.
A wood note for natural perfume
Giant arborvitae adds a warm, dry wood to a natural fragrance, the kind of scent that reads as forest floor and seasoned timber. It sits under brighter oils and gives them somewhere to land. Blenders working without synthetics want a steady wood like this one.
A fresh wood for the air
In a room, giant arborvitae gives the air a clean wood scent, dry and a little resinous. It suits a workshop or a hallway where you want wood rather than flowers. Run it in short bursts through a diffuser and let the room clear between them.
A scented wood polish
Blended into a carrier oil, giant arborvitae can go into a simple wood polish, buffed along a shelf or cabinet with a little lemon. The wood ends up smelling of wood again, without a synthetic pine smell. Always blend it into a carrier first, and test a hidden spot before you do the whole piece.
A dab for time outdoors
Worked into a carrier oil, giant arborvitae makes a woody scent to wear on wrists or ankles before time outdoors. It is the smell of the deep woods carried on skin rather than sprayed in the air. Keep it low in the carrier and off broken skin.
How to use
Diffuser
In the airAdd 3 to 5 drops to a water diffuser for an average room, then build up a drop at a time until it suits you. Run it for 30 to 60 minutes, then rest the diffuser about as long and let fresh air through. Giant arborvitae carries well, so start low.
On the skin
Diluted, patch-testedDilute giant arborvitae to 1 to 2 percent before it meets skin, which is 6 to 12 drops in 30 ml of a carrier oil. Keep to 3 to 6 drops per 30 ml on the face. Patch test the inner forearm and wait a day before wider use. We do not apply this oil neat, and it is not for internal use; keep it away from children.
Around the home
Surfaces and airFor a fresh wood scent around the home, stir 2 to 3 drops into a tablespoon of carrier oil and wipe it over a wooden surface, or add the same to a simple room spray. You can also work a low dilution into a carrier for a woody scent on the wrists before you head outdoors. Wipe or rub it in until the wood scent settles.
3 recipes using this oil
Tap a recipe to see the full formula and method.
Method. Add the oils to a water diffuser and run it for 30 to 60 minutes. The orange lifts the top and the fir freshens the green edge, so the arborvitae sits underneath as the wood. Rest the diffuser and open a window between runs.
Method. Combine the drops with the kukui oil in a small bottle, which lands at roughly 2 percent, and roll it between your palms before use. Smooth a little over the shoulders and the back of the neck, where the wood sits close without carrying across a room. Cap it and keep it out of sunlight.
Method. Mix the drops into the jojoba oil in a small jar. Put a little on a soft cloth and work it into a wooden surface, following the grain until it looks even. Buff off whatever does not soak in.
Technical information for this batch
At 57.35% this batch is dominated by Methyl Thujate — the methyl ester of thujic acid and one of the main constituents of thuja plicata wood oil. Methyl Myrtenate sits at 4.13%. The oil is orange color with medium consistency, and it reads as a base 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.
Frequently bought together
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