This will take you away to a forest
This will take you away to a forest somewhere in your minds eye, definitely reccomendable.
Before you buy
Free standard US shipping over $39, and free FedEx 2-day to Mainland USA and Alaska over $100. Ships from Keaau, Hawaii within 1 to 2 business days. Local pickup at Miracle Botanicals Keaau is usually ready in 24 hours.
Returns accepted within 45 days of delivery. Reach out and we will arrange the return or the exchange for another single essential oil.
Amber glass. Keep the cap sealed and store away from heat and direct light.
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.
Botanical name
Thuja Plicata
Origin
Canada
Plant part
Wood
Extraction
Steam Distilled
Perfumery note
Base
Aroma
Woody, Warm, Earthy
$43.00
In stock. Ships from Keaau, Hawaii in 1 to 2 business days.
Sold out. This size is temporarily unavailable.
Choose sizeBigger bottles cost less per ml
Quantity
Free gift: Niaouli Organic 5ml, a $10.97 value
Unlocks on orders over $100
100% pure, nothing added and nothing removed
GCMS batch report published on this page
Pickup at Miracle Botanicals Keaau, usually ready in 24 hours.
Store information.
Single origin
Wood, Canada
GCMS published
Batch report on this page
Steam Distilled
Canada
Family owned
Big Island Hawaii since 2011
Product specification
Botanical NameThuja Plicata
Common NameGiant Arborvitae, Western Redcedar
Plant PartWood
Method of ExtractionSteam Distilled
Country of OriginCanada
Oil Color / ConsistencyOrange Color with Medium Consistency
AromaWoody, Warm, Earthy
Perfumery NoteBase
Main ComponentsMethyl Thujate 57.35%, Methyl Myrtenate 4.13%
Batch transparency
View the full composition
Main chemical components
Methyl Thujate
the methyl ester of thujic acid and one of the main constituents of Thuja plicata wood oil
57.35%
Methyl Myrtenate
a monoterpene ester, the methyl ester of myrtenic acid
4.13%
Balance, trace constituents
38.52%
Giant 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.
4 dropsGiant Arborvitae Essential Oil
2 dropsSilver Fir Needle Essential Oil
2 dropsSweet Orange Essential Oil
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.
30 mlKukui Nut Oil
9 dropsGiant Arborvitae Essential Oil
3 dropsHimalayan Cedarwood Essential Oil
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.
30 mlJojoba Oil
8 dropsGiant Arborvitae Essential Oil
2 dropsLemon Essential Oil
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
ComponentShare of batch
Methyl Thujate57.35%
Methyl Myrtenate4.13%
Balance of constituentsSee GCMS report
What Methyl Thujate means for you
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.
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Frequently asked questions
7 answers drawn from the product specification and our own use of this oil.
Giant arborvitae essential oil smells of warm, dry wood with an earthy, almost resinous depth underneath. This low, woody scent reads as seasoned redcedar timber rather than fresh forest greenery. The warmth stays close and lasts, without a sharp or citrus edge.
Yes, western red cedar is another name for giant arborvitae, the tree botanists call Thuja plicata. Despite the name, it's not a true cedar in the Cedrus family; it belongs to the cypress family, Cupressaceae. The two-word spelling, western redcedar, is often used to mark that difference.
The difference between giant arborvitae wood oil and the leaf oil is the part of the tree taken and the chemistry that follows. Ours comes from the wood, where methyl thujate leads, while the oil from the leaves is the thujone-rich one. That's why the part of the tree matters when you buy arborvitae. A wood oil and a leaf oil under one name are not the same thing.
No, giant arborvitae is the wood oil, led by methyl thujate, not the thujone-rich oil made from the tree's leaves. The warnings you read about thujone attach to the leaf oil, not to this wood distillate. We do not publish a thujone figure for it, so we make no claim about an exact amount. What we can say is that this is the wood oil, and the wood is what went into the still.
Yes, giant arborvitae is safe on skin once it is diluted to 1 to 2 percent in a carrier oil, and it is never used neat. Patch test a small area first and keep the amount lower on the face. It is never taken by mouth, and it stays out of reach of children. If you have reactive or sensitive skin, go slowly and stop if you see any redness.
No, we do not recommend giant arborvitae during pregnancy, and the same caution holds while nursing. This oil has no established pregnancy-safety data, and a related Thuja is on the aromatherapy avoid lists, so the careful choice is to leave it out. If you want to use it during pregnancy, ask a qualified practitioner who knows your history first. There are gentler oils to use in the meantime.
Giant arborvitae blends well with other woods like Hawaiian sandalwood and Himalayan cedarwood, and with a citrus such as sweet orange over the top. It sits low under fresh conifers and lifts a little beneath brighter oils. Hold it beneath the lighter oils and let them lead.
Customer reviews
5.00
★★★★★
Based on 8 reviews
Every one of the 8 reviews for this oil is a five-star review.
5 star84 star03 star02 star01 star0
J
J.B.
★★★★★
A
Annje
★★★★★
It smells like moss and earth and green leaves
I had never heard of Arborvitae essential oil and ordered some. It's awesome! I love the soothing effect it has. It smells like moss and earth and green leaves!
A
A.
★★★★★
My new favorite oil
My new favorite oil!
T
Tracy Bosnian
★★★★★
It was actually hard to find Thuja
It was actually hard to find Thuja! I also knew that if I got it from Miracle Botanicals it would be a great oil. As always it did not disappoint! Thank you for having such great oils!
Showing 1–3 of 4 published reviews
Frequently bought together
Giant Arborvitae Essential Oil (Thuja Plicata)
$43.00 · 5ml
Cedarwood (Himalayan) Essential Oil - Organic (Cedrus Deodora)
$19.00 · 5ml
Silver Fir Needle Essential Oil ((White Fir Needle) Abies Alba Mill., fam. Pinaceae)
$16.00 · 5ml
Orange (Sweet) Essential Oil (Citrus Sinensis)
$16.00 · 5ml
Bundle total
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