Plants are just great: From feeding you and may even offset your vices to lifting your moods when you see green in your environment. Certain herbs and flowers can do even things like fight spots and calm inflammation and redness when applied to the skin. It’s not overblown to say there’s a plant for you to address (almost) all of your skin concerns.
When thinking of tackling spots and shine, most people think of tea tree or neem but cajeput doesn’t readily pop up even though it holds similar properties and benefits.
Cajeput is sometimes known as white tea tree oil which gives you a hint of what it can do. A spoiler here already: it’s jam-packed with powerful ingredients with many benefits and it’s very multifaceted so that it can be used in many different ways.
Cajeput facts
Cajeput oil is an essential oil made from distilled leaves and twigs of cajeput trees. Mainly two types of Melaleuca trees are used to make cajeput oil: Melaleuca leucadendron and Melaleuca cajuputi. Don’t cajeput oil with tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia).
All Melaleuca trees belong to the myrtle (Myrtaceae) family. The most notable members of this family are clove and eucalyptus. All members of Myrtaceae are woody and are can be made into essential oils.
The cajeput trees Melaleuca leucadendra and Melaleuca cajuputi are widespread in Southeast Asia, the hotter parts of Australia, and New Guinea. The name cajeput is derived from Malay “kayu putih” and it means white wood which is why you’ll also see it sold under white tea tree or white spongy bark. Its other names are river tea tree or swamp tea tree.
The cajeput trees are well loved by the indigenous people because they could use them as timber for general construction. The bark was stripped from the trees and used to make canoes or other things that needed to be watertight. The flowers are used to make a sweet drink.
Leaves and twigs are the source material to make cajeput essential oil. If in a hurry, people would crush the leaves in their hands and rub the paste onto the affected area. The leaves are also wonderful to make a herbal infusion which then is used for a range of ailments.
Cajeput essential oil
The majority of the cajeput essential oil is produced in Indonesia. Leaves and twigs of the caput tree are cut or crushed and soaked in water overnight. The macerated leaves and twigs are then steam distilled. The resulting essential oil smells strong and is flammable. It’s a pale yellow, clear liquid.
Although cajeput essential oil is a sister oil to tea tree essential oil and shares properties, it has a sweeter note with a soft fruitiness – in short, it has a more pleasant scent. It has a strong camphor base. It smells a bit like eucalyptus, minty, and forest-like.
Content and properties
Like other essential oils, the main components in cajeput oil are aromatic molecules:
- Alpha pinene
- Alpha terpinen
- Caryophyllene
- Cineole (also called eucalyptol)
- Limonene
- Linalool
And many more compounds. They create a powerful oil that’s known to reduce inflammation and ease pain as well as for its ability to fight and prevent infections. Some of its most common benefits are
- Pain relieving qualities
- Respiratory relief (clearing up airways)
- Energising so that it can aid concentration
- Fever reducing – it induces a warming sensation until you sweat which helps your body to naturally cool itself down
- Antiseptic abilities (it prevents infections in wounds)
- Antiviral
- Antifungal
- Antibacterial
Uses
For a very long time, indigenous people have used cajeput leaves to treat a wide range of ailments like cough, cold, headache, infections, and minor wounds.
Cajeput essential oil is an ingredient in sore muscle treatments and in some famous balms such as Tiger Balm. It’s also an ingredient in inhalants.
The pain relieving qualities comes from the aromatic molecule cineole. When applied to the skin, it can cause surface warming and that feels soothing when you got muscle aches and the like.
What does it do for your skin
Thanks to its antiseptic, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory qualities, you can put cajeput to use to prevent infections.
Spots
Cajeput oil is a natural purifier thanks to its antiseptic, antibacterial, and antifungal qualities. It kills off the bacteria that lurk on your skin and cause zits. It also prevents new bacteria to take hold and so prevents new zits to erupt.
If your skin is prone to acne, cajeput oil addresses any redness or irritation on the skin as a result of acne and heals these areas over time.
Anti-irritant
In the same way, cajeput oil soothes and heals areas affected by zits, it also helps with redness and irritation caused by minor wounds, rashes, or insect bites.
Beyond personal care
Cajeput makes an excellent addition to products that help to reliveve dandruff, foot cream, and the like. It boosts the performance your bar soap or hand sanitiser. You can also enhance your plain old hand cream and add antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties.
It’s so multifaceted, it goes beyond personal care. It’s used to treat bacterial and fungal infections in fish.
It helps to repel mosquitoes and other insects. You can even spray it on weeds and get rid of them.
Cajeput is added to food and drinks as a flavouring.
Conclusion
As with any essential oil, do not use it directly but always dilute it with a carrier oil. You can also add a few drops to premade, fragrance free products to boost their effectiveness.
As oil essential oil, cajeput oil is not regulated by the FDA. But as with other ingredients and products, it might cause an allergic reaction. Spread a diluted portion on the inside of your wrist and observe. If you react, stop using it.
