The spruce tree has sharp and bluish to green needle-like leaves which are the vital source for essential oils that are extracted with the steam distillation method. In comparison to other oils of the evergreen family, it has a mild and sweet scent with a resinous and balsamic odor. This essential oil has cleansing and purifying properties that enhance clarity and openness of mind. Direct palm inhalation or if diffused, lowers stress by eliminating sluggishness, sadness, and mental fatigue. The color of Spruce ranges from clear to pale yellow. It has a fresh, earthy, woody, and sweet aroma. The spruce plant is also called Black Spruce and Spruce.
Spruce essential oil facts
| Name | Spruce essential oil facts and benefits |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name of Spruce plant | Picea mariana |
| Common/English Name of Spruce Plant | Black Spruce, Spruce, Picea mariana |
| Extraction method | Steam distillation |
| Plant part used | Needles |
| Consistency | Thin |
| Color | Clear to pale yellow |
| Flavor/aroma | Fresh, earthy, woody, sweet |
| Health Benefits |
|
| Traditional uses |
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| Precautions |
|
Types
Blue Spruce
Blue spruce comes from the Picea pungens tree, also known as the Colorado Spruce. This popular landscaping tree can reach up to 60 feet in height and ranges from green to blue to silver in color. The aroma of blue spruce essential oil is sharp and woody, often appealing to men.
Black Spruce
Black spruce comes from the Picea mariana tree. It is a tall, narrow evergreen tree that grows primarily in Canada, Alaska, and some northern U.S. states. The needles are typically green with a hint of blue. The black spruce essential oil has a milder, slightly sweeter aroma than blue spruce, but it is still very balsamic.
The History of Black Spruce
The black spruce essential oil comes from black spruce conifer trees which are native to a majority of the Canadian landscape. They also grow in parts of Alaska and the more northern reaches of the United States.
Traditionally found in wet, swampy regions that can get quite cold in the winter (forcing the sap that is so important to the production of black spruce essential oil deeper into the leaves of the tree), black spruce trees have incredibly sharp and bluish-green needle-like leaves that form the backbone of the essential oil.
Traditionally, the Lakota Indians throughout the northern part of what is now the United States were known for using black spruce.
They used oils collected from these trees to help heal wounds caused during combat with other tribes but also used the black spruce oils to help relax their muscles after a hard day’s work.
This tribe of Native Americans also used this oil to fight arthritis, with this natural remedy proving to be wonderfully effective at alleviating joint pain.
A number of other Native American and First Nation tribes used black spruce essential oil as a way to disinfect wounds and help relax the mind. This was also commonly found in spiritual and traditional rituals, particularly in meditative rituals, which today is known as “grounding”.
Chemical Properties
The chemistry of black spruce essential oil is somewhat similar to the essential oils pulled from other conifer trees, which shouldn’t surprise anyone.
At the same time, however, the chemical composition of this oil is unique enough that it has a very distinct and sweet aroma as well as a warming impact immediately upon application to our skin. A lot thinner than other essential oils pulled from other types of pine trees, black spruce essential oils color can range anywhere from crystal-clear (almost like water) to a very pale yellow color – depending upon its potency.
The major chemical components that make black spruce essential oil so special include, but aren’t limited to:
- Camphene
- α-Pinene
- y-3-Carene
- y-Bornyl acetate
As well as a whole host of sesquiterpenes.
The overwhelming majority of the chemical components in black spruce essential oil are classified as monoterpenes. These chemical compounds can push through the blood/brain barrier in a way that other chemicals cannot, which helps black spruce to provide so many calming and relaxing benefits that aren’t as easily obtained with other essential oils.
Some evidence suggests that black spruce essential oil can actively stimulate hormonal production throughout the body. Both the thymus gland and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) can be impacted by the black spruce essential oil, releasing a flood of biochemicals already contained within your body to help heal and restore you from the inside out.3
Health Benefits of Spruce essential oil
Some of the health benefits provided by Spruce essential oil are:
Aromatherapy Use
According to history, spruce oil was being used by the Lakota Americans for muscular pain and healing wounds. It also played a role in their spiritual ritual due to its cleansing and purifying properties. Europeans used the oil to treat stomach infections and gingivitis.
Spruce essential oil is known for its high concentration of esters, which helps in its antispasmodic and balancing properties. This is the main reason why it is often added to hot baths, saunas, and massages. Nonetheless, its most impressive quality is the ability to clear emotions and the respiratory tract.
Provides energy
Black spruce essential oil assists in calming and relaxation due to the presence of monoterpenes that has a positive effect on mood. It counteracts stress and is helpful for people with depression. About 10 drops of essential oil would be enough to treat this problem.
Heal wounds
This essential oil treats wounds and speeds up the healing process. It prevents the infection of wounds and also provides relief from muscular pain. It is added to saunas, baths, and also in aromatherapy.
Respiratory health
The mixture of 2 drops of essential with hot water and inhales the vapor by covering the head. It assists the functions of the respiratory system and provides better sleep. It is very helpful for a smoker.
Balance hormones
The health issues are caused due to hormonal imbalance. The hormones make sure about the proper functions of organs that provide a normal mood. Its imbalance causes mental and physical issues and a bad mood. It also has an effect on the adrenal, pituitary, and thyroid glands.
Muscle health
It is helpful for people having muscle pain. It has an effect on blood vessels and also increase blood flow. It provides relief from the pain. Rub with the mixture of five drops of this essential oil by diluting it with a carrier oil to the affected area. It should be done two times a day.
Improve Sleep
Alpha pinene has been shown to increase non-rapid eye movement sleep. A couple of drops of spruce on the bottom of the feet at bedtime can result in falling asleep faster and a more restful night’s sleep. Or try this Peaceful Rest diffuser blend:
- 5 drops spruce essential oil (either black or blue)
- 4 drops cedarwood
- 3 drops frankincense
Boost the Immune System
Spruce essential oils contain abundant monoterpenes, which are powerful antioxidants. Use this oil regularly in the diffuser or topically to support your immune system.
Calm yourself
Although spruce is invigorating, it has properties to combat feelings of stress as well. In one study, limonene administered to mice greatly decreased their anxiety response to a maze test. Use this blend to help temper your response to stressful situations: 5 drops Northern lights black spruce, 5 drops Stress Away, 2 drops orange.
Open the Heart Chakra
Spruce not only supports the root chakra, but the fresh pine-forest aroma opens the heart chakra as well. The heart chakra also governs the lungs, so opening this chakra can improve respiration.
Beard Serum
Spruce essential oil is conditioning for hair and can soften and smooth coarse hair. Men love using spruce in this DIY Smoothing Beard Serum recipe.
Body Boost
The energizing benefits of spruce will do a body good. This blend is also great for an invigorating after-workout massage.
- 1 oz. jojoba oil
- 8 drops Northern lights black spruce essential oil
- 3 drops balsam fir essential oil
- 3 drops laurus nobilis
Combine ingredients in a small glass jar. Apply liberally to muscles and joints as desired.
Clears and Relaxes the Mind
As we touched on a little bit earlier, some of the most in-depth information regarding the use of black spruce essential oils from Native Americans (particularly in the Lakota tribe) pertains to this essential oil being used during spiritual rituals to purify the spirit and relax the mind.
Lakota Indians were frequently at war with other tribes, and it isn’t at all unreasonable to suggest that black spruce oil may have been used as an all-natural healing agent to push back against the stress and pressure that these Native Americans must have been feeling when they knew that war or enemy attacks could break out at any moment.
Today, black spruce is used during aromatherapy sessions quite frequently because of its collection of natural esters. These natural esters have mental and emotional balancing properties, but also include antispasmodic properties that can help you feel a sense of physical relaxation as well as mental relaxation.
Provides Endocrine System Support
According to research conducted by Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt, a large number of the polycyclic terpenoid agents in this particular essential oil have the ability to produce a tonic-like impact on your adrenal, pituitary, and thyroid glands.
This biochemical impact promotes hormonal equilibrium throughout your body. When your body is experiencing a hormonal equilibrium, you look and feel much healthier, your major bodily systems are able to operate at a higher level of efficiency, and you aren’t going to feel the negative impacts of unbalanced hormone levels that can wreak havoc on your skin, your mental capabilities, and cause fatigue across the board.
Black spruce essential oils are commonly used to improve the overall production of your adrenal glands during the winter months. This is an all-natural remedy to seasonal depression, as well as a wonderful solution to help fight back against chronic lethargy when you just aren’t getting enough sunlight in your life.
A number of prominent aromatherapists have also documented the positive impact that black spruce essential oil has when it comes to the all-natural management of hyperthyroidism. Black spruce has an almost cortisone-like ability to fight back against this condition.
Relaxes Muscles and Joints
As we get older, our muscles ache more frequently, our joints become less lubricated, and we typically feel the wear and tear put on our bodies by age.
The biochemical properties of black spruce essential oil (particularly when combined with other essential oils) can provide significant benefits that relax your muscles, lubricate your joints, and even improve your circulation.
This should give you almost immediate relief from conditions like arthritis as well as degenerative joint diseases. You may not be able to restore the cartilage in your body with the help of essential oil like black spruce, but you are going to see reduced inflammation in these joints and hopefully prevent further wear and tear from robbing you of your mobility as you move through life.
Research is also showing that black spruce may have the ability to help speed up the repair of damaged muscles, ligaments, and tendons. The medical world is starting to experiment with black spruce essential oils being used to help speed up recovery from surgery, particularly with athletes that need to be able to get back on the field just as quickly as possible without any degradation in their performance.
Obviously, more research is necessary to fully understand the kind of impact that black spruce might have in these areas, but already researchers feel that it can do great good while also helping to prevent the formation of scars stemming from these kinds of injuries and surgeries as well.[rx]
Prevents Urinary Tract Infections
With its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties, the spruce essential oil can effectively disinfect and prevent urinary tract infections, thus maintaining the hygiene of your excretory and genital system. It effectively kills off bacteria and various viruses as well as the fungus that can potentially grow. As such, it effectively mitigates and prevents the spread of diseases and infections.
In fact, a 2011 study, found on ResearchGate, was conducted on one of the species of the spruce plant family and it found that spruce exhibited potent antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacterial and fungal strains.
Help Relieve Difficulty In Breathing
Having a cough or cold can be a major source of inconvenience to physical activities as well as to others. In other to effectively treat a cough, the spruce essential oil may be helpful since it can act as an expectorant, which loosens mucus by increasing the water content so that it can be easily expelled from the body allowing easier respiration. With regular inhalation, the spruce essential oil may cure bronchial congestion and relieve tightness in the chest by using its monoterpenes, so that there is no difficulty in breathing.
Promote Balancing Of Hormones
Hormonal imbalances may trigger chronic ailments including loss of libido and weight gain, but by using a spruce essential oil, you can help balance hormonal levels so that the body functions optimally. This is largely due to the presence of high amounts of terpenoid compounds that promote hormonal equilibrium by affecting the adrenal, pituitary and thyroid glands so that the body is provided with energy to carry out work. The spruce essential oil may also be effective in regulating over secretion of the hormone in the thyroid gland thus preventing hyperthyroidism and symptoms on the opposite end of the spectrum.
May Help Prevent Tetanic Muscle Contractions
Involuntary muscle contractions or muscle tetany can cause pain if not treated and is usually as a result of some chronic disease, or an increase in the frequency of contraction of nerves supplying a particular muscle. The spruce essential oil may help prevent tetanic muscle contractions and reduce any pain that may result and is even recommended to relieve minor sprains and muscle spasms with no apparent cause. Muscle tetany is typically the characteristic of a nerve disorder.
Speed Up Healing Process
Tissue injury to muscles and ligament often occur as a result of sprains or strains and must be treated to restore normal body function. The wound healing process is natural and necessary to restore damaged tissue and one natural oil that has been used for a long time to treat wounds and speed up the wound healing process is the spruce essential oil. It is also effective in preventing wounds from getting an infection if penetrating trauma has occurred and can be massaged into the wound or even in aromatherapy because of its soothing, relaxing actions of nerve sensitivity.
Help Prevent Stomach Inflammation
Gastritis affects causes more than one hundred thousand new cases per year and may be caused by a bacterial infection or other chronic diseases such as Crohn’s disease. Treatment of stomach inflammation may be achieved by avoiding certain foods or by using spruce essential oil. When a spruce essential oil is consumed in the diet, it may be able to provide quick relief from stomach inflammation as well as heartburn or stomach pain that typically accompany the disorder. Spruce essential oil is also anti-inflammatory by nature.
May Improve Brain Functioning
Living a healthy life is typically linked to proper brain functioning, as it governs and is indicative of overall body functions. When there is a reduction of performance by the brain, it may result in memory loss and a decrease in cognitive function. One natural way to improve brain function is to add spruce essential oil to the diet, as it may be beneficial in improving brain power which will, in turn, improve memory and concentration level as well as decrease the risk of brain-related neuro-degenerative diseases occurring.
Help Reduce and Prevent Yeast Infections
Under normal circumstances, the immune system inhibits opportunistic fungi, preventing their overgrowth and infections causing ability. However, under specific circumstances when the immune system is compromised, including the period following illness or use of antibiotics, yeast can rapidly multiply and cause uncomfortable infections in the vaginal mucosa, and even mouth and skin in especially immune compromised individuals. The spruce essential oil has anti-mycotic properties which compromise the cell walls of the fungi, causing them to rupture and die.
May Help Boost Testosterone Levels
In line with its hormone regulating effects is its ability to boost testosterone. This could likely be due to the suppression of cortisol, which by itself is a limiting factor in testosterone production. There are claims that consumption of 8 drops of standardized spruce oil can result in up to a 30% increase in testosterone over a few short weeks.
Traditional uses
- It provides relief from muscle tension.
- It calms the body as well as the mind.
- The inhalation on the palm lowers stress, mental fatigue, sluggishness and clears sadness.
- It is used to treat depression, hyperthyroidism, rheumatism, arthritis, stomachaches, dyspepsia, bronchitis, and asthma.
- It is also used for poor circulation, pains, strains, and muscle spasms.
- It lowers swelling caused due to arthritis.
- It also clears colds and flu.
- Massage with a few drops of Black Spruce essential oil by diluting it with a carrier oil. This helps to reduce cracking, dryness, and peeling.
- It also soothes dry skin such as dermatitis, eczema, and psoriasis.
Precautions
- There is the possibility of skin sensitivity.
- Consult a health professional for use.
- The essential oils should not be used internally.
- The people allergic to pine families should not use it.
The Leading Aromatherapy Associations (Alliance of International Aromatherapists (AIA), International Aromatherapy and Aromatic Medicine Association, Aromatherapy Trade Council, and others) all state that essential oils should not be taken internally (regardless of purity or organic origin) unless under the guidance of a health care practitioner trained at an appropriate level. As such, all of our oils carry a label warning that the product is NOT FOR INTERNAL USE.
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