What the heck is 1,8-cineole?

If you've ever looked into essential oils, you've probably heard of the component 1,8-cineole. And, unless you have a background in chemistry, you're probably like me and have no idea what 1,8-cineole is. The thing is, I like to know what I'm putting in my body. Okay, to start off I might trust that's its a natural compound that is safe for my body, but I want to know more! So here's a little intro to 1,8-cineole.

Dictionary.com lists cineole as:

 

noun,

1.

a colorless, oily, slightly water-soluble liquid terpene ether, C ₁₀ H ₁₈ O, having a camphorlike odor and a pungent, spicy, cooling taste, found in eucalyptus, cajeput, and other essential oils: used in flavoring, perfumery, and medicine chiefly as an expectorant.

Still a little too much? I had to keep going with my research... So lets break this down.

Colorless- got it, no color

Oily- doesn't absorb or evaporate quickly

Slightly water-soluble- only partly dissolves in water

Terpene- any of a class of hydrocarbons occurring widely in plants and animals...regarded as built up from isoprene [chemical structure], a hydrocarbon consisting of five carbon atoms attached to eight hydrogen atoms (C₅H₈)

The structure of 1,8-cineole 

 The structure of the 1,8-cineole allows the therapeutic properties benefiting the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. 

Because 1,8-cineole is such a strong compound, essential oils containing 1,8-cineole should be used cautiously with younger children. Dilution and/or diffusing oils such as Peppermint and Eucalyptus or ideal for children. Dilution of these oils should be close to 1 tsp. of carrier oil (Coconut oil, Grapeseed oil, Olive oil, etc) with 1 drop of essential oil.

For more information on essential oils with 1,8-cineol, or uses of these oils, send me a quick message through the contact button.

http://www.britannica.com/science/terpene

http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/product/sial/00020590?lang=en&region=US&gclid=CjwKEAjwi9K4BRCQzq7d1c6A_XASJABueAO2SSAXPnujjCUIRwaSmgNNPQDPfNa652sxqX05AM8ZsxoCWzTw_wcB

http://www.aromahead.com/blog/2009/08/02/essential-oil-chemistry-oils-high-in-18-cineole/