1. Juniper: A berry good essential oil By: Dawn Johnson

2. Botany  Latin name= Juniperus communis  Derived from Latin juniores, meaning “young”  Synonyms= Common juniper  Family= Cupressacae  Shrub grows wild in central Europe  Small tree reaches height of 12 meters  Has blue green needle like leaves, greenish-yellow flowers, and small round berries  Berries take 3 years to mature

3. Origins  Best berries come from N. Italy, Austria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, and France

4. Essential Oil Characteristics  Is steam-distilled from crushed, dried or partly dried ripe berries  Color= clear or pale-yellow  Aroma= fresh, warm, and woody- sweet

5. History  Commonly used as a fumigant and ritual incense by ancient Greeks  Also used for ceremonial purposes by Tibetans and Native Americans

6. Traditional Uses  Used in diuretic and laxative preparations  Oil used as a fragrance in soaps, creams, detergents, and perfumes  Used for acute and chronic cystitis  Topical application for rheumatic pain in the joints or muscles  Juniper berries are used for making gin

7. Chemical plethora  The number and variety of chemicals in juniper berry essential oil influence its wide range of therapeutic effects

8. Chemical compositions  Alpha-pinene (33.7%)  Sabinene (27.6%)  Beta-pinene (5.5%)  Alpha-phellandrene (1.3%)  Myrcene (1.1%)  Camphene (0.5%)  Cayophyllene (0.6%)  Alpha-terpinene (1.9%)  1,4-cineole (4%)  Beta-phellandrene (1.3%)  P-cymene (5.5%)  Terpinen-4-ol (4.0%)  Bornyl acetate (0.4%)  Trace amounts limonene, camphor, linalool, linalyl acetate, borneol and nerol

9. Pharmacology  It is thought that toxicity of EO depends on hydrocarbon content of that EO  Juniper that has high alpha and beta- pinene are irritants to urinary tract  This may result from mixing needles or unripe berries into oil

10. Therapeutic Actions  Antihuematic  Antispasmotic  Astringent  Detoxant  Rubefacient  Tonic  Carminative  Depurative  Rubefacient  Stimulating

11. Mode of Administration  Massage  Compress  Bath  Sitz-bath  Douche  Skincare  Direct inhalation  Diffuser  Oil vaporizer

12. Safety  Reported as non- toxic, non-irritant, and non-sensitizing  Contra-indicated in pregnancy  Contra-indicated in kidney disease

13. References  Battaglia, S. (2003). The complete guide to Aromatherapy (2 nd ed.). Brisbane QLD, Australia: The International Centre of Holistic Aromatherapy.