Cedarwood (Juniperus virginiana)

The Tree Behind the Name

Young Living’s Cedarwood is distilled from Juniperus virginiana — technically a juniper, not a true cedar (Cedrus) at all, a naming mix-up that goes back centuries to early American settlers who called the fragrant, reddish wood “red cedar” because it reminded them of the Mediterranean cedars in the Bible. The tree grows across the eastern and central United States, and Young Living sources its supply from Idaho, using wood chips and sawdust left over from lumber processing rather than trees felled solely for oil — a genuinely efficient use of a byproduct stream.

Extraction and Aroma

Steam distillation of the wood yields a thick, amber-toned oil with a dry, woody character carrying a soft, powdery sweetness underneath — think cedar closet or a fresh pencil shaving, crossed with something closer to sandalwood. Two sesquiterpenes do most of the work: alpha-cedrene supplies the dry backbone, while cedrol adds the rounder, softer sweetness that keeps cedarwood from smelling purely like sawdust.

Traditional and Everyday Uses

Cedar-family woods have a long history in incense and preservation — ancient Egyptians used cedar oil in embalming, and various Indigenous peoples across North America burned red cedar for ceremonial purposes and used the bark and wood in everyday craft. Today cedarwood’s most common role is as a calming base note: 3–5 drops alone in the diffuser gives a grounding, “log cabin” evening atmosphere, and it pairs naturally with lavender for a bedtime combination. Diluted to 1–3% in a carrier oil, it’s also a frequent addition to scalp and hair-care routines, often combined with rosemary and peppermint (see our hair growth guide).

What Pairs Well

Lavender, bergamot, frankincense, sandalwood, and vetiver all soften or brighten cedarwood’s dryness, which is part of why it shows up so often as a supporting note rather than a standalone star.

A Note on Safety

Cedarwood is one of the gentler, more forgiving oils in a starter collection — low sensitization risk and no meaningful photosensitivity — but a patch test is still worth doing before regular topical use, as with any concentrated plant oil.