Camphor / camphor tree – ingredients, effects and application

The camphor tree is native to East Asia. We call camphor an essential oil that is obtained primarily from wood and bark and has a variety of medicinal effects. It helps against colds and pain, but should be used with caution.

Characteristics

• Scientific name: Cinnamomum camphora
• Common names: camphor tree, camphor (camphor), camphor laurel, Gaffer, Gaufer
• Family: Laurel family (Lauraceae)
• Distribution: native to East Asia, especially China, Taiwan, South Korea and southern Japan, now also cultivated in other areas, such as Sri Lanka, Brazil, East Africa and other parts of the world (sometimes invasive)
• Plant parts used: The essential oil extracted from all parts of the tree
• Ingredients: Camphor tree oil (selection): camphor / camphor (monoterpene ketone), eugenol, geraniol, terpinolene, cineole, borneol, limonene, pinene, safrole and linalool
• Areas of application: respiratory diseases (congestion and inflammation of the respiratory tract), colds, inflammation, pain relief, muscular rheumatism (rheumatism), circulatory disorders and heart problems

Camphor – An Overview

• The camphor tree grows over 40 meters high and is well over a thousand years old.
• The plant has dark green to yellow-green shiny leaves that are reminiscent of laurel.
• Camphor smells spicy and woody, reminiscent of eucalyptus as well as mint.
• The essential oil is used by the plant to keep pests away. These effects also serve when used in the human organism.
• Camphor oil, which is primarily obtained from bark and wood, offers many effective ingredients.
• Camphor loosens mucus, promotes blood circulation, relieves pain and inflammation and has an effect on the circulation.
• Camphor tree oil should only be used externally. It is therefore primarily found as an additive in ointments as well as in bath and massage oils.
• The effects are based primarily on experience from traditional medicine. Only a few studies prove the effects of some ingredients.

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The camphor tree

The camphor tree can reach a height of over 30 to 40 meters, it grows relatively quickly and is very long-lived: the trees can live well over 1000 years.

The leaves are dark green to yellow-green on the upper side and have a shiny appearance. On the underside they are dull green. The flowers appear from April to May and are light yellow-green, the small, rounded fruits are almost black.

All parts of the plant smell strongly of camphor and taste sharp and bitter. The spicy and woody smell is reminiscent of eucalyptus and mint. The essential oil serves as protection for the plant against insects and harmful microbes.

Camphor oil – ingredients

The active ingredient of the camphor tree is the essential oil – camphor oil (camphor for short). This is obtained via steam from all parts of the plant, especially the wood and bark. Components of the oil include:

• Camphor (monoterpene ketone),
• Eugenol,
• Geraniol,
• Terpinolene,
• Sabine,
• Cinema,
• Borneol,
• Limonen,
• pens,
• safrole,
• Linalool.

Medical effects

Camphor oil and its ingredients affect various body processes. It irritates the skin and thus stimulates nerve endings, thus having an anesthetic effect. This can relieve pain and itching. Irritating the skin also promotes blood circulation on the surface. That’s why camphor helps against skin inflammation – the supply of oxygen and nutrients increases in the affected area of ​​the body.

Camphor, when absorbed through the skin, inhibits inflammation, relieves cramps, relieves pain, promotes circulation and has an effect on the respiratory system. Camphor is recognized by Commission E as a medicine (phytotherapy) for external use in the following conditions: rheumatism (muscular rheumatism), circulatory regulation disorders, inflammation of the respiratory tract and heart problems.

Nowadays, internal use is generally not recommended, as camphor can cause serious side effects if the dosage is too high.

Camphor contains, among other things, eugenol. This relieves pain and inhibits inflammation and has an antibacterial effect in humans. Because of these effects, it is used, among other things, in dentistry.

A Chinese research article from 2020 stated: Camphor oil shows antimicrobial, insecticidal, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Furthermore, the study found a noticeable effect against coliform bacteria.

According to a 2022 Indian review, there is sufficient evidence of wound healing and analgesic effects of camphor, linalool, borneol and cineole. Recent studies have also shown that various phytochemicals in camphor oil also have antimutagenic effects on cancer cells. Further studies are necessary here.

In general, clinical studies on the effects are rather inadequate and most effects and applications are based on empirical knowledge from traditional medicine.

According to another review (2022), traditional medicine in East Asia also uses camphor to relieve pain (larynx and oral cavity), recover from fever or strokes, cough up thick respiratory secretions and against bloodshot eyes. In various countries such as China and Korea, the oil is used against inflammatory diseases.

Camphor is also used in medicine in China, India and Japan to treat psychological problems. The oil is said to strengthen concentration and mental clarity.

Camphor oil is a tried and tested traditional medicine that is used primarily in Asia for various ailments and is also used here as an additive in ointments and oils. (Image: cynoclub/stock.adobe.com/own editing heilpraxis.de)

Medical applications

In phytomedicine, camphor is primarily used as a remedy for (rheumatic) muscle pain, tense muscles or muscle strains. Rubs with camphor help against coughs and colds. Camphor ointments are rubbed on the chest and back to make coughing easier and improve breathing.

Ointments containing camphor are also rubbed onto painful and itchy areas of the body. First they cool, then the increased blood circulation leads to warming. These ointments are also applied to relax tense muscles. You should not apply the irritating oil directly to open wounds or to sensitive mucous membranes.

Ointments that contain up to five percent of camphor oil are used. The oil is also found in bath oils and in preparations for inhalation, although only strong dilutions are used for inhalation.

In homeopathy, camphor (Champora) is used for mild fainting attacks with shortness of breath, anxiety and a weak pulse. It is also used for abdominal pain with cramps and diarrhea as well as for a runny nose and symptoms of a flu-like infection.

Internal applications

In East Asia, camphor oil is also traditionally used internally, especially against heart and circulatory problems, but also for inhalation when you faint.

Camphor oil should not be used internally as a home remedy without medical supervision. Overdose can cause serious problems, ranging from nerve damage to seizures to coma and death.

Camphor for the heart?

Rubbing the chest with camphor ointment was long considered a remedy for heart problems in this country. Modern medicine is skeptical about this. The assumption behind the traditional therapy was that rubs with camphor stimulated the circulation to such an extent that heart problems would be alleviated.

There are no valid studies on this. However, there are reports from those affected with chest tightness that rubbing with camphor ointment would have reduced their suffering. This is certainly possible, as chest tightness can cause pain when vessels narrow. Camphor could cause these to expand. But that is not proven.

Camphor for respiratory diseases

Rubbing the chest with camphor is widespread for respiratory diseases. When you inhale the essential oil, your airways relax and the mucus in your bronchi becomes easier to cough up. The oil also works against pathogenic germs and disinfects.

The essential oil

Essential oils are volatile substances that can be found in bark such as leaves, in flowers such as roots and resins of various plants. They consist largely of various terpenes, such as ketones, alcohols or esters, and aromatic compounds.

They are usually obtained in liquid form using steam distillation, but dissolve in contact with the air and float in it as a fragrance. They are suitable for fragrance lamps, for inhalation, in carrier oils for massages, for baths, compresses and cushions. Many essential oils have medicinal benefits, others are popular primarily because of their scent and are used in the cosmetics industry.

During aromatherapy, essential oils are absorbed when inhaled via the sense of smell (olfactory nerve) and have an effect on nerve messengers such as serotonin or dopamine in the brain. Depending on the oil and the messenger substance, they influence the mood (euphorize or calm), for example.

Essential oils penetrate easily and deeply into the tissues of the skin and mucous membranes and are therefore ideal for inhalation and ointments to inhibit inflammation or relieve pain. In general, essential oils should not be applied pure to the skin due to skin-irritating properties!

Side effects, risks and contraindications

Essential oils used as fragrances can cause many side effects. They irritate the skin, and some people react so sensitively to certain of these substances that an allergic shock can result.

Camphor in large quantities…