Cedarwood Atlas

Many essential oils come under the name cedarwood. These commonly include Atlas cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica) and Virginian cedarwood (Junipe-rus virginiana). They share some similar properties although some authorities feel the Atlas to be superior and safer. 

Box 7.22 Typical Data Sheet aimed at healthcare professionals Atlas Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica)... 

CEDRUS ATLANTICA LIG. [ATLAS CEDARWOOD, SATINWOOD] A BIETACEAE... 

Essential oils have a value called a flash point, which gives a measure of their flammability. It can be defined as the lowest temperature at which the vapour above a liquid can be ignited in air. Typical values for essential oils are in the range 33 °C to 77 °C. The lowest values are found in oils such as Boswellia carteri (frankincense) at 32 °C and citrus oils at around 43 °C, and the highest in woody oils, with Santalum album (sandalwood) having a flash point above 100°C and Cedrus at antica (Atlas cedarwood) one of 110 °C. 

Ushuaia Douche Tonifiante Laboratoires Gamier Atlas cedarwood Tones skin and body... 

Tagetones, Filifolone and Minor Components of Atlas Cedarwood... 

Two main families of cedarwood oils are used in perfumery. The first is extracted from trees of the family Juniperus. These oils are known as English, Texan or Chinese cedarwood and their components are derived from the cedrane and thujopsane groups of sesquiterpenes. Atlas and Himalayan cedarwoods are obtained from Cedrus species and their terpenes are mostly from the bisabolane family. The cedrane-thujopsane derivatives are much more widely used than the bisabo-lanes. 

The methyl ether of cedrol is also used as a woody-amber note. The Atlas and Himalayan cedarwoods have a sweeter and less ambery woody smell than the materials described above. This odour is due to materials such as atlantone (25) and deodarone (26). 

There are two main types of cedarwood sources for perfumery. One comprises plants of the juniperus family and the other of the cedrus family. The former are known as English, Texan or Chinese cedarwood and are produced principally in China and U.S.A. The leaf oils are extracted from this family. Chemically, the major components of these oils are based on the cedrane skeleton. The products obtained from members of the cedrus family are known as Atlas or Himalayan cedarwoods. They are produced in North Africa and the Himalayas and the chemical structure of their major components are based on the bisabolane skeleton. 

Common/vernacular names Cedar oil, cedarwood oil, red cedarwood oil (cedarwood oil Virginia) cedarwood oil Moroccan (cedarwood oil Atlas). 

There are several cedarwood oils with different physical and chemical properties. They are often referred to in the literatnre simply as cedarwood oil. The most common ones, cedarwood oil Virginia, cedarwood oil Texas, and cedarwood oil Atlas, are derived from J. virginiana, J. mexicana, and C. atlantica, respectively. Others such as cedarwood oil Himalaya, cedarwood oil East Africa, and cedarwood oil Japanese are obtained from other conifers (arctander). Juniperus ashei Buchh. is also used as a source of cedarwood oil other species (e.g., J. erythrocarpa Cory and J. scopulorum Sarg.) containing high oil content are potential sources. ... 

Cedarwood oil Atlas is obtained by steam distillation of the wood of C. atlantica, which is a pyramidal tree closely related to the pines up to about 40 m high and growing in the Atlas Mountains of Algeria. This oil is produced primarily in Morocco it has different odor characteristics than the Virginian and Texan oils. 

Cedarwood oil Atlas contains as its major odoriferous components a- and y-atlantone. Other constituents include acetone, a-ionone, and a-caryophyllene, among others. 

All three types of cedarwood oils (Virginia, Texas, and Atlas) are primarily used as fragrance components or fixatives in cosmetic and household products, particularly soaps and detergents others include creams, lotions, and perfumes. The maximum use level reported is 0.8% for all three in perfumes. ... 

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