Cinnamon

Used in aromatherapy massage, Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil is luxuriously warming and comforting, as it stimulates feelings of relaxation and invokes a sense of well-being with its rich, sensual scent. It also has a potent purifying touch, helping to clear airways and maintain healthy circulation, which makes it a great ingredient in a detoxifying blend and for managing symptoms of colds and flu. Due to its warming sensation, Cinnamon Bark Oil is also popularly used in blends for massaging stiff and sore muscles to help ease feelings of discomfort.

Cinnamon Oil is derived from a tree that is recognized by two botanical names –Cinnamomum zeylanicumandCinnamomum vervun –both of which refer to the same tree. This is the species considered to be true Cinnamon. The English name for this spice is rooted in the term “amomon,” or “qinnamon,” the Arabic and Hebraic word for “fragrant spice plant.” Harvested and processed as both a spice and an essential oil, it is cultivated and exported globally. Cinnamon was also given the Early Modern English names of “canel” and “canella,” which were rooted in the Latin word for “tube,” due to the inner bark’s tendency to naturally form a tube shape as it dries and retracts into itself. Cinnamon Essential Oil may be obtained from either the tree’s outer bark or its leaves, hence the two main varieties are Cinnamon Bark Essential Oil and Cinnamon Leaf Essential Oil. Cinnamon is thought to be one of the world’s oldest and most valuable spices. Since the time of Ancient Egyptians and for thousands of years afterward, it has continued to be used, even becoming a staple in Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine. Today, it continues to be used in the forms of spices, herbs, powders, and teas to address emotional and physical ailments, such as depression, respiratory and digestive problems, colds, flu, weight gain, diarrhea, yeast infections, heavy menstruation, menstrual cramps, arthritis, and skin infections. According to a 7th century BCE Greek poem, it was believed that Cinnamon grew in Arabia, along with Myrrh, Labdanum, and incense, and that these plants were so respected that they were shielded by winged snakes.

Throughout history, Cinnamon has demonstrated a diverse range of uses in culinary applications, having been used as a spice and flavor additive in mulled wines, hot beverages, breads, snack foods, cereals, savory entrées, and desserts. As a whole, the plant has come to symbolize and attract good fortune, such as wealth. It has been associated with protection, as 15th century grave robbers were known to use Cinnamon in their oil blends that were meant to protect them against the plague. Cinnamon Oil was also used as a sedative during birth.

In Ancient Egypt, Cinnamon was imported as early as 2000 BCE. At the time, an individual in possession of Cinnamon was considered to be wealthy, as historical records indicate that Cinnamon’s value might have been considered equivalent to or higher than that of gold. In Egyptian society, Cinnamon was preferable for use in embalming, in witchcraft practices as an ingredient in love potions, and it was deemed valuable enough to offer as a gift to monarchs and gods. It was often used as an ingredient in Kyphi, an incense that was burned for both religious and medicinal purposes.

In the Middle Ages, Europeans also viewed Cinnamon as a symbol of high ranking social status, due to the fact that only the wealthy class was able to afford this transoceanic spice imported from the East and reputed to have remedial qualities that made it ideal for treating indigestion and other such discomforts. Additionally, Cinnamon was essential for use in concealing or eliminating the unpleasant odor of cured meats, especially when they began to spoil. According to an account given by Pliny the Elder, a Roman pound of Cinnamon could potentially cost the same as the wage earned after fifty months of labor. Due to its high price, Cinnamon was not commonly burnt on funeral pyres in Rome, but when it was, it was meant to mask the unpleasant smell of burning flesh. In spite of this, it is believed that, at his wife’s funeral in AD 65, the Emperor Nero burned a year's worth of the city's stock of Cinnamon.

Hoag Fudge Family Birthing Suites

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Hoag Flywell at John Wayne Airport

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 Hoag Health Center

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