Eucalyptus Kangaroo Island Essential Oil

Kangaroo Island Eucalyptus Essential Oil - sourced from Essentially Australia

INCI name: Eucalyptus cneorifolia leaf oil

County of Origin: Australia

Production method: Steam distilled from the leaves of the tree.

Use: A strong, powerful, clearing oil that is useful for clearing lungs and respiratory system. It's also very anti-microbial so a useful oil to use in a sick room in a burner or diffuser.

Scent: Typical, fresh Eucalyptus aroma, with a gentle honey note.

Chemistry: Contains upto 70% cineole, also contains alpha-pinene, alpha-terpinene, myrcene, tetradecane, phellandendrene.

Cautions: External use only, dilute in carrier oil before use on skin.

History or Kangaroo Island Eucalyptus

Traditional Usage: Indigenous people made use of this oil for cuts by wrapping the leaves around the wound, the leaves were also boiled or smoked on a fire and the oil vapours inhaled for treating colds and flus.

Early European Usage: Kangaroo Island Eucalyptus trees were harvested for their essential oil from the 1880’s onward, reaching a peak in the 1930’s and employing over 600 people. FH Fauldings established 2 plantations in 1938. By the 1950’s sheep farming took over and ‘KI’ Eucalyptus production wilted away.
Settlers found the root ball an excellent source of long burning firewood, sadly a lot of Kangaroo Island woodland and countryside was cleared, initially by man and bullock teams, later they were bulldozed by tractors, which made way for sheep.

Present Day Usage: Now the trees are largely left intact and there are 2 plantations which have been revived in 1991 and are regularly harvested and maintained for essential oil production.