Updated 16 January 2024
Botanical characteristics
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Sub-region: Tracheobionta
- Division: Magnoliophyta
- Class: Magnoliopsida
- Subclass: Dilleniidae
- Order: Violales
- Family: Cistaceae
- Genus: Cistus
- Part used: Leafy branches
- Country of origin: Spain, Portugal, North Africa (Morocco)
Precautions for use
Caution! Gum Rockrose essential oil is not to be used by pregnant women. However, it is safe for young children (over 3 years). It contains some allergenic components in very small amounts.
Other precautions
Warning:
- Use cautiously, consult your doctor if you are taking anticoagulant treatment.
- Ask your doctor before use in people with asthma and epilepsy (risk of epilepsy at high doses).
Cutaneous application:
- Gum Rockrose essential oil is rich in terpenes and therefore potentially irritating to the skin.
- It should be diluted to 20% in vegetable oil (20% essential oil and 80% vegetable oil) before any large surface application.
- For lactating women, local diluted dermal application is possible under medical supervision.
Allergenic components:
Gum Rockrose essential oil contains biochemical allergenic components:
- limonene (≤2%)
- linalool (≤1%)
- geraniol (≤1%)
Note: It is best to test the essential oil before use (two drops on the crease of the elbow for at least 24 hours to check for a reaction).
Authorised users
How to use
Risks of use
Properties
- Hemostatic
- Cicatrizant
- Calmative
- Antifungal
- Immunomodulator
- Anti-infective, antiviral, antibacterial
- Strong anti-haemorrhagic, healing agent
- Anti-arteritic
- Neurotonic, neurovegetative regulator (action on the parasympathetic system)
Indications
- Cut / Scratch
- Nosebleed
- Skin fissures
- Arteritis
- Rheumatoid arthirtis
- Multiple sclerosis
- Haemorrhoids
- Scars
- Menstrual bleeding
- Wrinkles
- Stretch marks
- Childhood diseases: chicken pox, measles, scarlet fever, whooping cough
- Viral and autoimmune diseases
- Haemorrhagic rectocolitis
- Asthenia
- Haemorrhage
- Neurovegetative dystonia
- Pressure Sore
Directions for use/usual dosage
- Viral infections: local unctions, but dilute the EO with a vegetable oil.
- Childhood diseases (chickenpox, scarlet fever, measles, whooping cough...): unction diluted in vegetable oil. Can also be applied rectally.
- Autoimmune diseases: can be used rectally or orally, but consult a therapist.
Cosmetic
- Cistus essential oil is used in cosmetics to slow down the ageing of the skin and the formation of wrinkles on the face. It has a regenerating and astringent effect on the tissues.
Find out more
- Its main constituents are alpha-pinene and camphene (monoterpenes).
- It is particularly recommended for use on the skin.
- Thanks to its anti-haemorrhagic action, rockrose essential oil is particularly effective in stopping bleeding. It can be applied directly to wounds with a few drops of lavender, or to the nostrils with a cotton bud to stop nosebleeds.
- However, it should not be used on large, deep wounds.
- Cistus EO is not recommended during pregnancy or while breast-feeding, but there is one exception: when mixed with carrot EO and wheat germ oil, it is effective in treating cracked nipples. The mixture must be applied after breastfeeding.
- It is attracting increasing interest from scientists because of its potential effect on autoimmune diseases, which are becoming increasingly common in our society.