Cypress

Cypress, another Evergreen Conifer, can be used as a substitute for Pines, Firs and Spruces.  It's good for the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, your skin and so much more.  Find out how to incorporate it into your daily life!

Music composed and performed by V. Karaitis

Transcript

Hey!  Thanks for listening!  I’m Chris Wagenti, and this is Who Gets It, Naturally.  Music was composed and performed by V. Karaitis.  I’m not selling anything, diagnosing anything; offering any cures or replacing your doctor.  I’m just sharing my passion for natural products.  If you’re pregnant, please consult your doctor before trying anything new.  Everyone is different so you may need to tweak the recipes a bit to work for you.  Always start with the least amount of essential oils…you can always add, you can’t take away.  Remember, these remedies don’t last forever, you need to reapply as needed.  If you are allergic to any of the ingredients I use, please substitute for something you’re not allergic to.  Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean you can’t be allergic to it.

Ok, so I talked about Cedar and the Pines, Firs and Spruces.  Today I want to talk about another Evergreen Conifer, the Cypress.  Just to refresh, an Evergreen is a tree that stays green all year long.  Coniferous means that it produces cones.  You can have Evergreen Conifers and Deciduous Conifers, which means that the needles fall off in the fall, exposing their unique bark textures and branching patterns.  Bald Cypress falls into this category. There is a wide variety of conifers, including Dwarf Conifers, which are often used in Fairy Gardens and Railroad Displays.  According to the website, Coniferous Forest, found at www.coniferousforest.com/plants-trees/cypress, QUOTE: “As with most conifers, the extensive cultivation of cypress trees has produced a variety of forms, with different sizes and colors. Most cypress species are used as ornamental trees and plants in parks, gardens, and around temples, while others are developed for their durable timber.”  END QUOTE.

Cypress Trees belong to the genus Cupressus, and there are several different species, broken into Old Word Species and New World Species.

The Old World Species include, Moroccan cypress, Bhutan cypress, Cheng’s cypress, Yunnan or South Tibet cypress, Saharan cypress, Weeping cypress, Tibetan cypress, Mediterranean cypress, Tonkin or Himalayan cypress and Vietnamese cypress.  These generally have cones with 8-14 scales that have a short and wide ridge. 

The cones on the New World species have fewer scales that have a prominent narrow spike.  The New World Species include Santa Cruz cypress, Arizona cypress, Modoc cypress, Tecate cypress, Smooth Arizona cypress, Californian or Gowen cypress, Guadalupe cypress, Mexican cypress, Macnab cypress, Monterey cypress, San Pedro Martir cypress, Piute cypress, Nootka cypress, Mendocino cypress, El Rincon cypress, Sargent cypress and Cuyamaca cypress. 

These are all “true” cypress.  

Some of the cypress species that belong to a genus other than Cupressus include Montezuma cypress, bald cypress, northern white cedar, Japanese cedar, giant sequoia, dawn redwood, and California redwood.

Leyland Cypress is a hybrid made from Monterey Cypress and Nootka Cypress.  It’s mostly used to decorate gardens and parks.

Here’s an interesting fact noted on the Coniferous Forest web site:  QUOTE:  “Many cypress species have evolved to survive in forest fires.  They hold their seeds in closed cones for several years until the parents die, after which the seeds are released so that they can develop in the bare, burnt ground.”  END QUOTE

Remember, even though Evergreens have various differences in appearance and scent, they are very similar, and can be substituted for each other.  

Cypress is antibacterial, antimicrobial, antifungal, astringent, antiviral, anti-diarrheal, antispasmodic; antiseptic; vasoconstrictor and anti-rheumatic. 

It’s used to relieve conditions of the cardiovascular system, respiratory system and issues of the skin. 

The wood from Cypress trees is durable, stable, water resistant and rot resistant.  It’s used for structural components such as beams, columns and flooring, decks, caskets, piers, bridges, boats, siding, doors, stadium seats, indoor and outdoor furniture, posts and fences, cabinets and more.

The Italian Cypress is most notably used to build furniture and coffins.  

The branches, cones and oil have many medicinal uses.  It was used by the Greeks to treat asthma and coughs by steeping cones in their wine.  The Egyptians imported Cypress oils to use as body oils.  Cypress was used at funerals to help mask the smell of death.  Cypress is currently used in deodorants, colognes, etc, to reduce body odor.  

Cypress Essential Oil is made up of tannins, flavonoids and terpenes such as alphapinene, betapinene, camphene, sabinol, cedrol (these should sound familiar), silvestrene, cymene and cadinen.  It’s used to reduce cough; treat warts and other skin conditions, Herpes Simplex, cuts, wounds, infections, acne and varicose veins; reduce muscle pain; reduce the appearance of cellulite; used in deodorant; reduce anxiety and stress; relieve hemorrhoids; stop hemorrhage and nosebleeds; relieve pharyngitis, sinusitis and asthma symptoms; remove toxins from the body; reduce stress and anxiety; help fight colds and is said to help improve the health of your liver.  It naturally helps lower cholesterol; promotes blood clotting; reduces pain from carpal tunnel; relieves restlessness and symptoms of insomnia. 

Ok, some key things you should start to be picking up on.  When an essential oil naturally helps with something you’re having an issue with, let’s say, high cholesterol, if you consider using an essential oil that naturally helps, like Cypress, red flags should go up.  For example, Cypress naturally helps lower cholesterol – if you’re on medication to lower your cholesterol, check with your health care provider before using it.  Cypress also promotes blood clotting – if you’re taking blood thinners, don’t use Cypress.  If your blood doesn’t clot on its own, maybe Cypress can help.  Discuss it with your health care provider.  This is why I encourage you to do your own research.  You know what your issues are, and what you are already doing to ease them.

Cypress can be found as an ingredient in skin care products (especially in masculine versions) such as deodorant; toner; shaving lotion; colognes; perfumes; shampoo & conditioner.  

Some options to use Cypress are:

Add 8 drops of Cypress Essential Oil to a cup of hot water and inhale. Add a few drops to a hot bath.  Inhale it directly from the bottle (I do this with Eucalyptus at work when someone wearing perfume walks by desk).

Dr. Axe.com has some great suggestions for using Cypress.  They can be found at draxe.com/essential-oils/cypress-essential-oil/.  QUOTE: ” It’s safe to use cypress oil aromatically and topically. When applying the oil to the skin, it is best to dilute it with a carrier oil, such as coconut or jojoba oil, before rubbing it into the skin. Here are some ways to use this essential oil in your everyday life:

• Diffuse 5–7 drops of cypress oil in the home or office to create emotional balance, induce calm and energizing effects, and help with feelings of anxiousness or anxiety.
• Apply topically, diluted with equal parts carrier oil, to treat arthritis, restless leg syndrome, cramps, asthma, bronchitis, cough or cold, carpal tunnel, and heavy periods. Simply rub the oil mixture into the effected area; this can be done 2–3 times daily, depending on your needs.
• To reduce the appearance of cellulite, varicose veins, wounds, cuts or incisions, apply 2–3 drops of cypress oil to the area of concern.
• Add 5 drops of cypress essential oil to a warm-water bath to treat respiratory conditions. You can also dilute cypress with a carrier oil and apply the mixture to the chest to work as a vapor rub. To reduce phlegm, add 3–5 drops of cypress oil to boiling water, place a towel over your head and breathe in the steam for 5–10 minutes.
• To deodorize the home, add 5–10 drops of cypress oil to cleaning soap or add the oil to water and spray the mixture on curtains, sheets and couches; 1–2 drops of cypress oil can also be added to shoes, hats and jackets to prevent bacterial growth and body odor.
• For hair and skin care, add 1–3 drops of cypress oil to your shampoo, conditioner or Homemade Face Wash. It is perfect for a deep clean, and it’s beneficial to the skin and hair because of its antimicrobial properties.” END QUOTE

Cypress can be used as a substitute for other Evergreens, like Pines, Firs and Spruces.  I recently ran out of Douglas Fir and needed to refill my roller bottles with Home Run.  I used 25 drops of Cypress Essential Oil instead of the Douglas Fir Essential Oil.  It works just as well.  

Remember when I made my own deodorant… the bright-red rash I got under my arms… Dr. Axe suggests using arrowroot powder instead of baking soda, and Cypress is one of the essential oils suggested for men. I’ll have to try it. Besides Douglas Fir, I ran out of Black Spruce…and needed to refill my body oil.  So I used Cypress instead.  I even massaged some under my arms instead of using store-bought deodorant.  So far, so good!  It’s not only reducing the muscle aches, it’s also working well as a deodorant…no rashes, anywhere.  Eventually I’ll get the nerve up to try the deodorant with arrowroot powder instead of baking soda, but until then, Jojoba Oil and Cypress Essential Oil is working just fine!  For this recipe, I’ve been using a 4 ounce Amber Boston Round with a pump cap, and 40 drops of essential oil to the 4 ounces of carrier oil.  To recap, this has been working for me as a deodorant, body moisturizer and muscle ache reliever.  It’s also been calming the eczema on my elbows!  They don’t look as dirty as they have been, not as itchy and the skin over my elbows and the dark spots are smoother and not as scaley as they were. 
 See, it’s really not that difficult, or scary, making your own recipes.  The hardest part is finding what works for you.  Even when you find something that works, you’ve always got more options.  Which is a good thing!  Sometimes, you need to save some money, or something isn’t available.  Knowing there’s two or three different essential oils that have similar components, and they actually do help whatever issue you’re trying to fix, makes it less stressful if you can’t get what you usually use.  For instance, Cypress has been working just as well for me instead of Douglas Fir and Black Spruce, and, it’s less expensive than each.  (it also comes in a 15 ml bottle opposed to the 5 ml bottles the Douglas Fir and Black Spruce come in).  Running out of both when I don’t really have the extra cash to buy more could have been stressful.  But knowing that Cypress works just as well, is less expensive and easily available kept the stress low, and minimized the amount of time I didn’t have the products I need.  

As always, if you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email me at vobyjypsee@usa.com, or send a text from the podcast… You can follow me on X and Instagram … @vobyjypsee; or LinkedIn…search either Chris Wagenti, Who Gets It, Naturally or Voice Overs by Jypsee.  Please download this episode, and make Who Gets It, Naturally a favorite on your preferred channel so you don’t miss an episode.

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