Steam-distilled from the needles of Pinus sylvestris, organically grown. 10 ml in dark glass. Dry, resinous and green — the smell of a conifer forest in cold air, with none of the sweetness of a Christmas-tree fragrance oil.
Its chemistry is dominated by monoterpenes — alpha-pinene, beta-pinene and delta-3-carene. Those are light, volatile molecules, which is why the oil smells so immediately of the living tree. It is also why the warning below is the most important thing on this page.
The one thing you must know about pine oil
Pine oil oxidises, and oxidised pine oil is a well-documented skin sensitiser. This is not a hypothetical. The pinenes and delta-3-carene react with oxygen over time to form peroxides, and those breakdown products are among the more common causes of allergic contact dermatitis from essential oils. Fresh pine oil is far safer than an old, half-empty bottle that has been open for two years.
So, practically:
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Keep the cap tightly closed and the bottle upright. Every opening lets air in.
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Store it cool and dark — the fridge is genuinely a good place for pine and citrus oils.
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Buy small and use it. A 10 ml bottle is the right size. Consider replacing it about a year after opening.
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Always patch test before using it on skin, even if you have used pine oil before — sensitisation develops with exposure, so the reaction that matters is the one you have not had yet.
What an essential oil may and may not claim
Scots pine is commonly sold on the promise that it "helps support a healthy, clear respiratory system", that it "feels comforting on tired, overworked muscles" and that it "encourages healthy circulation". None of that appears here. Claims about the respiratory system and about circulation are medicinal claims, and a cosmetic or aromatic product may not make them under EU law. No health claim is authorised for any essential oil.
What is true is quite enough: it smells superb, it is one of the great scents for a winter room, and it is excellent in homemade cleaning products, where its resinous sharpness genuinely suits the job.
How to use it
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Diffusion: a few drops in an ultrasonic diffuser in a ventilated room, twenty to thirty minutes at a time. Not around babies, young children, pregnant women or pets — cats in particular cannot metabolise these compounds.
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On skin: always well diluted, at or below one per cent in a carrier oil (about 6 drops in 30 ml). Pine is more irritant than most oils; go lower rather than higher, and never use it neat.
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Household: a few drops in a vinegar-and-water surface spray, or on a cloth inside the vacuum bag. Keep it off unsealed wood and painted surfaces — undiluted essential oils strip finishes.
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Sauna, wood fire, potpourri: a drop or two goes a very long way.
Safety — the essentials
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Never swallow essential oils without the direct supervision of a qualified health professional.
- Keep out of reach of children, in the original bottle with the child-resistant cap.
- Away from eyes — flush with plain vegetable oil, not water.
- Do not use on damaged, broken or already irritated skin.
- Avoid in pregnancy and breastfeeding unless a health professional advises otherwise.
- Accident or swallowing: in Portugal call CIAV on 800 250 250 — free, 24 hours. In an emergency, 112.
Propos'Nature
Propos'Nature
Propos'Nature
