Wintergreen Oil

 

 

Oil of wintergreen

 

 Wintergreen oil is a pale yellow or pinkish fluid liquid that is strongly aromatic with a sweet woody odor (components: methyl salicylate (approx. 98%), a-pinene, myrcene, delta-3-carene, limonene, 3,7-guaiadiene, delta-cadinene) that gives such plants a distinctive "medicinal" smell whenever bruised.

Wintergreen essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the leaves of the plant following maceration in warm water.

Methyl salicylate, the main chemical constituent of the oil, is not present in the plant until formed by enzymatic action from a glycoside within the leaves as they are macerated in warm water.

 

The oil is used topically (diluted) or aromatheraputically for muscle and joint discomfort, arthritis, cellulite, obesity, edema, poor circulation, headache, heart disease, hypertension, rheumatism, tendentious, cramps, inflammation, eczema, hair care, psoriasis, gout, ulcers, broken or bruised bones.

It is also used in some perfumery applications and as a flavoring agent for toothpaste, chewing gum and soft drinks^[4], confectionery, in Listerine, and in mint flavorings, but Gaultheria plants are not true mints. Some species of birch also produce oil of wintergreen, but these deciduous trees are not called wintergreens.

 

 

 

 

 

  wintergreen