Calamus Essential Oil

Botanical Nomenclature: Acorus calamus
Extraction Method: Distillation

Calamus essential oil is often referred to here in the U.S. as sweet flag and is a well-known wildflower in warm swampy areas around the world. The calamus oil is made by drying then distilling the rhizomes of this decorate little flower.

Today, despite being considered "extremely toxic" if ingested, calamus is widely used to scent cosmetics, toiletries and household cleaners.

Characteristics of Calamus Oil

Calamus oil can range from yellow to pale brown. It has a warm spicy scent with woody undertones.

Traditional Uses for Calamus

In herbal medicine--particularly India's traditional system of Ayurveda--calamus is used to ease muscle spasms and treat symptoms of epilepsy. Various preparations of calamus root have also been used to treat various infections, stress and digestive complaints.

Serious Medical Studies on Calamus

Calamus and the essential oil made from it have the been the focus of a surprising number of scientific studies. But most of those studies have focused on the use of calamus for commercial, non-medical purposes.

Safety Issues

Animal studies have suggested that calamus--and especially the essential oil made from it--may have carcinogenic actions. No human data on this potential link between calamus oil and human cancer is available but it is for this reason that calamus is almost always listed as "hazardous" or "dangerous" in popular aromatherapy texts.

References:

Battaglia, S. (2005). The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy.

Klepser, T., et al. (1999). Unsafe and potentially safe herbal therapies.

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