Eucalyptus Oil (Nilgiri Tel)
The Indian name tells you the history. Eucalyptus is Australian, but it was planted extensively in the Nilgiri hills in the nineteenth century, and the oil has been called Nilgiri tel ever since.
- Botanical name
- Eucalyptus globulus
- Sanskrit / Hindi
- नीलगिरी तेल
- Part used
- Leaf, steam distilled
- Known compounds
- 1,8-cineole, also called eucalyptol, Limonene, Alpha-pinene
How it is produced
The leaves are steam distilled. Eucalyptus globulus is the species most used commercially, and the oil is dominated by a single compound, 1,8-cineole, usually making up the large majority of it.
India is a significant producer, with the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu the historic centre of it.
What it contributes on skin
Eucalyptus oil is on the cooling side of a pain oil blend, along with peppermint. That cool sensation, set against the warmth from camphor, ginger and mustard, is the counter-irritant balance these formulations are built around.
It is also the source of most of the aroma people associate with a pain relief oil.
Use in proportion
Like all essential oils it is used as a small fraction of a blend, never neat. In Dr. Granny's Magic it is one component of a 25-plus herb formulation carried in sesame and mustard oil.
Questions about Nilgiri tel
Why is eucalyptus oil called Nilgiri tel?
+
Eucalyptus was planted widely in the Nilgiri hills of south India in the nineteenth century, and the oil took the name of the region.
What is 1,8-cineole?
+
Also called eucalyptol, it is the dominant compound in eucalyptus oil and the source of its characteristic smell and cooling sensation.
Can I apply eucalyptus oil directly?
+
Undiluted essential oils are not meant for direct skin application. In a blended massage oil it is already diluted to a usable proportion.
Where this sits in the bottle
Eucalyptus Oil (Nilgiri Tel)is one entry in the 25-herb blend in Dr. Granny's Magic Pain Relief Oil, carried in a base of sesame, mustard, yellow mustard, black seed, clove and eucalyptus oils for external massage use.
Other ingredients
Ayurvedic product. For external use only. Not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease.