{"id":1918,"date":"2017-02-11T05:09:07","date_gmt":"2017-02-11T05:09:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/essentialoilsanctuary.com\/?p=1918"},"modified":"2018-09-19T21:23:33","modified_gmt":"2018-09-19T21:23:33","slug":"10-juniper-berry-essential-oil-benefits-uses-plus-5-recipes-general-faq","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentialoilsanctuary.com\/10-juniper-berry-essential-oil-benefits-uses-plus-5-recipes-general-faq\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Juniper Berry Essential Oil Benefits & Uses (Plus 5 Recipes and General FAQ)"},"content":{"rendered":"

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If you live in Northern Europe or New England in the US, you may be familiar with juniper berries<\/a>, those piney little products of the juniper plant that are used to flavor food, alcohol, and home scent products, like candles.<\/p>\n

But juniper berries offer so much more than you might expect. Read on and you might decide you\u2019ll to have some juniper berry essential oil in your home for its many health and beauty benefits.<\/p>\n

Origins of Juniper Berry Essential Oil<\/h2>\n

Juniper berries aren\u2019t really berries; they are the female seed cones from the plant.<\/p>\n

Juniper berry essential oil is made by steam distillation from the berries and needles of the juniper plant, a coniferous shrub that can reach the size of a small tree in some locations.<\/p>\n

There are several species of juniper plant. Juniperus communis<\/i><\/a> is most common in Northern Europe, where it has been used since the 17th<\/sup> Century to spice meat and game and to flavor gin<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This juniper species is also found in Canada, many northern US states, and Siberia. Juniperus osteosperma<\/i><\/a> and scopulorus<\/i><\/a> species are grown in the American Southwest.<\/p>\n

Essential oil can be derived from any of the above juniper species, and the best oil is said to come from Bulgaria.<\/p>\n

Juniper Berries in Times Past<\/h2>\n

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Juniper berries were used medicinally by Native Americans, especially as a diuretic and for arthritis relief.<\/p>\n

Likewise, Tibetans also made use of juniper berries for thousands of years.<\/p>\n

The Ancient Egyptians used juniper berries to treat tapeworms, as well as to make incense and prepare the dead for their journey to the afterlife.<\/p>\n

In Sumeria and Babylonia, it was believed that juniper berries could protect people from negative energy and ward off evil spirits.<\/p>\n

The Ancient Greeks liked juniper berries for the increased physical endurance they offered during the original Olympic games.<\/p>\n

In Ancient Rome, juniper berries often substituted for black pepper, which was very expensive at the time as it had to be imported from India.<\/p>\n

Blending Juniper Berry Essential Oil with Other Essential Oils<\/h2>\n

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As you might expect from a conifer, juniper berries have a fresh, green scent from pinene chemical compounds in them.<\/p>\n

With their balsamic notes tinged with bright citrus, juniper berries make ideal middle notes in perfumed products, and they are wonderful for adding zest to meat-based cuisine, hence their popularity in Scandinavia.<\/p>\n

Juniper berry essential oil is perfect for aromatherapy in the home during fall and winter, when you get the urge to bring the outdoors inside.<\/p>\n

It is a superb scent to use over the holidays when you don\u2019t want something that\u2019s too over-the-top Christmas-y.<\/p>\n

Because juniper berries can play the role of black pepper in food, it\u2019s no surprise that juniper berry essential oil combines well with the same oils that blend nicely with black pepper essential oil, including:<\/p>\n