Black spruce essential oil: the scent of the northern forest

Close your eyes and picture a walk through a fir forest after the rain: that is roughly what you experience when you uncork a bottle of black spruce. Resinous and woody, this essential oil brings the feel of the great outdoors in just a few drops – ideal as the days grow shorter.

What is black spruce?

Black spruce, Picea mariana, is a conifer of the pine family (Pinaceae), widespread in the boreal forest of Canada and the northern United States. In Quebec it is known as "épinette noire". It withstands harsh winters and poor soils, where it forms vast stands.

According to the product sheet, our black spruce essential oil is obtained by distilling the needles and comes in a 10 ml bottle. The sheet adds that its use requires the advice of a specialist. A second reference, black spruce essential oil, is described as having "a resinous, woody scent", invigorating and stimulating. To find out more about how essential oils are classified, read our sheet on essential oil families.

How to use it

Our drugstore team recommends it for diffusion or massage – always diluted for the latter.

A forest atmosphere at home

• Fill your diffuser as instructed and add a few drops of black spruce.
• Diffuse for 15 to 20 minutes in the morning to start the day in an invigorating atmosphere, then air the room.
• Blend it with a citrus oil for a brighter note, or with other conifers for a true mountain-chalet feel.
• No diffuser to hand? Put one drop on a cloth handkerchief and breathe in the scent for a few moments, keeping it away from your eyes.

For a massage after an active day

• Dilute it in a vegetable oil (sunflower, sweet almond, jojoba); we will gladly tell you the proportion.
• Check your skin's tolerance with a patch test in the crook of your elbow 24 hours beforehand.
• Massage the back, shoulders or legs with broad strokes for an invigorating sensation.

Precautions

Before you open the bottle. The product sheet is clear: this essential oil should only be used on a specialist's advice. Do not apply neat, do not swallow, avoid contact with eyes and mucous membranes. Pregnant or breastfeeding women, children and anyone on medication should ask for advice before use. When diffusing, keep sessions short and air the room. Store the bottle closed, somewhere cool and out of the reach of children.

Our products

• Black spruce (Picea mariana), 10 ml – distilled from the needles.
• Black spruce essential oil – resinous, woody scent.

Through winter with ease

With its forest-floor scent, black spruce is a lovely companion for the colder months, in a diffuser or a massage oil. To choose between our two references or put together a conifer blend, drop by Droguerie Perusset – our team will be happy to advise you.