Profile
- Latin name：Litsea cubeba
- Family：Lauraceae / laurel family
- Extraction：distillation
- Note：top note
Before use, see where dilution percentages, phototoxicity notes, and notes for children or pregnancy belong. Aroma science.
Opening scene
Does your mood sometimes feel like a rainy day — wet, grey, in need of a patch of sun? Are you often held by heavy feeling and gloomy thoughts, wishing for a simple, direct way to become cheerful at once? You want a scent that is not as sharp as lemon and not as sweet as orange, but just right: like a lemon sweet, full of sun and a smile.
That little sun, ready to bring a smile wherever you are, is litsea. Its fresh, sweet scent, so like lemon candy, is a beloved sprite of joy and a messenger of hope among essential oils. It can clear grey weather with real effect and bring a simple, bright cheer, the kind that lifts the corners of the mouth.
Then and now: a healing fruit from the east
Litsea (Litsea cubeba / May Chang), also called mountain pepper, is a small tree of East Asia. Its little black berries look like pepper, yet they give off a bright lemon scent. In China it was used early for digestive discomfort and for freshening air. On the energetic level it is seen as a fruit of the sun, bringing light, optimism, and hope. That eastern character of sunlight and mending is the core of its healing energy.
A familiar magic: lighting every corner of life
The heart of litsea is its marked ability to lift mood, meet discouragement, and freshen air. It is rich in citral, yet the scent is sweeter and rounder than lemongrass, and more widely liked.
Bright joy, and cleanliness
- A clarifying wash or spot touch for oily, blemished skin: litsea has a good reputation against microbes and for astringency. In an unscented amino-acid cleanser, use about 3–4 drops per 50ml to make a clarifying wash. Or blend 1 drop of litsea with 5ml of jojoba and touch a little, with a cotton swab, on a blemish. Note: it can irritate. Use caution on sensitive skin, and keep the dose low.
- A “smile” diffusion: diffuse 4 drops of litsea with 3 drops of bergamot. The blend makes a sunny, willing, lively room. It meets the seasonal dip of mood well, and it is a source of cheer in an office.
- A morning wake-up wash: in 20ml of unscented shower gel, add 3 drops of litsea and 2 drops of rosemary. A morning wash with it helps you leave sleepiness and open the day with vitality and a good mood.
- A pendant of hope: place 1 drop of litsea on the cotton of an aroma locket. When you feel tense, discouraged, or in need of courage, breathe it in. It can give a support of energy like sunlight, at once.
An unexpected talent: a scatterer of inner cloud
The energy of litsea stands against many dark, heavy, gloomy feelings. It especially suits people who fall easily into pessimism, self-doubt, and fear of what comes next. Its sunlit scent can light the dim corners of the mind, scatter the cloud of fear, and let hope and possibility be seen again.
Let the inside clear at once
- A spray for leaving gloom: add 10 drops of litsea and 5 drops of frankincense to 50ml of pure water (a little alcohol may help them disperse), and mist the space around you. It helps clear gloomy thought-forms, so they do not lead you.
- Easing uneasy dreams: for a child or an adult who dreams easily of being chased, diffuse litsea before sleep. It can bring an energy of light and protection, and make the night more peaceful.
Light and hope of the soul: always facing the sun
The energy of litsea is about light and hope. Like a child who always smiles and trusts what is good, whatever happens, it chooses to believe in the bright. It teaches that even in darkness we can turn the inner light up to its brightest. When the inside is full of sun, no shadow can stay. Linked with the solar plexus, it can greatly strengthen optimism and confidence.
Learn to be your own sun: when heavy feeling covers you, place 1 drop of litsea in the palm and breathe deeply. Picture yourself as a small sun, rays going out, and every cloud that comes near melting at once. Tell yourself: I choose joy. I am the source of the light.
A quiet note from the small cosmos
- Mind the irritation: like lemongrass, litsea is rich in citral and can irritate skin. Always dilute at a low dose, and avoid sensitive skin.
- A generous price: the lift is excellent, yet the price is very approachable. For many who love essential oils it is the one bottle of cheer they keep at hand.
- Litsea or May Chang?: both English names mean this plant, and they can be used interchangeably. Litsea cubeba and May Chang are the same plant.
Litsea, this smiling little sun, uses a sweet, bright scent to help us scatter every grey of life, and, in a simple, pure joy, fill hope for what comes next once more.