Cassia Oil

Cassia essential oil is steam-distilled from the bark (sometimes leaves/twigs) of Cinnamomum cassia, often called Chinese cinnamon. It is very high in cinnamaldehyde, which makes it one of the more aggressive dermal irritants in common use.

Because of that, cassia is primarily an aromatic oil. If used on skin at all it must be heavily diluted, and it should be kept well away from children and pregnancy.

Look for a stated species (Cinnamomum cassia) and batch GC-MS testing, and treat it as a 'spice accent' in blends rather than a standalone skin oil.

Cassia is cinnamon's fiercer cousin, the bark of Cinnamomum cassia, hotter and sharper than true Ceylon cinnamon, and in fact the "cinnamon" most commonly found in grocery aisles. It is named among the anointing spices of Exodus, which speaks to how prized that heat once was. In modern practice it is almost entirely a diffuser oil: on skin it is one of the most irritating oils in common use, so it warms a room rather than a routine.