(Litsea cubeba) Traditionally used to support healthy breathing, circulation, appetite and digestion function. It is beneficial to the skin, may soothe nervous tension and deter insects.
May Chang is sometimes used in place of Lemongrass, as the aroma is preferable to most yet the desirable citral content is virtually the same.
May Chang blends well with citrus oils, especially Lemon. Research Evaluation of Antifungal Activity and Mechanism of Action of Citral against Candida albicans NCBI
Inhalation: Diffuse or use a personal Nasal Inhaler. Diffused, it makes a nice, clean room freshener.
Internal: May Chang is suitable for internal use within safe parameters if such use is deemed appropriate. Internal use is cautioned during pregnancy and when using drugs metabolized by CYP2B6 and diabetes medication. The maximum daily oral dose during pregnancy is 56mg, which is about 2 drops (Tisserand/Young). We feel that internal use is rarely *needed* and should only be used with respect for how concentrated the oils are. HEO does not advocate internal use of essential oils without appropriate knowledge and understanding of how to administer, for what purpose, how much, which essential oils, safety concerns and so on. In our experience, essential oils are generally more effective used topically with proper dilution or inhaled. Kurt Schnaubelt, Ph.D. notes that "French aromatherapy literature contains many references to using oils orally." He goes on to note that "generally 1 drop is always enough when ingesting essential oils." A potential toxicity hazard could occur when untrained people use essential oils orally and ingest too much. Keep in mind that while medical doctors or health care practitioners may prescribe essential oils for internal use, they are trained and experienced in the safe application of essential oils. It is not a matter of using "French" or "British" methods, it's a matter of experience and appropriate application. (Click here for more information about internal use.)
Diabetes Medication and Pregnancy: Caution Orally. Avoid oral use during pregnancy or lactation.*
Skin Sensitizer: Contains Citral, which is a strong sensitizer. Avoid use on broken skin, hypersensitive, diseased or damaged skin. Suggested dilution for topical use: 4 drops per fluid ounce (0.7%). It is high in aldehydes and is generally not used on children under 2 years of age.
Avoid contact with the eyes and other sensitive areas. Essential oils are both lipophilic and hydrophobic. Lipophilic means they are attracted to fat— like the membranes of your eyes and skin. They are also hydrophobic, meaning they do not like water. Applying a carrier oil will create another fat for the essential oil to be attracted to other than the membranes of the eyes or skin. Tisserand suggests: "With essential oils, fatty oil has been suggested as an appropriate first aid treatment, though the advantage of saline [eyewash] is that the eyes can be continually flushed, and this is less easy with fatty oil.” We are not aware of a case where essential oil in the eyes caused permanent injury or long-term discomfort, but if you feel concerned, please call your health care provider. *Robert Tisserand reported at a Clinical Safety Aromatherapy conference (2013) that there is a possibility that Citral (in May Chang/Litsea Cueba) may affect tooth and bone development in the fetus. "Citral impairs reproductive performance in female rats by reducing the number of ovarian follicles (Toaff et al 1979). The effect, however, was seen only after a series of six monthly ip injections at a dose of 300 mg/kg. This is equivalent to injecting ~ 25mL of lemongrass oil into a woman's abdomen. Based on other research, we have restricted citral exposure in pregnancy" (Tisserand, Robert; Young, Rodney, Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals, Elsevier Health Sciences UK 2nd Edition 2014, pages 149).
