Skip to content
Cart

Your cart is empty

Continue shopping
Ingredient Directory · Woods & Resins

Cedar: the nobility of wood

A sacred tree of the Atlas and Lebanon, cedar (Cedrus atlantica) exhales a timeless woody scent. In cosmetics, its extract is prized by combination skin and provides the scalp with a woody freshness — the majesty of the mountain, handled with discernment.

Balancing Purifying Woody Scalp Atlas
✦ Get my skin diagnostic See balancing skincare
Botanical still life of cedar, premium natural ingredient for the skin, dark botanical luxury NOPAL LIFE visual

In images

Proprietary NOPAL LIFE visuals — botanical luxury identity.

Botanical still life of cedar, premium natural ingredient for the skin, dark botanical luxury NOPAL LIFE visual
Botanical still life
Flat lay view of cedar, premium natural ingredient for the skin, dark botanical luxury NOPAL LIFE visual
Flat lay view
Light staging of cedar, premium natural ingredient for the skin, dark botanical luxury NOPAL LIFE visual
Light staging
Macro close-up of cedar, premium natural ingredient for the skin, dark botanical luxury NOPAL LIFE visual
Macro close-up

In brief

INCI Name
Cedrus Atlantica Bark Extract
Origin
Vegetable — Atlas cedar wood
Family
Woods & resins · balancing
Forms
Extract · essential oil (diluted)
Functions
Balancing · purifying (appearance) · woody
Skin types
Combination · oily · scalp

What cedar brings to the skin

Four sensory and aesthetic benefits traditionally attributed to the woody extract of Cedrus atlantica.

Refined texture

Appreciated by combination skin to help unify skin texture and lighten the shiny appearance of the T-zone.

Woody purity

Renowned as purifying since Antiquity, it helps maintain a clear appearance on skin prone to shine.

Scalp comfort

Traditionally associated with hair care, diluted, for a feeling of freshness and cleanliness.

Noble sensoriality

Its warm, amber, and dry woody signature scents exceptional skincare products.

Light staging of cedar, premium natural ingredient for the skin, dark botanical luxury NOPAL LIFE visual

Why we chose it — and our precautions

This Atlas tree connects our Algerian roots to beauty: the same mountain that watches over the prickly pears shelters these millennial, slow-growing trees on high-altitude soils. We choose it from sustainable and traceable supply chains — because the species, like the Lebanese cedar (Cedrus libani), is on the IUCN Red List. We use it as a dosed extract or diluted essential oil — never pure — to support the balanced appearance of combination skin, with the nobility it embodies.

A useful guide to choose wisely: many oils sold as "cedarwood" are actually Virginia juniper (Juniperus virginiana), not a true Cedrus. We always check the botanical name on the INCI.

Discover our balancing skincare

How to integrate it into your routine

Step 1

Balancing care
Extract diluted in a skincare product for combination skin.

Step 2

Scalp
As a diluted hair treatment for scalp freshness.

Step 3

Always diluted
Essential oil is never used pure: 1% maximum.

Step 4

Nutrition (evening)
A few drops of prickly pear oil.

How to properly dose this essential oil

For facial use, do not exceed 1%. Counting approximately 20 drops per milliliter, here are the guidelines for preparing your own blend in a vegetable oil (prickly pear, jojoba...).

Vegetable oil 1% Dose Drops of essential oil
10 ml 0.1 ml 2 drops
30 ml 0.3 ml 6 drops
5.1 ml 0.5 ml 10 drops
100 ml 1 ml 20 drops

Never use pure on the skin. Perform a patch test on the inner elbow 24 hours prior. For safety, essential oils are not recommended during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and for young children.

NOPAL LIFE synergistic skincare

Selected to support balance.

Gel nettoyant purifiant à l'Aloe vera — NOPAL LIFE

Purifying Cleansing Gel with Aloe Vera

€23.88
View product
Tonique éclat à l'eau de rose & acide lactique — NOPAL LIFE

Radiance Tonic with Rose Water & Lactic Acid

€23.88
View product

Recommended pairings

With Jojoba

The balance for combination skin and scalps.

Discover jojoba

With Rosemary

The woody duo for scalp comfort.

Discover rosemary

With Prickly Pear

Balance then nourish: the nobility of the Atlas.

Discover prickly pear
Patented Tool · NOPAL LIFE

NOPAL LIFE Skin Intelligence™

Free skin diagnosis · 11 questions · your personalized routine in 3 minutes.

Take my free diagnosis
NOPAL LIFE Skin Intelligence Diagnosis — personalized skin analysis

Frequently Asked Questions

Can cedar essential oil be used pure?

No: like all essential oils, it should always be diluted to a maximum of 1% — about 2 drops per 10 ml of vegetable oil — or used in pre-formulated skincare products. Pure, it is too concentrated for the skin.

What skin types is it suitable for?

Combination to oily skin, whose texture it helps to unify, and oily scalps, to which it brings freshness and comfort according to tradition.

Does cedar have hair benefits?

Yes, this is one of its historical uses: as a diluted treatment, it helps maintain a sensation of freshness and cleanliness for the scalp.

Which cedar for cosmetics?

Atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica) is the most commonly used, for its balancing woody extract. It is chosen from sustainable sources, as the species is classified as "Endangered" on the IUCN Red List.

Read more in the Skin Guide

Combination Skin: The Bi-zone Routine

Managing two skin types in one.

Read the article

Rosemary: Complete Guide

The other woody ally for the scalp.

Read the article

Cleansing for Combination to Oily Skin

Balance and freshness.

Read the article

Source: IUCN, Red List of Threatened Species (2013 assessment), for conservation status.

Information provided for cosmetic and educational purposes; it does not constitute medical advice.

Deepen your knowledge in the Skin Academy

Understand the science of this ingredient and integrate it into your routine:

Rédigé et vérifié par Azzedine Bouguerra, founder of NOPAL LIFE · Mis à jour le 11/06/2026 · Charte cosmétique : aucune allégation médicale