What is it?
An essential oil from the camphor tree, Cinnamomum camphora, an evergreen in the laurel family native to India, China and South Korea. The EU ingredient database describes it as the volatile oil from the bark and lists it as a fragrance, skin-conditioning and tonic ingredient. Bark oil is rich in camphor, a compound that is toxic if swallowed, especially for young children.
Key information
- In one analysis, camphor made up about 51 percent of camphor tree bark oil.
- A U.S. poison-center guideline recommends emergency care for anyone who swallows more than 30 mg per kilogram of body weight of a camphor-containing product, or who develops symptoms such as convulsions.
- New products placed on the EU market since August 2026 must name camphor on the label above 0.001 percent in leave-on or 0.01 percent in rinse-off products.
More information
Camphor trees come in several chemical varieties, and the oil’s makeup depends on the variety and on which part of the tree is distilled. A 2022 review describes leaf oils dominated by camphor, linalool, 1,8-cineole, borneol or isoborneol. In one analysis cited in the review, bark oil was about 51 percent camphor, while oil from the fruit contained 29 percent safrole, a compound the review notes is carcinogenic. The label name does not tell you how much camphor or safrole a given oil contains.
The main danger is swallowing it. Camphor can cause seizures, and a 2018 case report and review notes that it can be fatal to infants and children even in very small amounts. A U.S. poison-center guideline counted about 10,000 ingestion exposures to camphor-containing products a year in national data from 1990 through 2003. It recommends emergency care for anyone who swallows more than 30 mg per kilogram of body weight of a camphor-containing product, and for anyone with symptoms such as convulsions, lethargy or severe vomiting after exposure by any route, including skin contact and breathing it in. Less camphor is absorbed through the skin than when it is swallowed.
Camphor is also one of the fragrance allergens the EU now requires to be named on labels of new products. We found no CIR or SCCS safety assessment of camphor tree oil as a cosmetic ingredient.
Reality check: small amounts of camphor oil in a lotion or soap used by adults are a different matter from a child swallowing a camphor balm. Store camphor-containing products out of children’s reach, and if a child swallows one, call a poison center, which can judge whether emergency care is needed.
Sources: Molecules (2022): Phytochemistry and applications of Cinnamomum camphora essential oils; Clinical Toxicology (2006): Camphor poisoning, an evidence-based practice guideline for out-of-hospital management; Journal of Emergencies, Trauma, and Shock (2018): Camphor poisoning, a rare cause of acute symptomatic seizures in children; EUR-Lex: Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 on labelling of fragrance allergens