Sweet Bay
| Botanical Name | Laurus nobilis |
| Botanical family | Lauraceae |
| Origin | Greece |
| Method | Complete distillation by steam distillation |
| Plant part | Sheets |
| Note | |
| Appearance | limpid mobile liquid |
| Color | pale yellow to yellow |
| Odor | fresh, powerful, with spicy notes |
| Biochemical composition of the essential oil | Monoterpene alcohols (15–25%): linalool, alpha-terpineol, terpinen-4-ol Oxides (35–45%): 1,8-cineole Monoterpenes (15%): pinenes, sabinene Esters (10%): terpinyl acetate, terpinyl formate Phenols (3–5%): eugenol Lactones (3%): costunolide |
| Therapeutic properties | Anticatarrhal, expectorant and mucolytic +++ Wide spectrum anti-infective +++ Antispasmodic +++ Powerful analgesic +++ Anti-putrefactive +++ Reduces bruising ++ |
| Main therapeutic indications | All conditions affecting the mouth: gingivitis, mouth ulcers, stomatitis, toothache +++ Influenzas and ENT and pulmonary catarrh +++ Acne, boils, abscess in any location +++ Peptic ulcers, venous leg ulcers +++ Pressure sores, bedsores +++ Fungal infections of the skin and nails +++ Intestinal putrefaction, flatulence +++ |