Camphor
Camphor is an isolated compound rather than a whole plant drug.
| Substance type | Isolated compound or extract, not a whole plant drug |
|---|
The evidence at a glance
10papers on this site for this drug, published 2001 to 2026, 9 with a DOI.
- 3Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
- 7Other clinical studies and reviews
A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Camphor |
What is it made of?
The marker compounds are listed under Dosage forms and preparation, below.
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: External Taila (medicated oil), Balm/ointment, Inhalation (steam/vapor), Lepa (paste), Internal use: highly restricted (1-2mg doses only, purified Bhimseni Kapoor)
Standard Dosage: EXTERNAL: 1-5% in balms/oils; steam inhalation: 1-2 crystals in hot water. INTERNAL: 60-125mg purified camphor (Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia); CAUTION: internal use only under expert supervision, toxic at >500mg doses.
Optimal Timing: External application as needed for pain/congestion; steam inhalation at bedtime for respiratory relief; internal use: only as prescribed by qualified Vaidya
Storage: Airtight containers essential, sublimes at room temperature. Keep away from heat and flame. Separate from food products. Child-proof packaging mandatory. Store below 25°C in well-sealed glass or HDPE containers.
Marker Compounds: d-Camphor (1,7,7-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.1]heptan-2-one), Borneol, Camphene, 1,8-Cineole, Alpha-pinene, Safrole (in crude oil, must be below limits)
Synergistic Combinations
- With Nilgiri Taila (eucalyptus oil) for chest rub decongestant formulations
- With Menthol for analgesic balms
- With Sesame oil as base for anti-inflammatory Taila
- With Ajwain for digestive and carminative vapors
- With Guggulu in certain traditional formulations
Published research
Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses3
- 2022. The most important medicinal plants affecting sperm and testosterone production: a systematic reviewJBRA assisted reproduction. PMID 35234023 · doi:10.5935/1518-0557.20210108
- 2021. Possible role of Unani Pharmacology in COVID-19 - a narrative reviewReviews on environmental health. PMID 33155997 · doi:10.1515/reveh-2020-0106
- 2006. Compound salvia pellet, a traditional Chinese medicine, for the treatment of chronic stable angina pectoris compared with nitrates: a meta-analysisMedical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research. PMID 16369479
Other clinical studies and reviews7
- 2026. Camphor's Therapeutic Uses and Potential Hazards: An In-Depth Review of Its Medicinal ApplicationsMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 41752424 · doi:10.3390/molecules31040648
- 2026. Review of Cinnamomum camphora Seed Kernel Oil: Extraction, Composition, Health Benefits, Safety, and Food ApplicationsComprehensive reviews in food science and food safety. PMID 41940721 · doi:10.1111/1541-4337.70476
- 2022. Phytochemistry and Applications of Cinnamomum camphora Essential OilsMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 35566046 · doi:10.3390/molecules27092695
- 2021. Understanding Humma-e-Wabai (epidemic fever) and Amraz-e-Wabai (epidemic disease) in the light of Unani medicineJournal of complementary & integrative medicine. PMID 33544515 · doi:10.1515/jcim-2020-0124
- 2020. Overview of herbal and traditional remedies in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis based on Traditional Persian MedicineDermatologic therapy. PMID 32401415 · doi:10.1111/dth.13566
- 2013. Camphor--a fumigant during the Black Death and a coveted fragrant wood in ancient Egypt and Babylon--a reviewMolecules (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 23666009 · doi:10.3390/molecules18055434
- 2001. Evaluation of Ophthacare eye drops--a herbal formulation in the management of various ophthalmic disordersPhytotherapy research : PTR. PMID 11746845 · doi:10.1002/ptr.896
Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.
Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.
Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.