Sassafras oil is an essential oil steam-distilled from the root bark of the sassafras tree (Sassafras albidum), a species native to the eastern United States. About 80% of the oil is made up of safrole, a compound that gives it a distinctive warm, spicy aroma but also makes it toxic and potentially cancer-causing. Once a common ingredient in root beer and folk remedies, sassafras oil is now banned as a food additive in the United States and classified as a controlled chemical precursor by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Where Sassafras Oil Comes From
The sassafras tree grows across a wide swath of the eastern U.S., from southern Maine down to Florida and as far west as Iowa and Texas. It belongs to the laurel family, the same botanical group as cinnamon and camphor trees. The oil is extracted primarily from the root bark through steam distillation, a process that uses heat and water vapor to pull volatile compounds out of plant material. The resulting oil is a yellowish liquid with a root-beer-like smell that comes almost entirely from its high safrole content.
Safrole itself isn’t unique to sassafras. It also appears in smaller amounts in the essential oils of cinnamon, nutmeg, camphor, and black pepper. But sassafras root bark is one of the most concentrated natural sources, which is why the oil became both commercially valuable and, eventually, a safety concern.
Traditional and Commercial Uses
Before regulators stepped in, sassafras oil had a long history in American food and medicine. It was the original flavoring behind root beer, giving the drink its signature taste from at least the 1800s through 1960. Sassafras root tea was a widespread folk remedy, especially in the rural South, where people brewed it as a spring tonic believed to “clean out your system.” The oil also found its way into soaps, perfumes, and topical liniments.
None of these uses are considered safe today. Modern root beers rely on artificial flavorings that mimic the taste without the safrole. The shift happened after animal studies in the mid-20th century linked safrole to liver cancer, prompting regulators to pull sassafras-derived ingredients from the food supply.
Why Sassafras Oil Is Banned
The FDA banned safrole as a food additive in 1958, and the agency later extended that ban specifically to sassafras bark used in teas and beverages. The decision was based on clear evidence from animal studies. Safrole caused liver tumors in both mice and rats across multiple experiments, through different routes of exposure, including dietary intake and direct administration during infancy. The National Toxicology Program classifies safrole as “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen” based on this body of evidence.
The concern isn’t limited to long-term cancer risk. Sassafras oil is acutely toxic when swallowed, even in relatively small amounts. Symptoms of poisoning include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, rapid or pounding heartbeat, low blood pressure, dizziness, hallucinations, and in serious cases, unconsciousness. The oil can damage the liver and kidneys, and recovery from that organ damage may take months. Applied directly to skin, it can cause chemical burns.
DEA Regulation as a Drug Precursor
Beyond the health risks, sassafras oil is tightly controlled because safrole is a starting material for manufacturing MDMA (commonly known as ecstasy or molly). The DEA classifies safrole as a List I chemical under federal law, the same category used for other substances with high potential for diversion into illegal drug production. Essential oils rich in safrole, including sassafras oil and a product called “brown camphor oil” or Chinese sassafras oil, fall under the same restrictions.
It is illegal to possess or distribute safrole if you know, or have reasonable cause to believe, it will be used to manufacture MDMA. Businesses that handle safrole-containing products are subject to DEA reporting requirements. This regulatory layer means that even outside of food and medicine, buying or selling sassafras oil in any significant quantity can attract law enforcement attention.
Safety in Aromatherapy
Some essential oil sellers still market sassafras oil for aromatherapy use, but mainstream aromatherapy safety experts consider it carcinogenic and advise against using it. The Tisserand Institute, a widely referenced authority on essential oil safety, groups sassafras oil alongside a small number of essential oils regarded as genuinely cancer-causing rather than merely irritating or sensitizing. It sees very little legitimate use in modern aromatherapy practice.
If you encounter sassafras oil sold online or at a market, treat it as a product with real toxicity risks rather than a harmless natural remedy. Ingesting it is dangerous, applying it to skin undiluted can burn, and prolonged exposure of any kind carries cancer risk from the safrole content. The nostalgic appeal of sassafras tea or homemade root beer doesn’t change the chemistry involved.