The trees yielding the oil are found throughout Maritime Southeast Asia and over the hotter parts of the Australian continent.
[3][4] The oil is prepared from cajeput leaves and twigs macerated in water, and steam distilled after fermenting for a night.
The resulting oil is extremely pungent, flammable, and has the odor of a mixture of turpentine, eucalyptus and camphor.
[clarification needed] If successful, pain management using cajeput oil may work by causing surface warmth and irritation through the help of a chemical called cineole, which is employed topically as a counterirritant.
With regard to direct application, cajeput oil can be applied to large areas of skin (after completing a patch test), minor wounds, scratches, and rashes.