Caraway Seed Essential Oil
Carum carvi
Description
Caraway seeds lend unique flavor and are widely utilized within culinary applications including pickles, breads and cheeses.
Caraway Seed Essential Oil is not used within holistic aromatherapy as widely as other essential oils. However, its distinctive aroma makes a wonderful addition to natural aromatherapy and fragrancing blends. When combined with other essential oils, Caraway Seed Oil really shines. Although it is well suited for blends intended for either men or women, it's worth emphasizing that it Caraway Seed Oil is a wonderful addition to blends especially formulated for men.
Therapeutically, Caraway Seed Essential Oil can act as an expectorant and is helpful in diffuser blends intended to ease the symptoms of colds or bronchitis.
Caraway Seed Essential Oil is an uplifting, energizing oil that is nice to include in morning and energizing blends.
Caraway Seed Essential Oil Benefits and Uses
- Bronchitis
- Coughing
- Laryngitis
- Colds
Source: Julia Lawless, The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Updated Edition) (London: Harper Thorsons, 2014), 61.
Botanical Name
Plant Family
Common Method of Extraction
Steam Distilled
Plant Part Typically Used
Color
Clear
Consistency
Thin
Perfumery Note
Middle
Strength of Initial Aroma
Medium
Aromatic Description
Caraway Seed Essential Oil smells sweet, spicy, herbaceous and fruity.
Major Constituents
- (+)-Carvone
- (+)-Limonene
- B-Myrcene
Source: B.M. Lawrence, Essential Oils 1988-1991 (Wheaton: Allured Publishing, 1995), 202. B.M. Lawrence, Progress in Essential Oils. (Perfumer & Flavorist 27 no. 3, 2002), 58-59.Sources cited in Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 231.
Caraway Seed Essential Oil Safety Information
Tisserand and Young do not indicate any special precautions when using Caraway Seed Oil. However, they precaution to avoid use of the oil if it has oxidized. Reading Tisserand and Young's full profile is recommended. [Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 231.]
Caraway Seed CO2 Supercritical Select Extract
In addition to being available as an essential oil, this botanical is available from a small number of reputable sources as a CO2 extract. CO2 extracts offer many advantages. However, they can have differing safety precautions than essential oils because the natural chemistry of CO2 extracts can differ from their essential oil counterparts. Not much safety information is documented from trusted sources for CO2 extracts. Use CO2 extracts with great care and do not assume that every CO2 extract has the same safety precautions as its essential oil counterpart.
General Safety Information
Do not take any oils internally and do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin without advanced essential oil knowledge or consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. For general dilution information, read AromaWeb's Guide to Diluting Essential Oils. If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children and be sure to first read the recommended dilution ratios for children. Consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children, the elderly, if you have medical issues or are taking medications. Before using this or any essential oil, carefully read AromaWeb's Essential Oil Safety Information page. For in-depth information on oil safety issues, read Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young.
Shelf Life
Important Information About the Profiles
The essential oil information provided on AromaWeb is intended for basic educational purposes only. The references to safety information, test results, constituents and percentages is generalized information. Essential oils can vary greatly in composition. The data is not necessary complete and is not guaranteed to be accurate. The essential oil photos are intended to represent the typical and approximate color of each essential oil. However, essential oil composition and color can vary based on harvesting, distillation, age of the essential oil and other factors. Profiles for several CO2 Extracts and absolutes are included within the directory, and are denoted as such.
