Turmeric Essential Oil

Curcuma longa L.

Introduction

Turmeric Essential Oil is distilled from the vivid orange, flavorful and fragrant rhizomes (roots) of the Turmeric plant. It has a wonderfully spicy aroma that lovers of fresh turmeric and ginger will likely appreciate.

Turmeric belongs to the Zingiberaceae plant family. Ginger, Plai and Cardamom also belong to the Zingiberaceae plant family.

I typically don't use Turmeric Essential Oil on its own. Although I love the zesty aroma of turmeric, I find that its essential oil is best appreciated when blended with other essential oils. It can help to enhance the aroma of dull smelling essential oil blends and is beautiful when used in very minute amounts in fragrances intended for men. It is a warming oil, and I love adding a touch of Turmeric Essential Oils to autumn and winter blends. See the Insights on Aromatic and Emotional Uses for Turmeric Essential Oil section below for more info.

Turmeric Essential Oil can be included in blends intended to support healthy digestion as well as emotional wellness. I like to use such blends in a personal inhaler.

Although Turmeric Essential Oil contains only trace amounts of Curcumin, it does contain a group of sesquiterpenes known as turmerones. The turmerones contribute to Turmeric Oil's ability to help ease muscular and joint pain when used carefully in topical blends.

See the Turmeric Essential Oil Benefits and Uses section below for more information.

Does Turmeric Essential Oil or CO2 Contain Curcumin?

Curcumin is often considered the most beneficial component present in whole turmeric. Curcumin is largely responsible for the turmeric's anti-inflammatory properties and its vivid gold yellow - orange hue.

Whole turmeric contains approximately 2-9% curcumin, according to a Harvard Health Publishing Writer at Harvard Medical School.¹

Despite curcumin being a lipophilic (fat soluble) compound, the various GC/MS reports that I've read show that Turmeric Essential Oil contains only a trace amount of curcumin, if any.

According to PubChem, the molecular weight of curcumin is 368.4.² Steam distillation is the process used to produce most essential oils, including Turmeric Essential Oil. The molecular weight of curcumin is heavier than most constituents present in steam distilled essential oils and is likely the reason why Turmeric Essential Oil is not a good source of curcumin.

Distillation of Dried vs. Fresh Turmeric

Steffan Arctander indicates that Turmeric Essential Oil is generally distilled from dried turmeric.³

Most current suppliers that I have looked into do not identify if the Turmeric Oil they offer is distilled from the fresh or dried rhizome. The Turmeric Essential Oils that I have experienced smell like they are indeed distilled from dried turmeric. I would expect that Turmeric Essential Oil that is distilled from the freshly harvested rhizomes would have a fresher and even more vibrant aroma.

Where Does Turmeric Essential Oil Originate?

Turmeric Essential Oil is produced from the rhizomes (roots) of a small flowering plant (Curcuma longa L.) that belongs to the Zingiberaceae plant family. Ginger also belongs to the same plant family.

Turmeric is native to India. It also grows abundantly in other regions of Asia.

Most Turmeric Essential Oil is distilled from turmeric that was harvested in India, but I have also seen other Asian countries as the country of origin.

Does Turmeric Essential Oil Go By Any Other Names?

Above: A flower in bloom from a turmeric plant.

Within his insightful book Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin, Steffan Arctander refers to Turmeric Essential Oil as Curcuma Oil.

Most suppliers, however, consistently refer to the essential oil distilled from the rhizome of the Turmeric plant (Curcuma longa L.) as Turmeric Essential Oil.

Turmeric Essential Oil Benefits and Uses ^4,5,6

• Allergies
• Indigestion
• Inflammation
• Pain
• Muscular Aches
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Depression

Insights on Aromatic and Emotional Uses for Turmeric Essential Oil

Turmeric Essential Oil is a stimulating oil with a spicy and earthy aroma that can help to add depth and balance out bland essential oil blends.

Turmeric Essential Oil adds a subtle, zesty and earthy characteristic to blends and products intended for men and those seeking more masculine aromas.

I particularly love blending Turmeric Essential Oil with Fresh Ginger Essential Oil as they complement each other nicely.

Jennifer Pressimone indicates that it may be beneficial for these mental and emotional conditions:⁶

• Anxiety
• Depression
• PTSD
• Fatigue
• Focus
• Self-Confidence
• Anger and Bitterness
• Despair
• Fear
• Frustration

For chakra applications, Turmeric Essential Oil is aligned with the Sacral Chakra and Solar Plexus.

Botanical Name

Curcuma longa L.

Plant Family

Zingiberaceae

Common Method of Extraction

Turmeric Essential Oil is typically steam distilled.

Turmeric CO2 Extract is also available.

Plant Part Typically Used to Produce the Oil

Root (Rhizome)

Robert Tisserand and Tony Burfield both refer to Turmeric Leaf Oil. I haven't experienced the oil myself, but Tony Burfield mentions that many samples he has worked with has a "urinic and unpleasant odour" and is not of interest in the field of purfumery.^7,8

Color

Golden to Brown

Viscosity (Thickness and Consistency)

Turmeric Essential Oil tends to be slightly thicker in viscosity, but it is still easy to work with.

Perfumery Note

Middle

Strength of Initial Aroma

Medium

Aromatic Description

Turmeric Essential Oil has a zesty, spicy, earthy aroma.

Turmeric Essential Oil Blends Well With These Essential Oils

• Australian Sandalwood
• Black Pepper
• Cardamom
• Clove
• Coriander
• Frankincense
• Ginger
• Mandarin
• Nutmeg
• Pink Pepper
• Sweet Orange
• Virginian Cedarwood

The above list is intended to guide you to what other essential oils smell nice when blended with Turmeric Essential Oil.

Aromatically, Turmeric Essential Oil also blends wonderfully with most other ###spice essential oils and many wood essential oils.

Sustainability and Conservation Status

Data Deficient

Turmeric is classified by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as being Data Deficient.⁹

This indicates that there isn't enough data for the IUCN to classify Turmeric into a conservation status category. Therefore, Turmeric is not presently classified as being at risk or endangered at the time of this writing. However, without sufficient data available to the IUCN, they have not ruled out the possibility that it could become more scarce in the future.

To learn more about the conservation status of essential oil bearing plants and how to use the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, please refer to AromaWeb's Guide to Essential Oils and Sustainability.

Major Constituents

• Tumerone
• ar-Tumerone
• Zingiberene
• a-Phellandrene
• B-Sesquiphellandrene
• ar-Curcumene

See Essential Oil Safety for more complete list of typical constituents.

Source: Private Communication: Teubes, 2003. Toussaint, Chemical Composition of Curcuma longa L. and Curcuma xanthorriza Roxb., PhD Thesis, University of Hamburg, 1982. Sources cited in Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 221-222.¹⁰

Turmeric Essential Oil Safety Information

Tisserand and Young indicate that Turmeric Essential Oil may cause a drug interaction with diabetes medication.

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), 458.¹¹]

Turmeric CO2 Extract

Turmeric Total CO2 Extract is available from some suppliers.

As expected, the aroma of Turmeric Total CO2 Extract smells more spicy and more closely of that of the fresh rhizomes than does Turmeric Essential Oil.

For information about CO2 Extracts, View AromaWeb's Introduction to CO2 Extracts.

Turmeric Essential Oil References

• ¹Turmeric benefits: A look at the evidence. As seen on August 24, 2024 in Harvard Health Publishing® of The President and Fellows of Harvard College.
• ²Curcumin. As seen on August 24, 2024 in National Library of Medicine.
• ³Steffen Arctander, Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin (Reprint Edition. Elizabeth, NJ: Pathfinder., 2017), 203.
• ⁴Valerie Ann Worwood, The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, 25th Anniversary Edition (Novato, CA: New World Library, 2016), 628.
• ⁵Jennifer Peace Rhind, Aromatherapeutic Blending (London and Philadelphia: Singing Dragon, 2016), 250-251.
• ⁶Jennifer Pressimone, JennScents(R) Holistic Aromatherapy Comprehensive Guide (Clermont, FL: JennScents, Inc., 2015), 163.
• ⁷Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 457-458.
• ⁸Tony Burfield, Natural Aromatic Materials: Odours & Origins, Second Edition (Tampa, FL: The Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy, 2016), 356.
• ⁹Curcumin. As seen on August 24, 2024 in IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
• ¹⁰Private Communication: Teubes, 2003. Toussaint, Chemical Composition of Curcuma longa L. and Curcuma xanthorriza Roxb., PhD Thesis, University of Hamburg, 1982. Sources cited in Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 221-222.
• ¹¹Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 458.

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

View Shelf Life Information

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.