Caraway Essential Oil

Caraway (or meridian fennel) and its seeds have been used for thousands of years in the East. But, for whatever reason, caraway essential oil is hard to find. That's really unfortunate considering it has exceptional digestive and immunity boosting properties. Nevertheless, here's a look at caraway essential oil.

Quick Glance at Caraway Essential Oil

Pros: Caraway oil relieves pain, inflammation and digestion; boosts immunity; and neutralizes free radicals.

Cons: Most EO brands do not carry caraway essential oil by itself.

Precautions: Pregnant women should seek medical advice before using this essential oil.

Properties of Caraway Essential Oil

Before buying this oil, you should know how it looks and smell like. Below are some useful details about caraway essential oil.

Name

Caraway's botanical name is Carum carvi. You should see this name on the bottle. And note this name is pretty close to ajowan's: Carum copticum.

Color & Smell

Caraway essential oil is colorless but may have a pale yellow tinge, depending on how old the oil is (the darker the oil, the older it is). It also has a spicy, peppery scent, similar to cumin.

Components

The main compounds in caraway oil are limonene (which makes up about 45% of the oil), carvone (30%), and apiol (21%).

Benefits of Caraway Essential Oil

The components of this oil are incredibly good for your body. Here are just some of the benefits of caraway essential oil.

1. Caraway eases pain

Smell your pain away with caraway oil! One study asked patients suffering from lower back pain to smell the vapors of caraway seeds (which are used to make the essential oil). The results were undeniable. Caraway was very effective in relieving their pain.

2. It reduces inflammation

Studies also show caraway oil is effective for rheumatism patients and those suffering from acute inflammation. And you can probably find caraway extracts in muscle rubs and other anti-inflammatory products.

3. It is antioxidant

Besides inflammation, caraway essential oil also fights against oxidative stress and free radicals which can damage your skin, make it look older, and even cause skin cancer.

4. It eases digestion

For thousands of years, caraway seeds have used to ease digestive issues. Today, the main compounds of caraway (carvone and limonene) have been proven to calm the digestive tract, reduce spasms, protect mucus membranes and prevent ulcers.

5. It boosts immunity

Carvone and limonene are also known for improving immunity. In fact, studies have shown both compounds are able to increase white blood cell counts, anti-body production, and anti-body producing cells. So you should use caraway oil to boost your own immunity and quickly get over the flu.

6. It kill microbes

Caraway has antibacterial and anti-fungal activity. But it is considered only average when compared to the powerful antimicrobial oils like lemongrass and oregano.

7. It fights bugs

Specific studies have used caraway oil to kill termites, weevils, beetles, mosquitoes and dust mites. These studies prove caraway is an effective insecticide, fumigant, and acaricide. So you can use the oil to kill insects and spiders and keep them off you and out of your home.

Uses of Caraway Essential Oil

There are not many brands selling caraway essential oil by itself. I only found two on Amazon. And a few sell blends containing caraway. That's such a pity for this awesome essential oil.

If you do get your hands on caraway oil, you can add 3-5 drops to your vaporizer or to 1 teaspoon of carrier oil (makes a 3-5% mix) to ease your pain and calm your stomach. You can also blend caraway with spicy and citrus oils like black pepper, coriander, ginger, orange, and mandarin.

If you are trying caraway oil for the first time, please do a skin patch test. Caraway isn't known to cause any irritation but it is still important to test it. Follow these guidelines for help on patch testing.

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