Carrot Seed Essential Oil

Carrot seed essential oil isn't the same as carrot oil. Let's get that clear! Carrot seed essential oil comes from the seeds of the wild carrot plant (which you may know as Queen Anne's lace or bishop's lace)... It doesn't come from the carrots we love to eat.

Actually, the carrots we eat are a subspecies of the wild carrot plant. So yes the two are related. But the properties of carrot seed essential oil and carrot oil are very different.

In fact, let's get into the properties, benefits and uses of carrot seed essential oil right now.

Quick Glance at Carrot Seed Essential Oil
Pros: Carrot seed essential oil is antibacterial, antifungal and larvicidal.
Cons: -
Precautions: This oil isn't advised for use by pregnant women. And, as with all other oils, check with your doctor before using this essential oil.

Properties of Carrot Seed Essential Oil

It's important to know about the properties of this essential oil. So here's a little more about its names, color, smell and chemical composition.

Name

You've already seen that we are talking about wild carrot here and not the vegetable. And you've also seen wild carrot is sometimes called Queen Anne's lace and bishop's lace.

But you should also look out for the botanical name when buying this essential oil. Wild carrot's botanical name is Daucus carota.

Note: the carrots we eat are a subspecies of wild carrot so its botanical name is similar. It is Daucus carota subsp. sativus.

Color & Scent

Carrot seed essential oil typically has a yellow to light brown color. And it has a unique scent. You can say it's more earthy and woody.

Compounds

The chemical composition of carrot seed essential oil varies considerably. In a 2007 report, carrot seed essential oil was found to contain over 66% of carotol as well as daucene, alpha-farnesene, germacrene-D, trans-alpha-bergamotene and beta-selinene. In another study done in 2013, it was reported carrot seed oil contained almost 40% of beta-bisabolene together with sabinene, geranyl acetate, and elemicin.

So it is clear there is tremendous variability in the chemical composition of carrot seed essential oil.

Benefits of Carrot Seed Essential Oil

There are only a handful of studies that specifically look at the benefits of wild carrot seed essential oil.

But there are also a few that explore the benefits of wild carrot oil extract (like this one) and extracts of wild carrot seeds (like this one). But here's the thing. Wild carrot oil extract or even extracts of the seeds aren't the same as wild carrot seed essential oil. I mean essential oils contain the volatile components whereas the oil extracts can contain these plus heavier, non-volatile compounds. So they can't all be grouped as the same thing.

That doesn't mean wild carrot seed essential oil won't have some of the benefits as wild carrot oil extract or extract of wild carrot seeds. It just means it hasn't been proven yet.

That being said, here are a few scientifically proven benefits specific to carrot seed essential oil.

1. It is antibacterial

There are several studies that demonstrate carrot seed's antibacterial benefits.

For instance, a 1999 study showed that carrot seed essential oil (at concentrations under 2mg/L) was effective against multi-drug resistant bacteria like Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus.

But, carrot seed isn't among the most powerful antibacterial essential oils... It's no lemongrass or oregano.

Still, another more recent study in 2002 showed carrot seed oil was active against the bacteria: Campylobacter jejuni, Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica. The study went on to identify geranyl acetate as the compound that may be responsible for these effects.

2. It is anti-fungal

Here's another benefit of carrot seed essential oil... It's anti-fungal. That is according to the 1999 study mentioned above and this 2013 study.

Both studies investigated the effects of the oil against the yeast, Candida albicans. And both showed that carrot seed essential oil was pretty effective against the fungi species.

3. It is larvicidal

A 2015 study explored the effects of 12 essential oils on the larvae of the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus).

Of the essential oils tested, carrot seed along with ajowan, caraway, celery, cumin, dill and parsley essential oils had the most impressive results. These oils killed over 90% of the larvae at concentrations of 0.1 mg/mL.

That's 0.1! So clearly, carrot seed essential oil is a pretty potent larvicide. The study went on to identify carotol as the compound responsible for these benefits.

Note:

Other studies using wild carrot oil extracts and extracts from wild carrot seeds have shown antioxidant and anti-cancer benefits. But remember, we can't say that those benefits translate to the seed essential oil. It just doesn't work that way.

So the confirmed, scientifically proven, irrefutable benefits of carrot seed essential oil are it's antibacterial, anti-fungal and larvicidal.

Uses of Carrot Seed Essential Oil

The proven benefits of carrot seed essential oil are a little limited. But that's ok you can still use the oil in your diffuser or in your massage blend. Here's more...

Inhaling

You can add 2-3 drops of carrot seed essential oil to your diffuser for an earthy, woody smell. Carrot seed also pairs well with many other essential oils, especially citrus, floral and spicy oils. That means you can blend lemon, lime, bergamot, and even lavender and geranium essential oils with carrot seed.

Massaging

Of course, you can also add carrot seed essential oil to your massage blends... But the oil (like all other essential oils) must be 'patch-tested' and properly diluted. A 5% concentration should be the strongest blend you apply to your skin. That works up to be about 5 drops per 5mL of carrier oil like jojoba or apricot kernel oil.

More Precautions

Carrot seed essential oil isn't advised for pregnant women. So be sure to check with your health care professional before using this or any other essential oil. This is very important for nursing women as well along with anyone taking medications. Be safe!

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