Although carrot seed oil has been removed from the orange ubiquitous vegetable it should not be replaced by mistake with the macerated carrot oil which is cheaper.
This essential oil has healing natural properties, that have been known since the time of Indians and ancient Greeks. Read more information about carrot seed oil as well as how to benefit from it.
What Is Carrot Seed Oil?
Carrot seed oil is made from wild carrot seeds after they are dried. Wild carrot (Daucus carota) belongs to the Umbelliferae or Apiaceae family.
The plant is an annual or biennial, has hairy leaves and the umbels have lacy white flowers and the centers are purple. Popularly the plant is called wild Queen Anne’s lace although its origin is related to Egypt, India and France.
The consistency of carrot seed oil is viscous, the color is yellowish-brown and the fragrance is earthy, distinct woody and root-like.
Uses of Carrot Seed Oil
In Chinese traditional medicine, carrot seed oil has been used for treating dysentery and for expelling worms. However, it is also often used:
- Into spicy sauces and foods in most of the Asian cuisines
- Added with other oils to give a woody fragrance note in aldehydic and oriental perfumes
- As a bath or massage oil for easing the muscle pain
- As a lotion to effectively and naturally moisturize and tan the skin
Carrot Seed Oil’s Composition
The main chemical constituents of carrot seed oil include a-pinene, camphene, b-pinene, sabinene, myrcene, y-terpinene, limonene, b-bisabolene, geranyl acetate and carotol. It blends well with a wide range of essential oils, whether it’s botanical, citrus or spicy oils. These include juniper, bergamot, lavender, lime, lemon, geranium and cedarwood oils.
The carrot seed oil primarily does contain carotene, which is a pigment, but does not have vitamins E and A or pro-vitamin A, that can be found in the carrot’s root.
Benefits of Carrot Seed Oil
Carrot seed oil is essential oil that is underappreciated. However, it is known for its carminative, antiseptic, cytophylactic, diuretic, depurative, vermifuge (anti-parasitic) and emmenagogue properties. Below are some of the other health well-known benefits of carrot seed oil:
- It is helpful for healing boils, abscesses and other disorders of the skin
- Rejuvenates, tightens and nourishes skin
- It helps to alleviate pain during menstruation cycle
- Helpful for stimulating appetite
- Helpful for treating ulcers
- It is helpful for improving gall bladder and liver disorder, hepatitis, enteritis and colitis
- Assists in stimulating the lymph system
- Helpful for production of milk in breast of women after childbirth
- Helps to ease hiccups, flatulence and colic
- Helpful for relieving jaundice and kidney stones
Carrot seed oil is used widely in aromatherapy or vapor therapy as an anxiety and stress buster that is brilliant and an enhancer of digestive and respiratory functions which is very efficient. Find articles on aromatherapy and read which essential oils are best for some health problems you or someone you know has.
How to Make Carrot Seed Oil
The extraction of carrot seed oil from the dried seeds is done with steam distillation. Due to the ability to preserve the nutrients that are valuable very effectively the method is used most commonly.
The most essential oil is produced by the carrot seeds. However, the other parts of the carrot can be also used. Sometimes, the dried seeds are being crushed before the steam distillation process.
The process during which the plant material is being steamed is for stimulating the release of the molecules that are aromatic. It is crucial to carefully control the temperature – it should be high enough to extract the essential of the carrot seed, but not too high to burn the material.
How to Use this Essential Oil?
To avail yourself of carrot oil’s positive skin benefits, you can use it topically by applying a few drops of the essential oil on the affected area. Don’t forget to mix your carrot seed oil with a with a carrier oil like coconut or olive oil for protection from its potential photo-sensitization and the other effects of its undiluted strength.
Others are suggesting to dilute carrot seed oil (3-4 drops) in water and to take it orally at least three times per day to feel its healing characteristics for digestive and respiratory issues. You should seek your doctor’s advice before orally taking carrot seed oil or, in this case, any type of essential oil. This is to prevent undesirable health results.
Is Carrot Seed Oil Safe?
According to “Leung’s Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients,” carrot seed oil is nontoxic. But as it is known like the other essential oils, pregnant women should not ingest the carrot seed oil.
If pregnant women consume carrot oil it can cause bleeding. This as well applies to people with an epilepsy’s history.
In case you or someone familiar has epilepsy, you should know not to use any essential oil (particularly in aromatherapy), because it can be a trigger for over-stimulation. That may cause more serious problems and adverse reactions.
Side Effects
It is said that carrot oil itself have only few side effects in case it is used properly, the wild carrot (the parent plant), was found to increase risks of sun sensitivity due to its high furanocoumarin content, which has photo-sensitizing effects. Also, it has been reported that it causes occupational dermatitis and hypersensitivity reactions.
You should not use carrot seed oil on the skin without making a mixture with an oil used as carrier like olive oil, coconut oil, hemp seed oil or sunflower oil. It is better to stay indoors or to cover parts of the body not less than 72 hours after you have applied it on the skin.
However, it is better to perform a test on the skin. Apply a drop of the carrot seed oil on a small part of the skin. Wait for 24 hours for reaction. If there is any sign of irritation of the skin occurs, stop using it immediately.
The overdose with carrot seed oil can cause convulsions and vomiting. It is suggested that a holistic natural practitioner should be consulted before the incorporation of carrot seed oil into the treatment so that the side effects are avoided.
Via: OilHealthBenefits
