Carrot seed oil? Like from a carrot? As deceiving as it might be, carrot seed essential oil has nothing to do with the orange vegetables to which we are accustomed.
Carrot seed essential oil is commonly mistaken for carrot oil, which is an oil infused with actual carrots and is not an essential oil.
On the contrary, this unique, essential oil has powerful benefits, some of which might surprise you!
We’ll share what carrot seed essential oil actually is, including its origin and how it is extracted. We’ll also cover the benefits and uses of carrot seed essential oils and tell you about a couple of essential oil brands that have good ratings and reviews so you can try out this oil for yourself!
We’ll wrap up by covering a few frequently asked questions about carrot seed essential oil so that you’ll be ready to experiment with this wonderful essential oil yourself!
Table of Contents
What is Carrot Seed Essential Oil?
Like we mentioned in the intro of this article, carrot seed essential oil, also known as daucus carota or wild carrot seed oil, has nothing to do with carrots! Carrot seed essential oil comes from a flowering plant called Queen Anne’s Lace. The reason that this plant is sometimes known as Carrot Seed is that the roots smell like carrots, and the leaves of this plant resemble those of wild carrots.
Don’t expect to find an orange vegetable at the root, though. These plants have flowers that resemble lace and often have a solitary purple dot in the center. The flowers resemble lace and are a cluster of small white flowers that open and close to allow pollination – truly amazing.
The Origin and History of Carrot Seed Essential Oil
It is believed that carrot seed or Queen Anne’s Lace originally came from Afghanistan but quickly spread to Europe and Asia.
Legend has it that Queen Anne’s lace earned its common name from Queen Anne of England pricking her finger and having a drop of blood land in the center of her lacework, much like Queen Anne’s Lace plant has a purple spot in the middle.
How Carrot Seed Essential Oil is Extracted
Like most essential oils, carrot seed essential oil is extracted via steam distillation. Steam distillation takes place in a sealed still where steam is forced over the plant to create a mixture of water and oils from the plants.
When the process is complete, it is easy for the oil from the plant to be collected from the surface of the mixture; this is because water and oil naturally separate.
This process of steam distillation is typically better than cold pressing because of its excellent ability to preserve valuable nutrients in the plant matter.
Queen Anne’s Seeds
In the case of carrot seed essential oil, the dried seeds of Queen Anne’s Lace is most frequently used to create essential oils. This is because they produce the highest amount of essential oil. Sometimes, the dried seeds of the wild carrot plant are crushed before being steam-distilled. Other parts of the plant can be used to make carrot seed oil as well, but they do not contain as high a concentration of oil, so this process is less efficient.
Once this oil is extracted, it can be bottled and put to use in some of the ways we will discuss below!
Benefits of Carrot Seed Essential Oil
Anti-Aging Skin Benefits
Many beauty products contain carrot seed oil for its anti-aging claims.
There is some research that backs up these claims of carrot seed essential oil. One study stated that the antioxidative properties of this oil make it a potential skin rejuvenator, which is great news for people with mature skin or people that just love skincare.
While the research is limited, this is still a promising finding that supports traditional claims made by skincare and haircare companies.
How to Use
If you do want to try out carrot seed oil on the skin, try combining it with a lotion or carrier oil and applying it to the affected area. If you suffer from dry or sensitive skin in the wintertime, you may enjoy the moisturizing benefits of three drops of carrot seed oil mixed with a carrier oil, such as coconut oil or jojoba oil.
Anti-Fungal Benefits
Something that has been scientifically researched more is one particular fungus that carrot seed oil can destroy, and that fungus is dermatophytes. When affected by dermatophytes, individuals will see problems with their hair, skin, and nails.
Topically using carrot seed oil may be able to help reduce dermatophytes. One research study showed that when treated with carrot seed oil, dermatophytes were drastically reduced or eliminated in the test group.
Anti-Bacterial Benefits
Escherichia coli is one of the bacteria that carrot seed oil can effectively kill, and there’s research to back it up! In one research study, carrot seed oil reduced the number of bacteria overall. Of course, if you think that you might have an e.coli infection, you should seek immediate medical attention because if left untreated, this can result in kidney failure and even death.
Salmonella is another bacteria that can affect the digestive system. This bacteria is estimated to cause over a million foodborne illnesses just in the United States.
This bacteria is a common culprit of food poisoning, resulting in diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, and more unpleasant digestive issues
Carrot seed oil may be able to assist in alleviating symptoms of salmonella, but it is best to seek a medical professional first as in some cases salmonella may become serious and require hospitalization.
The Best Carrot Seed Oils
Plant Therapy Carrot Seed Oil
Plant Therapy is a reputable brand for essential oils, and this oil has reviews supporting its efficacy.
One thing that a lot of customers note is the pungent smell of this essential oil. Most of them seem okay with it because its benefits and concentration make up for it!
Edens Garden
Edens Garden is a great and highly favored brand by many avid essential oil users. They have great customer service and GC/MS reports of each of their essential oils, which ensures the purity and therapeutic value of each oil.
The scent of their carrot seed oil is very earthy; don’t let that scare you off though! The skin and hair care benefits of this oil are worth it! Many customers rave about how incredible this oil is for many different skin concerns and really see a huge difference in their skin after using this oil.
Precautions
One precaution to note is that pregnant women should not use carrot seed oil. Some individuals say that this is because their hormone levels were significantly altered after using carrot seed oil. If you do want to use this oil while you are pregnant, your best bet is to seek the counsel of your healthcare professional.
Additionally, make sure to always dilute your carrot seed oil with a carrier oil. If you are new to this oil make sure to perform a small patch test before application to ensure that you don’t experience possible skin irritation.
Does carrot seed oil contain vitamin a?
One important thing to mention here is that carrot seed oil is often mistaken for having Vitamin A, and Vitamin K. Carrot seed oil does NOT contain these vitamins.
Can carrot seed oil be used to replace sunblock?
In short no. One study looked at carrot seed oil mixed with other herbs to serve as a natural sunscreen, but the study did not prove that carrot seed oil on its own has a significant enough SPF to be used as a sunscreen.
What does carrot seed oil smell like?
The fragrance of carrot essential oil is woodsy, earthy, and warm.
What does carrot seed essential oil blend well with?
Most people agree that carrot seed essential oil blends well with cedar, cinnamon, geranium, lemon, and grapefruit .