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Carrot seed oil is a type of essential oil. It’s extracted via steam distillation from the seeds of the Daucus carota plant.
This flowering plant, known for its white blossoms and carrot-scented roots, is also called wild carrot and Queen Anne’s lace.
Carrot seed oil is sometimes confused with carrot oil, which is made from a mixture of crushed carrot roots immersed in a carrier oil, such as olive or coconut oil. Carrot oil isn’t an essential oil, however. It is a vegetable oil.
A third type of oil, cold pressed carrot seed oil, is cold pressed from the carrot seeds and is also not an essential oil. It’s used in cosmetics for anti-aging properties in skin care.
Carrot seed essential oil has shown antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. What it doesn’t have are the vitamins and nutrients provided by carrots, since it is not to be taken internally.
Like other essential oils, carrot seed oil isn’t meant to be ingested. In this way, it differs from carrot oil, which is a vegetable oil often used for cooking.
When you mix carrot seed essential oil with a carrier oil, you can apply it to your skin. Several laboratory studies and anecdotal evidence indicate that carrot seed essential oil has a number of properties that may be beneficial when used this way.
Antibacterial
A recent
These include Listeria monocytogenes, which causes listeriosis infections, and Staphylococcus aureus, responsible for staph infections. It had a smaller degree of effectiveness against E-coli and Salmonella.
Researchers attribute the effectiveness to the levels of a chemical compound called alpha-pinene in carrot seed essential oil. They also acknowledged that differences in concentrations of the chemical compounds in carrot seed essential oil can change the oil’s antibacterial properties.
Antifungal
Research suggests that carotol, another chemical compound in carrot seed essential oil, reduces the activity of fungi that affect plant growth.
Another
Antioxidant
An
Pro-aging support
A
Gastroprotective
Alpha-pinene was found to reduce the incidence of gastric ulcers in an
Anti-inflammatory
Anecdotal reports indicate that carrot seed essential oil has anti-inflammatory properties and is soothing to the skin and scalp.
Since essential oils aren’t meant for ingestion, and many carrot seed essential oil studies were done in vitro or on animals, it’s important to consult a doctor before you use it to treat an infection or illness.
It’s also advisable to dilute carrot seed essential oil with a carrier oil before applying to your skin or scalp.
There are other at-home treatments that might be as effective or better at replenishing and soothing skin as carrot seed essential oil. They include:
- Lavender essential oil can be used topically as an anti-inflammatory and for wound healing.
- Tea tree oil has anti-inflammatory properties. You can also use it for different skin irritations.
- Rosehip seed oil, a fixed (nonessential) oil, soothes symptoms of eczema.
- Argan oil improves skin elasticity, hydrate skin, and treat infections.
- Avocado oil protects and hydrates skin and shields it from ultraviolet radiation.
Carrot seed essential oil has promising potential as an antibacterial and antifungal agent. It may be beneficial for hard-to-treat infections and for wound care.
Carrot seed essential oil is often confused with carrot vegetable oil, but the two have different properties.
Carrot seed essential oil, like all essential oils, should always be diluted with a carrier oil prior to using it on your skin. You also shouldn’t ingest it.
Shop for carrot seed oil and carrier oils online.