Carrot seed oil is an essential oil derived from the seeds of the Daucus carota plant that is primarily used in aromatherapy. It has a warm, earthy aroma and is thought to provide a variety of health benefits, including stress and anxiety reduction. The carrot seed oil has antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties that may improve skin health and appearance when mixed with a carrier oil or cream emulsion.
Carrot seed oil is not to be confused with carrot oil, which is derived from crushed carrot roots and can be used in cooking. Carrot seed oil is only for external use as an essential oil.
What Is Carrot Seed Oil?
Carrot seed oil is extracted by steam distillation from carrot seeds. White flowers bloom on the carrot plant, Daucus carota or D.sativus. Some people may experience allergic skin reactions as a result of the leaves. Wild carrots are considered weeds, whereas carrots grown in your garden are considered root vegetables. Cold-pressed carrot seed oil is also available. This is a fatty carrier oil pressed from seeds that are not the same as an essential oil. This is primarily used in skincare and is frequently confused with carrot seed essential oil.
You may also notice a carrot oil infusion. This is the process of soaking carrot root in an oil such as olive oil or coconut oil for some time and then straining it. This method extracts the compounds from the root and suspends them in the fatty oil. These are commonly used in cooking for flavoring.
Benefits of Carrot Seed Oil
· Remove the fungus. Some types of fungus are resistant to carrot seed oil. According to research, it can prevent the growth of fungus in plants as well as some types that grow on the skin.
· Some bacteria strains, such as Staphylococcus aureus, a common skin bacteria, and Listeria monocytogenes, a bacteria that causes food poisoning, can be combated by carrot seed oil.
· Block sunlight. A compound called umbelliferone, or 7-hydroxycoumarin, is found in carrot seed essential oil. This compound absorbs UVB light and is commonly used in sunscreens.
· While carrot compounds are found in sunscreen, there’s no evidence that Carrot seed oil is safe to use alone as a sunscreen. While it might block UVB light, no evidence shows that it can stop sunburns or sun damage, or protect against skin cancer.‌
· Even skin tone. Because carrot seed oil absorbs UVB light, it might also help with hyperpigmentation.