Essential Oils: Carrot Seed Oil
Essential oils have become so common place in our home that I can’t even count the ways we use them. They’re in first aid kits, bedside tables, bathrooms, our cars, in our soap and shampoo and facial cleansers. We use them to soothe symptoms and support healthy immune function when we don’t feel well, to refresh a room when something burned on the stovetop, to clean pen and marker off things, in diffusers at night and when we travel so we can be prepared for whatever might happen along the way.
Essential oils are distilled plant parts that result in this pure, aromatic, potent liquid, that while not oily per say, is a concentration of the plant’s natural defenses in the palm of your hand. The oils are comprised of what’s known as “chemical constituents” that exist in various combinations within different plants, yielding various characteristics and benefits that can then be utilized for our own health and wellness.
One of my summer staple oils is carrot seed oil which comes from the seeds of the wild carrot plant with a latin name of daucas carota. This is not to be confused with carrot oil (which is rich in Vitamin A). While I don’t mind the smell at all, my kids think it smells terrible. However, it’s known antioxidant concentration is what makes it an exceptional summer choice for applying to skin that will be exposed to the sun. I began applying the oil diluted in jojoba oil to my face prior to a spring trip to the beach, and then wished I’d been applying it to the rest of my body after a day of too much sun. I try to do an application at least once a week to reap the skin supporting benefits this oil has to offer.
Carrot seed oil has historically been used for digestive support in traditional medicine, but studies of this oil and knowledge of it’s chemical constituents demonstrate analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties. (1)
We like to purchase this from our friends a The Healthy Place and especially love the details and recipes they share in the description.
