Clove Oil Uses + 9 Health Benefits
Clove oil uses are incredibly impressive, ranging from improving blood circulation and reducing inflammation to helping acne and boosting gum health. One of the best-known clove oil uses is to reduce the pain associated with dental problems. Even mainstream toothpaste makers agree that clove oil reduces the pain and swelling that comes with a toothache.
In addition to being a proven anti-inflammatory and pain reducer, one of the common clove oil uses is as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial to keep countless diseases at bay, which is why it can be such a wise choice for boosting your immune system as well as a powerful addition to homemade cleaning products.
Are you ready to learn about all of the amazing clove oil uses?
Plant Origin of Clove Oil
Indigenous to Indonesia and Madagascar, clove (Eugenia caryophyllata) can be found in nature as the unopened pink flower buds of the tropical evergreen tree. Picked by hand in late summer and again in winter, the buds are dried until they turn brown. The buds are then left whole, ground into a spice or are steam-distilled to produce clove essential oil.
The island of Zanzibar (part of Tanzania) is the world’s biggest producer of cloves. Other top producers include Indonesia and Madagascar. Unlike most other spices, clove can be grown throughout the entire year, which has given native tribes that use it a distinct advantage over other cultures because the health benefits can be enjoyed more readily.
Cloves can be anywhere from a half-inch to three-quarters of an inch in length. They generally are composed of 14 percent to 20 percent essential oil. The main chemical component of the oil is eugenol, which is also responsible for clove oil’s strong fragrance. In addition to its common medicinal uses (especially for oral health), eugenol is also commonly included in mouthwashes and perfumes, and it’s also employed in the creation of vanillin.
9 Clove Oil Benefits
The health benefits of clove oil are vast and include supporting the health of your liver, skin and mouth. Here are some of most common medicinal clove oil uses today:
1. Skin Health and Acne
Scientific research demonstrates clove oil’s ability to effectively kill off both the planktonic cells and biofilms of a bacteria called Staphylococcus aureus or S. aureus. What does this have to do with skin health and, more specifically, acne? S. aureus is one of several strains of bacteria that have been scientifically linked with the pathogenesis of acne.
As a natural remedy to eliminate acne, take 3 drops clove oil and mix with 2 teaspoons raw honey. Mix together and wash your face as usual.
2. Fights Candida
One of the most powerful clove oil uses is fighting candida — which is something that I have spoken of at length — and something that continues to plague Americans because of their high-sugar, acidic diets.
Published in the journal Oral Microbiology & Immunology, a study was conducted to see how clove fared against other antifungal treatments and observed that it was as effective as nystatin, a drug commonly prescribed to manage yeast infections of the mouth (thrush), which has a slew of ugly side effects.
Also, in addition to eliminating candida, clove essential oil is effective at killing intestinal parasites. I personally recommend it as an effective treatment for a short-term parasite cleanse.
To do a candida or parasite cleanse, you can take clove oil internally for two weeks, but I recommend being under the care of a physician or nutritionist when doing so. Also, consume large amounts of probiotic-rich foods and/or take a probiotic supplement and make sure to eliminate processed sugarand grains.
3. Toothache Relief
One of the most well-known clove oil uses, as a remedy for toothaches, was first documented in 1640 in the French “Practice of Physic,” although there is reason to believe that the Chinese were applying this homeopathic remedy for over 2,000 years.
Today, clove is widely accepted as a reliable solution for dry socket and for relieving the pain and discomfort associated with various dental disorders. The Journal of Dentistry, for instance, published a study in 2006 proving that clove essential oil had the same numbing effect as benzocaine, a topical agent commonly used before needle insertion.
Additionally, research has suggested that clove oil has even more far-reaching effects. The Indian Department of Public Health Dentistry recently conducted a study that evaluated clove’s ability to slow tooth decalcification, or dental erosion, compared to eugenol, eugenyl-acetate, fluoride and a control group. Not only did clove oil lead the pack by significantly decreasing decalcification, it was observed that it actually remineralized teeth.
This study highlights yet again that the so-called benefits of fluoridating our water supply and mainstream dental products is not worth the risk. As I have covered at length in previous articles, why take the risk of using a fluorideproduct, when clove can accomplish the same goal? If you haven’t already, check out my article for an easy, healthy Remineralizing Toothpaste Recipe, which includes clove oil and will help you steer clear of the dangers of fluoride products!
4. High Antioxidant Content
Second only to raw sumac bran, ground clove has the astounding ORAC value of 290,283 units! This means that per gram cloves contain 30 times more antioxidants than blueberries which have a value of 9,621.
In a nutshell, antioxidants are molecules that reverse the damage caused by free radicals, including cell death and cancer. Research has shown that antioxidants slow aging, degeneration and protect the body against bad bacteria and viruses.
Because of its high antioxidant count and eugenol levels, clove is also known as the ultimate “protective” herb and has been used in essential oil blends such as “Thieves” oil.
5. Digestive Aid and Ulcer Helper
One of the traditional clove oil uses has been for the treatment of common complaints related to the digestive system, including indigestion, motion sickness, bloating and flatulence (accumulation of gas in the digestive tract).
Research also demonstrates that clove oil may be able to help when it comes to ulcer formation in the digestive system. A study using various animal models published in 2011 finds that clove oil has both gastro-protective and anti-ulcer properties. The oil of cloves significantly enhanced gastric mucus production, which protects the lining
6. Powerful Antibacterial
Clove oil has been shown to inhibit gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria as well as yeast. This is huge, especially since gram-negative bacteria are often resistant to antibiotics and other antibacterial interventions.
To evaluate its effectiveness as an antibacterial agent, researchers from the University of Buenos Aires set out to determine which bacteria are most sensitive to clove’s potency. According to their study, clove has the greatest antimicrobial ability over E. coli and also exerted considerable control over Staph aureus, which causes acne, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which causes pneumonia.
7. Immune System Booster
There’s a good reason why clove oil is included in the Four Thieves Oil Blend. With its potent antibacterial and antiviral abilities, clove oil can help boost the immune system to fight off, or even prevent, the common cold and flu. With its potent ability to kill the offenders that make us sick, clove oil is commonly highlighted as a top natural remedy for guarding yourself from illness, especially during cold and flu season.
8. May Help Lower Blood Pressure and Boost Heart Health
If you’re struggling with high blood pressure, or hypertension, clove oil may be able to help. Animal research published in 2015 in the British Journal of Pharmacology reveals that the eugenol found in clove oil may be able to dilate major arteries in the body while also reducing systemic blood pressure. The study concludes, “Eugenol may be therapeutically useful as an antihypertensive agent.”
A scientific study also isolated another impressive active compound of cloves called acetyl eugenol. The researchers found acetyl eugenol to be a “potent platelet inhibitor” in human blood cells, which means it prevents the clumping together of platelets in the blood.
Platelet aggregation (platelets clumping together) is one of the factors that lead to the formation of a thrombus or blood clot.
This is definitely a significant finding since antiplatelet, or blood thinning, medications are commonly used to treat coronary heart disease and to reduce the risk of heart attack. Clove is known to act as a natural blood thinner, so much so that it’s not recommended to combine clove oil with other conventional blood thinners.
9. Anti-inflammatory and Liver Protective
Although it has been suspected for centuries to treat inflammatory conditions, the Journal of Immunotoxicology just recently published the first-ever study proving that the eugenol in oil of cloves is indeed a powerful anti-inflammatory.
This study demonstrates that low doses of eugenol can protect the liver against disease. It was also observed that eugenol reverses inflammation and cellular oxidation (which speeds the aging process). In addition, researchers noted that taking large doses internally could harm the digestive lining and using it externally can irritate sensitive skin. So, as with all essential oils, it’s important not to overdo it! (18) Clove oil (and all essential oils) are extremely concentrated, so remember that a little truly goes a long way.
History of Clove Oil
History tells us that the Chinese have used clove for more than 2,000 years as a fragrance and spice. Cloves were brought to the Han dynasty of China from Indonesia as early as 200 BC. Back then, people would hold cloves in their mouths to improve breath odor during audiences with their emperor.
Clove cultivation used to occur pretty much exclusively in Indonesia until late in the 1700s when the French smuggled cloves from the East Indies to the Indian Ocean islands and the New World.
Clove oil was also one of the main essential oils that protected people from getting the bubonic plague in Europe. A group of robbers was caught by the the king and he asked them why they weren’t ill or dead from the plague exposure they said it was because they covered themselves with this protective blend of oils (“thieves oil”), which included clove.
The ancient Persians supposedly used clove oil as a love potion.
Meanwhile, Ayurvedic healers have long-used clove oil to treat digestive issues, fever and respiratory problems. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, clove is highly acclaimed for its antifungal and antibacterial abilities. The list of clove oil uses throughout history really goes on and on, but I’ll stop there.
Today, clove oil continues to be used in numerous products for health, agricultural and cosmetic purposes.
Clove Oil Uses
As you can see so far, there are so many clove oil uses! Adding some cloves or clove oil to your health regimen is a great way to naturally boost your antioxidant levels.
If you want to harness the health benefits of clove essential oil, consider diffusing it in your home to clean the air. Diffusing it is an especially helpful method of using clove oil for improving immune health and blood pressure.
Have a a toothache? Put a few drops of clove oil on a cotton swab and apply the oil directly to the gums around the painful tooth. If you find the clove oil to be too strong, you can dilute it with coconut oil or olive oil. If you don’t have any clove oil on hand, a whole clove can work well, too, by putting it in your mouth near the problem area and letting it remain there until you feel some relief.
Clove oil makes a great addition to homemade personal care products like deodorant and and toothpaste. It’s also a potent antibacterial ingredient to add to homemade cleaners.
If you’re exposed to people with a cold or flu, you can mix it with coconut oil and rub it on your neck and chest for natural antioxidant protection. For high blood pressure, you can also dilute it with coconut oil and apply it to your wrists.
Due to its strength, clove oil should be mixed with a carrier oil like coconut oil or other gentle oils for most topical applications and only used for short periods of up to two weeks internally.
Possible Side Effects and Caution
Clove is known to slow down blood clotting due to its eugenol content. Clove is known to interact with blood thinning medications such as anticoagulant/antiplatelet drugs and for this reason should not to combined with such drugs.
Dilution of clove oil with a carrier oil like coconut is recommended for topical use. Using the oil undiluted on skin can cause irritation. When taking clove oil internally, do not use for longer than two weeks consecutively. When taking cloves essential oil internally, I always recommend taking a probiotic supplement twice daily to restore beneficial flora.
Clove essential oil is typically not recommended for use with children under the age of 2. Talk to your doctor before using clove oil internally or externally if you are pregnant, nursing or being treated for any ongoing health concerns.
Always make sure you are using a 100 percent pure, organic and therapeutic grade clove essential oil.
Clove Oil Key Points
Clove essential oil is high in antioxidants and has potent anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal properties, making it effective for a large variety of common health concerns including toothaches and candida.
Clove oil uses include the natural treatment of acne, the common cold, influenza, high blood pressure and digestive complaints.
Clove oil can be used externally or internally depending on the health concern. For high blood pressure and cold/flu relief, try diffusing clove oil in your home or office.
Make sure to dilute clove essential oil before using it topically and don’t take it internally for longer than two weeks at a time. Make sure to also supplement with a probiotic during that time to retain a healthy balance of bacteria since clove oil is such a potent natural remedy.
