Carrots have been around the Middle East and throughout Europe for centuries. The Greeks and the Romans were well aware of the medicinal properties of the oil from carrots. Vitamin A and carotene were identified by early alchemists who used a mixture of carrot seed oil, bergamot, and lemon oil to treat a variety of skin and stomach disorders. The oil is harvested from wild carrot seeds using steam distillation. The plant is also the source for carrot oil.
The familiar edible root, which is unmistakably orange, was actually developed by the Dutch during the 17th century. The wild flower that Westerners call Queen Anne’s lace, which decorates bouquets and fills fields with specs of tiny white flowers, was brought to America by English settlers. The leaves are finely detailed and the flowers appear in tiny cluster with a purple floret in the center.
Carrot seed oil may be the most underrated essential oil in aromatherapy, but there’s nothing but wellness surrounding this powerful detoxifier and skin rejuvenator. Its soft earthy smell initiates the stress-relieving characteristics in the oil, and when the oil is applied to the skin epidermal cells are stimulated, which keeps wrinkles in check. Carrot seed oil is known for its ability to alleviate skin problems like acne, eczema, psoriasis, ulcers, weeping sores, and boils.
The therapeutic properties of this essential oil are antiseptic, diuretic, carminative, depurative, hepatic, stimulant, vermifuge, and tonic. The oil has a detoxifying effect on the liver, so it fights jaundice while cleaning the digestive system as well as all other essential systems in the body.
Carrot seed oil strengthens the mucous membranes, and can help alleviate arthritis, gout, rheumatism, and edema symptoms. This essential oil is well known for revitalizing the skin. Rashes, eczema, and dermatitis are treated with carrot seed oil and the results have been well documented.
The oil is an essential ingredient in vapor therapy, which boosts the respiratory system. When the oil is massaged into the skin or diluted in a bath it relieves muscle pain and increases the production of red blood cells. When carrot seed oil is blended with bergamot, juniper, lavender, lemon, lime, cedarwood, geranium, and other citrus and spicy oils, the results range from complete body detoxification to relieving fluid retention, which helps anorexia sufferers.
Essential carrot seed oil is non-toxic, but should be avoided during pregnancy. It’s a natural skin toner and tanning agent, so it’s the perfect anti-aging oil as well as an anti-wrinkle agent. Even though it is not promoted as a “Fountain of Youth,” the Romans and Greeks thought it was, and that thought is still in the minds of people around the world.
