Turmeric oil is derived from turmeric, which is well-known for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-microbial, anti-malarial, anti-tumor, anti-proliferative, anti-protozoal and anti-aging properties. Turmeric has a lengthy history as a medicine, spice and coloring agent. Turmeric essential oil is an extremely impressive natural health agent just like its source — one that appears to have some of the most promising anti-cancer effects around.
Turmeric benefits also come from its health-promoting vitamins, phenols and other alkaloids. Turmeric oil is considered to be a strong relaxant and balancer to the body.
Given all of these beneficial components, it’s no surprise turmeric essential oil has been shown to hold the following health benefits.
Turmeric Essential Oil Plant Origin and Chemical Composition
What is turmeric exactly? Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a perennial herbaceous plant of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae). The turmeric plant grows to a height of about three feet and has yellow flowers. The root is bright orange with a thin brownish skin. Native to southern India and Indonesia, turmeric is cultivated on the mainland and in the islands of the Indian Ocean.
Turmeric essential oil is derived from the plant’s tuberous rhizomes, or underground roots. The essential oil is typically obtained from the turmeric root through CO2 or steam distillation using the solvent hexane. You ideally want a turmeric oil that is CO2-extracted. Turmeric essential oil is yellow in color and has an interesting scent that can be described as sweet and woody with notes of spice.
The most abundant components of turmeric essential oil are aromatic turmerone (25.3 percent), a-tumerone (18.3 percent) and curlone (12.5 percent). Other constituents include caryophyllene (2.26 percent), eucalyptol (1.60 percent) and a-phellandrene (0.42 percent). These components of turmeric essential oil make it extremely potent when it comes to naturally fighting an impressive variety of serious health concerns.
Turmeric Essential Oil History and Interesting Facts
The use of turmeric dates back nearly 4,000 years to the Vedic culture in India, where it was used in cooking as well as religious ceremonies. Turmeric most likely reached China by 700 A.D., East Africa by 800 A.D., West Africa by 1,200 A.D. and Jamaica in the 18th century.
In 1280, Marco Polo described turmeric and was impressed that it exhibited qualities very similar to that of saffron. The plant was called Indian saffron during the Middle Ages because of its orange-yellow color.
According to Sanskrit medical treatises and Ayurvedic and Unani systems, turmeric has a long history of medicinal use in South Asia. Topically speaking, turmeric essential oil is traditionally used as an antiseptic and in natural skin care to discourage acne and facial hair in women. You can also mix a carrier oil like coconut oil with a drop or two of turmeric oil for hair and scalp concerns like dryness and dandruff.
Present day, turmeric is widely cultivated in the tropics and goes by many different names in various cultures and countries. The name turmeric derives from the Latin word terra merita (“meritorious earth”), referring to the color of ground turmeric, which resembles a mineral pigment.