Description
Cumin seed essential oil is steam distilled from the dried seeds of Cuminum cyminum, an annual herb in the parsley family native to the Eastern Mediterranean and South Asia, now one of the world’s most widely used spices. Cumin is a foundational ingredient in Middle Eastern, Indian, Mexican, and North African cuisines and has been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years.
Cumin seed essential oil has a warm, spicy, herbal, and somewhat earthy aroma with a distinctive “curry-like” quality. The main aromatic constituents include cuminaldehyde (cuminal) and other aldehydes and terpenes, which together create its characteristic warm, dry, pungent spice note. The aroma is quite powerful and distinctive, and cumin oil should be used sparingly in blends.
In aromatherapy, cumin seed essential oil is used in small amounts in warming and digestive support blends. It is also valued in natural perfumery where its distinctive spice quality can add depth and character to oriental and spice-based fragrance compositions. It blends well with coriander, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and citrus oils, and with earthy base notes like vetiver and patchouli.
Cumin seed essential oil is phototoxic and should not be applied to skin exposed to sunlight. Use in very low dilutions (0.4% or less for skin application). This 10ml bottle is suitable for use in diffusers and well-diluted blends. Not for internal use. Avoid sun exposure after skin application.
