Ginger Essential Oil (Zingiber officinale)

Method of Extraction: Steam distillation.

Plant Part Used: Root.

Color: Light yellow.

Consistency: Thin.

Perfumery Note: Middle/Base.

Strength of Initial Aroma: Medium – Strong.

Aromatic Description: Warm, spicy, earthy and woody.

Uses: Aching Muscles. Arthritis. Nausea. Indigestion. Poor Circulation. Nervous Exhaustion.

Source: Julia Lawless, The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Updated Edition) (London: Harper Thorsons, 2014), 101-102.

Major Constituents: Zingiberene. ar-Curcumene. B-Sesquiphellandrene. B-Bisabolene. Camphene. B-Phellandrene. Borneol. 1, 8-Cineole. B-Elemene.

Source: B.M. Lawrence, Progress in Essential Oils. (Perfumer & Flavorist 20 no. 2, 1995), 55. Source cited in Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 295.

Safety Information

Tisserand and Young do not indicate any known hazards for Ginger Essential Oil. Some sources do indicate that Ginger Oil is phototoxic. However, Tisserand and Young state that "Low-level phototoxic effects reported for ginger oil are not considered significant (Opdyke 1974 p. 910-902)." Reading Tisserand and Young's full profile is recommended. [Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 295.]

This essential oil poses a higher risk of causing irritation and sensitization when used in the bath. Avoid using it in the bath, even if it is solubilized/diluted.