John Myers
Our ancestors made clove oil themselves hundreds of years ago – and for good reason. The medicinal properties of the carnation, which incidentally was named Medicinal Plant of the Year in 2010, have been known for a long time.
Make clove oil yourself – you need this for the DIY use
Making clove oil yourself is worthwhile in several ways. Unlike in the past, clove blossoms are no longer worth their weight in gold, but finished clove oil does not necessarily fall into the inexpensive category. With a small, fairly manageable amount of DIY work, you not only save money in the long run, you also always have fresh clove oil at hand.
- Before you get started, it is important to note that you cannot use conventional clove flowers for your homemade clove oil. The flowers of the clove tree are required for the clove oil. The Syzygium aromaticum belongs to the myrtle family and its flowers are characterized by their essential oils. These are ultimately the reason why clove oil is used for medicinal purposes.
- For the self-made clove oil you first need either clove blossoms or alternatively ground cloves in powder form. You decide how strong the clove oil should be. The more cloves you use, the more essential oils your self-made clove oil contains and the stronger the effect will ultimately be.
- In addition to the cloves, you also need a so-called carrier oil. Almond or olive oil works well for the clove oil. Otherwise you need a darkened glass, for example an amber glass that you can get in any pharmacy.
- It is best to later distribute the clove oil between two or three smaller, darkened glasses and remove the oil with a pipette. In this way, contamination when removing the clove oil can be contained quite well.
- You will also need a cheesecloth or alternatively a cotton cloth, a coffee filter bag or a fine-meshed sieve. If you use clove powder instead of clove blossoms, the sieve is of course counterproductive. It is also helpful to have a funnel for each glass used to fill in the clove oil.
Make clove oil yourself – this is how it works
If you have all the utensils together, the production of the clove oil is done in a flash.
- For 30 milliliters of clove oil use 10 to 30 cloves or three to six tablespoons of the clove powder. When you first try to make the clove oil yourself, you should perhaps use a little less of the cloves at first or follow the manufacturer’s instructions exactly. This is the best way to test which dose is best for you.
- In addition to the cloves, you only need the selected carrier oil, always in the quantity you want to make. For 30 milliliters of clove oil, use 30 milliliters of olive or almond oil accordingly.
- Carrier oil and cloves go in a darkened jar and shake well after sealing the jar. Place the mixture in a cool, dark place, such as a pantry. Leave the mixture to rest for about fourteen days before using it.
- Finally, separate the cloves or the powder from the oil using the cheesecloth and your homemade clove oil is ready.
Homemade clove oil – you can use it for that
Homemade clove oil has been used as a proven pain reliever for a long time. And that was many hundreds of years before the first painkillers conquered the market.
- As a rule, clove oil is only used externally. Clove oil is often used against pain, especially in the mouth and throat area, for example as a remedy for toothache. But also for gargling, for example in case of a sore throat, the clove oil is suitable due to its antibacterial effect.
- Clove oil can also be helpful for muscle pain or cramps because of its anticonvulsant effect. For this reason, clove oil is still used to some extent as a labor-inducing agent during childbirth.
- Due to its antiseptic effect, the oil can also be used to combat some diseases such as nail fungus.
- In general, however, you should consider carefully before each application whether the use of clove oil makes sense. Due to its strong effectiveness, careless use can also cause damage. If in doubt, consult your doctor or pharmacist as a precaution.
