Black Pepper essential oil information
Black pepper essential oil is extracted from the plant Piper nigrum of the Piperaceae family.
The oil is made from the unripe red fruit of the plant, while white pepper for household use, is made from the same fruit, but the berry is picked when fully ripe and the outside layer (pericarp) is removed before drying.
Black Pepper is warm and spicy, helps increase warmth of the body and mind, relieving sore muscles and joints, boost the immune and digestive system, stimulates the kidneys and disperses bruising by increasing circulation to the skin.
Properties of Black Pepper
It is a strong and sharp, spicy smelling oil and is faintly reminiscent of clove oil, yet more refined. It can range in color from light amber to yellow-green and has a watery viscosity.
Origin of Black Pepper
The plant originated from India, Malaysia, Madagascar, China and Indonesia and the oil is mostly made in Singapore, India and Malaysia.
The plant is originally a forest plant and this climbing woody vine uses trees or other supports to grow to about twenty feet high, but is normally kept to about 12 feet for commercial purposes and has a lifespan of about twenty years.
The word pepper is derived from the Latin word piper, which in turn is taken from the Sanskrit word pippali.
It has been used since the times of the Ancient Romans and Greeks. Even the Turks levied a tax on pepper, while the French, Portuguese and Dutch often went to war in the middle ages to fight for this lucrative trade from the Far East.
Extraction of Black Pepper
The unripe, sun-dried peppercorns (fruit) are used for the extraction of the oil, using steam distillation which produces a yield of nearly 2%.
Chemical composition of Black Pepper essential oil
Black Pepper Essential Oilis composed of various chemical constituents and includes the following; a-thujone, a-pinene, camphene, sabinene, b-pinene, a-phellandrene, myrcene, limonene, caryophyllene, b-farnesene, b-bisabolene, linalool and terpinen-4-ol.
Suggested precautions regarding Black Pepper essential oil
Black Pepper Essential Oil may cause irritation to sensitive skins and using too much could over-stimulate the kidneys.
Please read our page with heading: Safety with Essential Oils before using this oil.
We recommend the following book as an excellent resource regarding safety:
Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals by Robert Tisserand & Rodney Young (#ad)
Therapeutic properties of Black Pepper essential oil
The therapeutic properties of black pepper oil include analgesic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, antitoxic, aphrodisiac, diaphoretic, digestive, diuretic, febrifuge, laxative, rubefacient and tonic (especially of the spleen).
Uses of Black Pepper essential oil
Massage or in a bath:
Black Pepper Essential Oil can be used in blended massage oil, or diluted in a bath, to assist with circulation, bruises, rheumatoid arthritis and muscular aches and pains.
In a cream or a gel:
As a constituent in a blended cream or gel, Black Pepper essential oil can be used for tired aching limbs, sore muscles, rheumatoid arthritis, stimulating the appetite and to help sort out bowel problems.
In small quantities it can be used to reduce high temperatures.
It increases circulation to the skin and is therefore helpful in restoring proper functioning of the skin.
Suggested dilution rates for Black Pepper essential oil
On the skin
Adult, unbroken skin:
Face: 0.2% to 1.5%
Body: 1.5% to 3%
Bath: 1% to 4%
Painful Joints and Muscles: up to 5% (limit application to specific affected area)
3 to 24 months:
Face: 0.1% to 0.2%
Body: 0.1% to 0.2%
Bath: 0.1% to 0.2%
2 to 6 years of age:
Face: 0.2% to 1.5%%
Body: 0.2% to 2%
Bath: 0.2% to 2%
6 to 15 years of age:
Face: 1% to 1.5%
Body: 1.2% to 3%
Bath: 1.2% to 3%
Painful joints and muscles: 1.2% to 3% (limit area of application specifically to affected area)
Pregnancy:
Face: 1% to 1.5%
Body: 1% to 2%
Bath: 1% to 2%
Painful joints and muscles: 1% to 2%
- When in doubt consult your doctor / medical professional before use.
- Most professionals and/or Aromatherapists will always err on the side of safety when giving advise regarding the use of essential oils and oleo resins during pregnancy – This is due to conflicting information available, or the absence of any reliable information.
- Quite a number of Aromatherapists advise that you should avoid essential oils completely while pregnant, specifically during the first trimester. This is a very safe approach but may not be necessary at all.
Breastfeeding: Keep away from the baby while feeding (do not apply to areas that the baby will come in contact with). Rather avoid using while breastfeeding.
General:
- When using for the first time – Always use the lowest dilution rate and build up slowly to the maximum. Stop using all essential oils on the skin if irritation or allergy occurs.
- Any advice or instruction received from a medical professional ALWAYS supersedes recommendations or advice found on this website. When in doubt consult your doctor / medical professional.
Burners and vaporizers
In vapor therapy (2 to 8 drops), Black Pepper essential oil oil can be used for its aphrodisiac properties, to help bring down a temperature or to stimulate the appetite.
Summary
This warming oil can be used to great effect to help circulation and bruising and specifically to help with muscle tone, aching limbs and rheumatoid arthritis. It further helps to promote digestion, and stimulates the colon and the kidneys.
Black Pepper Essential Oil may cause irritation to sensitive skins and using too much over an extended period of time could over-stimulate the kidneys.
Black pepper essential oil can be used to help in the treatment of pain relief, rheumatism, chills, flu, colds, increase circulation, exhaustion, muscular aches, physical and emotional coldness, nerve tonic and fevers. It furthermore increases the flow of saliva, stimulates appetite, encourages peristalsis, tones the colon muscles and is a general digestive tonic.
Black Pepper blends well with
Although essential oils blend and mix well aroma wise with one another, Black Pepper oil does go very well with other essential oils such as Bergamot, Clary Sage, Clove, Coriander, Fennel, Frankincense, Geranium, Ginger, Grapefruit, Lavender, Juniper berry, Lemon, Lime, Mandarin, Sage, Sandalwood (Mysore) and Ylang-ylang.
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