Our organic Turmeric essential oil has a warm, fresh, spicy, somewhat woody aroma with a crisp ginger and sweet orange-like top note that is evocative of the freshly cut root. Turmeric essential oil can be used at low levels in skincare and many other aromatherapy applications. This may explain the traditional addition of Turmeric powder in skin cleansers by the peoples of India – the herb lends its skin conditioning benefits along with a golden glow.[1] In natural perfumes, Turmeric lends an interesting warm and mildly spicy note.

Turmeric has been used in south Asian countries and India for centuries. But Turmeric rhizome powder, Turmeric tincture, Turmeric CO2 extract and Turmeric essential oil have vastly different chemical compositions and applications. For example, curcumin, a notable compound extracted from the rhizomes of Turmeric, is found in Turmeric CO2 extract, but not in the essential oil.[2] The aroma of the CO2 and essential oil are dominated by several powerful ketones called tumerones. In aromatherapy, ketone molecules are excellent solvents and are highly volatile – this is why many ketone-rich oils are used in targeted skincare and cosmetic formulas and are often considered top notes in natural perfumery.