• Vitamins & Supplements
  • Food & Drink
  • Sports Nutrition
  • Free From
  • Natural Beauty
  • Weight Management
  • Offers
  • Summer Shop
  • The Health Hub
  • Learn more Healthbox
  • Account
Track your order Delivery & Returns Help Centre My subscriptions

Customer Service

  • Contact us
  • Site map
  • Site map
  • Store locator

About us

  • Who are we
  • Working at Holland & Barrett
  • Press releases
  • Privacy & cookie policy
  • Terms & conditions
  • Holland & Barrett More
  • Holland & Barrett International
  • Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Modern Slavery Statement

Connect with us

Store
0370 606 6606
My account
Rewards
  • Sign in
  • How do I join?
  • What are the benefits?
  • FAQs
Holland & Barrett :: the good life
  • Menu
  • Account
  • Store
  • Basket
    Search for
    • Vitamins & Supplements
    • Food & Drink
    • Sports Nutrition
    • Free From
    • Natural Beauty
    • Weight Management
    • Offers
    • The Health Hub
    • Healthbox

    Home / Natural Beauty / Aromatherapy / Turmeric oil: Uses and benefits 

    turmeric essential oil
    turmeric essential oil

    Turmeric oil: Uses and benefits 

    Got ten minutes to talk turmeric? Well, we say ten minutes, but there’s actually so much good stuff to know about turmeric oil that we could easily fill ten hours.

    This article’s designed to provide you with a whistle-stop tour around the world of turmeric essential oil, starting with a bit about where it comes from…

    Turmeric powder is made from the root of the Curcuma Zedoaria ginger plant, which is native to Southeast Asia. The rhizomes (roots) are dried to create the bright orange-yellow turmeric powder.1 It’s actually the active ingredient, curcumin, which gives turmeric its vivid colour and soothing properties.2

    How is it made?

    As with most essential oils, turmeric oil is extracted from the roots of the ginger tree, using steam distillation.3

    How long have people been using turmeric oil for?

    Turmeric has a long old history. It’s believed that turmeric plants have been used for around 4,000 years ago, as a medicinal substance and spiritual and ceremonial object.4

    It’s also been used in India for thousands of years as a spice and medicinal herb.5 In fact, it’s often used in curries and is responsible for giving curry dishes their bright yellow colour.6 Meanwhile, the use of turmeric in Ayurvedic medicine dates back to 500 BC.7

    Turmeric essential oil uses

    There’s so much you can do with turmeric oil. You can:

    Massage it

    Dilute 5 drops of turmeric oil with 10ml of Miaroma base oil and gently massage into the skin.8 When massaged, it’s believed to support the body’s natural recovery process and help with skin elasticity and firmness.9

    Bathe in it

    Run a warm bath and add 4 to 6 drops of turmeric oil. Then relax in the bath for at least 10 minutes to allow the aroma to work.10

    Inhale it

    Breathe it in directly from the bottle or sprinkle a couple of drops of it on to a cloth or tissue and gently sniff it. The warm, earthy scent is said to help uplift, energise, comfort and strengthen the body and mind.11

    Apply it

    As a face mask and then wash it off (as it can stain your skin). Combine mix 2 to 3 drops of turmeric oil with a carrier oil, such as tamanu oil.12

    You can also apply it to cracked heels to help soften the skin. Soak your feet in warm water for 10 to 15 minutes and dry them off. Then rub a mixture of 2 to 3 drops of turmeric oil and a carrier oil, such as castor oil, to your heels, ideally once a week.13

    Turmeric oil benefits

    Turmeric oil has antibacterial and antifungal qualities.14 As a result, there are lots of benefits to using it, including these five:

    1. Soothe acne – a mixture of turmeric oil for skin and coconut, olive, jojoba or apricot oil (carrier oils) can help dry pimples out and prevent further breakouts due to its anti-fungal, antiseptic, antibacterial and soothing properties.15,16
    2. Reduce dandruff – massage your hair with a few drops of turmeric essential oil and then shampoo and condition as normal. The cleansing properties can reportedly help with dandruff, as well as promote healthy hair growth.17,18
    3. Ease sunburn – according to a study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, turmeric has photoprotective properties that can help with skin hydration and sebum production.19 Try adding 30 drops of turmeric oil to a 250ml jar of aloe vera gel and mixing before applying to the affected area.20
    4. Ease inflammation – turmeric essential oil’s active compounds have been known to reduce the feeling of inflammation.21

    How to use it safely

    Always do a patch test to it make sure it doesn’t irritate your skin and always dilute it first with a carrier oil before putting it on your skin. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s guidelines on how to use it.

    Some interesting facts about turmeric

    • In the Ayurvedic world, there are more than 100 different names for turmeric. They include ‘jayanti’, which means one who is victorious over diseases and ‘matrimanika’ – beautiful as moonlight22
    • Turmeric can lighten pigmentation – it’s the curcumin that’s believed to be able to do this2

    Buy Turmeric Oil

    Last updated: 11 September 2020

    Sources
    1 https://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/blog/products/more-than-a-powdered-spice-benefits-uses-of-turmeric-oil.html
    2 https://www.byrdie.com/the-surprising-skincare-benefits-of-turmeric-2442900
    3 https://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/blog/products/more-than-a-powdered-spice-benefits-uses-of-turmeric-oil.html
    4 https://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/blog/products/more-than-a-powdered-spice-benefits-uses-of-turmeric-oil.html
    5 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/top-10-evidence-based-health-benefits-of-turmeric#section1
    6 https://www.precisionnutrition.com/encyclopedia/food/turmeric#:~:text=Turmeric%20is%20a%20bright%20yellow,curry%20its%20bright%20yellow%20color.
    7 https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/turmeric-history/
    8 https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/miaroma-turmeric-pure-essential-oil-60017136?skuid=017136
    9 https://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/blog/products/more-than-a-powdered-spice-benefits-uses-of-turmeric-oil.html
    10 https://www.hollandandbarrett.com/shop/product/miaroma-turmeric-pure-essential-oil-60017136?skuid=017136
    11 https://www.newdirectionsaromatics.com/blog/products/more-than-a-powdered-spice-benefits-uses-of-turmeric-oil.html
    12 https://upnature.com/blogs/news/top-15-incredible-benefits-of-turmeric-essential-oil
    13 https://upnature.com/blogs/news/top-15-incredible-benefits-of-turmeric-essential-oil
    14 https://upnature.com/blogs/news/top-15-incredible-benefits-of-turmeric-essential-oil
    15 https://www.india.com/lifestyle/beauty-benefits-of-turmeric-essential-oil-8-ways-to-use-turmeric-essential-oil-in-your-skincare-and-haircare-regimen-2004168/
    16 https://www.baseformula.com/blog/benefits-of-turmeric-essential-oil
    17 https://www.india.com/lifestyle/beauty-benefits-of-turmeric-essential-oil-8-ways-to-use-turmeric-essential-oil-in-your-skincare-and-haircare-regimen-2004168/
    18 https://www.baseformula.com/blog/benefits-of-turmeric-essential-oil
    19 https://upnature.com/blogs/news/top-15-incredible-benefits-of-turmeric-essential-oil
    20 https://www.baseformula.com/blog/benefits-of-turmeric-essential-oil
    21 https://upnature.com/blogs/news/top-15-incredible-benefits-of-turmeric-essential-oil
    22 https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/turmeric-history/
    23 https://www.byrdie.com/the-surprising-skincare-benefits-of-turmeric-2442900

    Tweet
    Follow on Instagram
    Aromatherapy Natural Beauty

    You may also like

    Your guide to colouring hair with henna: benefits, downsides, risks and steps 

    Article

    Your guide to colouring hair with henna: benefits, downsides, risks and steps 

    Henna use is thought to date back to 7th century BC.1 Henna offers glossy, richly-hued..

    READ MORE...
    What is carrier oil?

    Article

    What is carrier oil?

    With so many essential oils available, you’d be forgiven for thinking carrier oil is like..

    READ MORE...
    How to take care of a tattoo

    Article

    How to take care of a tattoo

    We all have our own ways of expressing ourselves. One increasingly popular method of doing..

    READ MORE...

    Connect with us

    • Log in Register
    • rewards for life

    Customer service

    • Store locator
    • Contact us
    • Site feedback
    • Frequently asked questions
    • Delivery & returns
    • Site map
    • My account

    About us

    • Who we are
    • Working at Holland & Barrett
    • Press room
    • Privacy & cookie policy
    • Terms & conditions
    • Holland & Barrett More
    • Holland & Barrett International

    Brands

    • Holland & Barrett
    • Bootea
    • Dr Organic
    • Precision Engineered
    • Manuka Doctor
    • Good n Natural
    • Miaroma
    Register
    Click to verify if this website is operating legally

    Copyright © Holland & Barrett Retail Limited, 2017. All rights reserved. hollandandbarrett.com is a trading name of Holland & Barrett Retail Limited,. Registered office: Samuel Ryder House, Barling Way, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV10 7RH. Registered in England: company no. 2758955. Registered VAT no. 211727395.