# Clove essential oil > A warm, spicy single oil steam-distilled from clove buds, best known as a key component of Young Living's Thieves blend. Canonical page: https://essential-oils.club/oils/single/clove Type: Single oil ## At a glance - **Botanical name:** Syzygium aromaticum - **Plant part:** Dried flower buds - **Extraction:** Steam-distilled - **Aroma:** Warm, spicy - **Origin:** Maluku Islands, Indonesia - **Blends with:** Cinnamon bark, and other spice oils ## Composition (GC-MS research aggregate) Based on 19 GC-MS samples from 13 peer-reviewed papers (2023–2026); Strong evidence base. 32 compounds reported in total. Typical share of the oil (median, with interquartile range): | Compound | Class | Median % | IQR % | Max % | Papers | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | eugenol | Phenylpropanoid / aromatic | 71.45 | 41.4–76.5 | 89.28 | 13 | | β-caryophyllene | Sesquiterpene hydrocarbon | 11.61 | 6.89–14.22 | 20.19 | 12 | | α-humulene | Sesquiterpene hydrocarbon | 1.62 | 0.89–2.49 | 3.81 | 12 | | caryophyllene oxide | Oxygenated sesquiterpene | 0.64 | 0.34–0.92 | 5.38 | 10 | Chemotypes seen in the samples: eugenol (74% of samples), β-caryophyllene (11% of samples), caryophyllene oxide (5% of samples), isopropyl myristate (5% of samples), diethyl malonate (5% of samples). ## Key constituents - **Eugenol** (70-90%) — The dominant compound; gives clove its warm, spicy heat and numbing sensation - **Eugenyl acetate** (5-15%) — A related ester adding depth to the spice profile - **Beta-caryophyllene** (5-12%) — A woody-spicy sesquiterpene rounding out the aroma ## How to use it - **In the diffuser:** 2–3 drops in a spice-forward blend — it's strong and can dominate. - **On skin:** A hot oil — dilute to 1% or less in a carrier oil and patch-test first. ## Safety - Clove is a hot oil — dilute to 1% or less in a carrier oil, patch-test first, and keep away from sensitive skin. - Maximum dermal use: ~0.5% on skin (eugenol is a strong sensitiser). - Very high in eugenol, a potent skin and mucous-membrane irritant — dilute heavily (around 0.5%) and never apply neat. - Do not apply undiluted to gums or inside the mouth despite folk 'toothache' use. - Not phototoxic. Keep well out of reach of children. ## What the research says - Clove oil and its main constituent eugenol have been studied for antioxidant and antimicrobial activity in the laboratory. These are in-vitro findings about the oil, not clinical proof of benefit. — Haro-González et al. (2023), Molecules (https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28062421) ## Evidence - Clove bud oil is dominated by eugenol — typically around 80% — with eugenyl acetate and β-caryophyllene making up most of the rest. — Haro-González et al. (2023), Molecules (https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28062421) ## Frequently asked questions ### Can I put clove oil directly on a sore tooth? It's a traditional remedy, but neat clove oil is a strong irritant to gums and mucous membranes and can damage soft tissue. Don't apply it undiluted, and see a dentist for a genuine toothache. ### Why does clove need so much dilution? It's about 80% eugenol, one of the more sensitising essential-oil constituents. Diluting to roughly 0.5% in a carrier oil keeps skin use much safer. ### Is clove oil phototoxic? No — clove isn't a citrus oil and isn't phototoxic. The main precaution is its strong eugenol content, which calls for heavy dilution. ## Sources (GC-MS studies) - EFSA Panel on Additives and Products or Substances used in Animal Feed (FEEDAP), Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B, Pechová A, Petkova M, Ramos F, Ramos F, Sanz Y, Villa RE, Woutersen R, Brantom P, Chesson A, Schlatter J, Westendorf J, Dirven Y, Manini P, Dusemund B. Safety and efficacy of feed additives consisting of essential oils derived from the flower buds or the leaves of Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M. Perry (clove bud oil and clove leaf oils) for all animal species (FEFANA asbl). _EFSA journal. European Food Safety Authority_, 2023. https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC10375362 - Hammal A, Al-Duihi HA. Preparation of clove extract-loaded nano-hydroxyapatite for combating dental caries-associated microbes. _The Saudi dental journal_, 2026. https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC12827825 - Abdel-Ghany HSM, Ayoob F, Elsawy BSM, Alzan HF, Youssef AA, Abdel-Shafy S. Acaricidal and synergistic activity of essential oils, their binary combinations, and nanoemulsions against larvae and unfed adult stages of brown dog tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Acari: Ixodidae). _BMC veterinary research_, 2026. https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC12849189 - Elwakil BH, Shaaban MM, Bakr BA, Hamed MT, Raj Paudel K, Atia AM, Zakaria M. Novel eugenol/limonene nanoplatform as a new remedy against bacterial lung infections. _Scientific reports_, 2026. https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC12949021 - Reyes Pérez FD, Peralta-Ruiz Y, Carrascal-Hernández DC, Delgado-Ospina J, Chaves-López C, Grande-Tovar CD. Synergistic Coatings Based on Chitosan and <i>Eugenia caryophyllata</i> Essential Oil to Improve Postharvest Quality of <i>Capsicum chinense</i>. _Polymers_, 2026. https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13307513 - Önder NT, Çakmak SS, Aktar A, Başer L, Gökdemir S, Aydın A, Tereci U, Çakmak İ, Alçay S. Effect of clove oil (Eugenia Caryophyllus) on drone semen quality after cryopreservation. _BMC veterinary research_, 2026. https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13555903 - Rahim N, Derabli C, Bramki A, Mahdjoub S, Rup-Jacques S, Rup-Jacques S, Barboucha G, Hesse S, Boulebd H. Evaluating the multifaceted bioactivity of <i>Syzygium aromaticum</i> essential oil: the central role of eugenol. _Turkish journal of biology = Turk biyoloji dergisi_, 2025. https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC11913364 - Wadi MA. Evaluation of antibacterial activity and chemical analysis of clove aqueous extract (Syzygium aromaticum). _BMC complementary medicine and therapies_, 2025. https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC12012983 - Abdelmuhsin AA, Sulieman AME, Salih ZA, Al-Azmi M, Alanaizi NA, Goniem AE, Alam MJ. Clove (<i>Syzygium aromaticum</i>) Pods: Revealing Their Antioxidant Potential via GC-MS Analysis and Computational Insights. _Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)_, 2025. https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC12030067 - Giménez-Santamarina S, Torres-Pagan N, Larran S, Roselló J, Santamarina MP. Clove Essential Oil and Eugenol as Natural Antifungal Agents to Reduce Postharvest Losses in Melon (<i>Cucumis melo</i>). _International journal of molecular sciences_, 2025. https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC12525269 - Refaey MS, A A Fayed M, Kutkat O, Moatasim Y, Sameh Tolba N, Anis A, Elshorbagy AM, Nassar K, A M Abouzid K, A M M Elshaier Y, El-Badawy MF. Bio-guided chemical characterization and nano-formulation studies of selected edible volatile oils with potentials antibacterial and anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities. _Arabian journal of chemistry_, 2023. https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC10023207 - Thoma JL, Cantrell CL, Tamang P, Zheljazkov VD. Determining the optimum mixture of three essential oils for potato sprout suppression at room temperature storage. _Frontiers in plant science_, 2023. https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC10303126 - Iwiński H, Różański H, Pachura N, Wojciechowska A, Gębarowski T, Szumny A. In Vitro Evaluation of Antiprotozoal Properties, Cytotoxicity Effect and Anticancer Activity of New Essential-Oil Based Phytoncide Mixtures. _Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)_, 2023. https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC9921295 _Educational reference only — not medical advice. Essential oils are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease._