Black pepper, or Piper Nigrum to give it its botanical name, is a flowering plant that produces peppercorn fruits. While many of us think of pepper as the spice that we add to our food, peppercorn fruits can also be dried, and steam distilled, producing a spicy and delightful essential oil. Anyone who has used black pepper essential oil will tell you that it’s warm, woody, and spicy, and it’s an awesome oil to add to your favourites. Let’s take a look at why peppercorn oil could benefit you.
The benefits of black pepper essential oil
The distinctive peppery smell that the peppercorn gives off is from a chemical known as rotenone. The same chemical is found in the likes of Thyme, Basil, and Marjoram, to name a few, and it is responsible for that potent smell that many can associate with. Interestingly, the same chemical is present in some red wine grapes. That’s why you hear sommeliers often refer to a particular grape having ‘peppery’ notes. One important thing to realise about black pepper essential oil is that it won’t cause you to sneeze.
Just like other spices that are used in essential oils today, pepper started its life in the Middle East before travelling westward. The great spice routes that line the desert were used to carry peppercorn from one continent to another, which led peppercorn oil to be used in Ayurvedic treatments and other medical practices. Traditionally, black pepper has been favoured for its ability to improve circulation and clear congestion from the body. It was so valuable at one time that traders even used pepper instead of currency to barter goods.
Tisserand’s black pepper oil is from Sri Lanka. It is used in various delightful blends and is such a wonderful scent to add to your home. The spicy and woody notes of the black pepper combine beautifully with citrus scents, bringing a charming and homely scent to various other essential oils. One of the reasons that it’s such a good oil to add to your repertoire is that it blends so well with other scents.
From an aromatherapy standpoint, black pepper oil increases circulation and warms the body. This offers relief to achy and fatigued muscles, so it’s a great oil to use after a workout. Black pepper oil is also known to boost immunity and uplift emotions, having both a physical and mental effect on the body. It’s particularly helpful to use black pepper oil in the winter, as it’s very much a get-up-and-go oil and will get you out of your winter stupor.
If you want to try something in addition to the oil itself, Tisserand’s Mandarin & May Chang Uplifting Hand and Body Soap boasts black pepper as one of its key ingredients.