Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.
In this comprehensive guide about carrot seed oil you will learn:
- that there are three types of carrot seed oil
- what each of the types of oils is best for
- comprehensive information about each of the different types and their benefits to the skin
- how to use each of the different carrot seed oils plus some recipes
- recommended products
The 3 Different Types of Carrot Seed Oil
There are three types of oils that are referred to as carrot seed oil, which can make knowing which one to use a bit confusing.
To clear things up we are going to cover each of these three in detail. After reading, you will know what each one is, how they differ, their skin benefits, how to use them, and what products I love.
The three different types of carrot seed oil we are going to cover are; carrot seed essential oil, cold-pressed carrot seed oil, and infused carrot oil.
Carrot Seed Essential Oil
Carrot seed essential oil is extracted from the seeds of Daucus Carota (Queen Anne’s Lace), by steam distillation. Often labeled as carrot seed essential oil.
Carrot Seed essential oil (EO) has an earthy, woodsy and fruity aroma. It is claimed that carrot seed oil contains Vitamin A, E, and pro-vitamin A, but this is a misconception, as these vitamins are contained in the roots, not the seeds (source).
Carrot Seed EO does contain a significant amount of the pigment carotene, which gives it a yellow tone. Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants that reduce free radical damage to the skin.
There is information floating around the internet stating that carrot seed EO has and SPF of 38-40, this information is a little misguided. The study that this claim is based on is a study measuring the UVA and UVB blocking properties of various herbal sunscreen preparations. Carrot seed EO was only 1 of 3 ingredients in the sunscreen that got a 38-40 SPF rating. So yes, carrot seed oil may have SPF properties, but the exact SPF rating is still not known.
Carrot Seed EO is renowned as being amazing at skin renewal, for this reason, it is highly used in anti-aging formulations. It softens the skin, reduces wrinkles and combats aging with it’s high antioxidant content.
Skin Benefits of Carrot Seed Essential Oil
- Stimulates cell renewal – making it an ideal oil for wrinkle creams and facial oils.
- Stimulates the sweat and sebaceous glands – thus benefiting dry and mature skin.
- Protects skin that is exposed to the elements.
- Tightens and rejuvenates the skin.
- Repairs damaged skin – making it useful for those suffering from eczema, psoriasis, and dermatitis.
- Heals wounds and repairs sun spots.
- Anti-fungal
- Balances and maintains moisture on the scalp.
- Strengthens your hair and prevents split ends.
- Conditions the hair
How to Use Carrot Seed Essential Oil
Carrot seed EO can be diluted and used just like any other essential oil.
- Use in your bath
- Add to a massage oil blend
- An excellent addition to your anti-aging formulations
- Add to jojoba oil for a hot oil hair treatment
Precautions:
Not to be used during pregnancy
Where to Buy Carrot Seed Essential Oil
I source my carrot seed essential oil from Rocky Mountain Oils. If you want to learn more about why I find them to be the best essential oil brand, you can hit up this article.
Recipe
Dry/Mature Skin Replenishing Oil:
- 1 Tablespoon carrier oil ( I like Argan or Marula oil)
- 4 drops carrot seed essential oil (Get it at RMO)
- 2 drops rose or neroli essential oil (two of the best anti-aging essential oils)
- 4 drops frankincense essential oil (Available from RMO)
Mix everything together and use as a daily anti-aging facial oil.
Cold-Pressed Carrot Seed Oil
Cold-Pressed Carrot seed oil is produced by pressing the oil from the seeds of the carrot plant, much like you would produce other vegetable and seed oils. Often labeled as cold-pressed carrot seed oil or just carrot seed oil.
Carrot seed oil can be used on all skin types. It helps to balance the moisture content of the skin, healing dry, cracked skin and helping reduce wrinkles. Like carrot seed essential oil, carrot oil contains an abundance of carotenoids.
These super antioxidants will protect your skin from UV and elemental damage. This oil has a rejuvenating effect on the skin by stimulating cell renewal. It improves skin tone and and helps eliminate water and toxin build-up.
Cold-Pressed Carrot Seed Oil Benefits
- Antioxidant and anti-aging effects on the skin.
- Regenerates and repairs the skin.
- Moisturizing
- Improves the complexion.
- Excellent for dry, tired, dull, and traumatized skin.
- Increased skin elasticity and firmness.
- Balances and regulates sebum production on the scalp, allowing for better hydration levels and maintaining healthy hair follicles.
- Helps reduce hair breakage.
- Softens your hair.
How to Use Cold-Pressed Carrot Seed Oil
- Use in your anti-aging formulations to help balance the moisture content of the skin.
- Add it to your shampoo, body oil, lotion or to any other product you use on your skin or hair.
Recommended Cold-Pressed Carrot Seed Oil
I really like this cold-pressed carrot seed oil by RejuvNaturals available on Amazon.
Infused Carrot Oil
Infused carrot oil is produced by infusing the macerated roots and/or plant parts within an oil. Often labeled as infused carrot oil of macerated carrot oil.
This is often called a carrier oil because it is produced by soaking macerated carrot root in a vegetable oil and then filtering the carrot out. The quality and properties of the oil will be affected by the base oil used. The resulting oil is golden colored and may stain the skin if not diluted.
It contains many fat-soluble carotenoids. These potent antioxidants will protect your skin from damage and help heal skin that is already damaged. Carotenoids enhance your body’s response to Ultra-Violet Rays, decreasing the damage then cause. Carrots contain over 600 carotenoids as well as Vitamins A, B1, B2, C and E.
Infused Carrot Oil Skin Benefits
- A skin tonic, moisturizes and tones the skin.
- Helps nourish dry, itchy skin.
- Vitamin A keeps cell membranes healthy.
- Anti-aging.
- Natural tanning enhancer, gives the skin a golden glow.
- Speeds healing.
- Beneficial for eczema and psoriasis.
- Conditions the hair.
- Moisturizes the scalp.
- Reduces hair breakage and frizziness.
- Improve blood circulation and therefore, hair growth.
How to Use Infused Carrot Oil
Carrot oil is best used diluted to prevent staining of the skin. Use 20% carrot root oil and 80% of another carrier oil. Carrot oil is a skin tonic that helps itchy and dry skin. It has similar properties to the essential oil.
- Use in your bath
- Add to a massage oil blend
- An excellent addition to your anti-aging formulations
- Add to jojoba oil for a hot oil hair treatment
Recommended Infused Carrot Oil
It's not easy to find infused carrot oil, there are not many companies making it. You can easily make your own, or if you want to buy a pre-made one, I recommend getting it from New Directions Aromatics.
Lush Hair Mask Recipe:
- 1 ounce coconut oil (this is my favorite)
- 6 drops infused carrot oil
- 2 drops clary sage essential oil
- 2 drops lavender essential oil
- 2 drops rosemary essential oil - get your essential oils at Rocky Mountain Oils.
Blend your mixture together and use it as a hair mask.
Comparison of Carrot Oils
Similarities
- Each of them works wonderfully at rejuvenating the skin and hair and reducing signs of aging.
Differences
- The presence or absence of Vitamin A
- Their aroma
- Volatile compounds are only present in carrot seed essential oil
Carrot Seed Essential Oil Properties
- contains volatile compounds
- warm earthy, slightly carroty scent
- Main chemical constituents include a-pinene, camphene, b-pinene, sabinene, myrcene, y-terpinene, limonene, b-bisabolene, geranyl acetate and carotol.
- Astringent (constricts bodily tissues)
- Antioxidant (counteracts free radical damage)
- Antiseptic (kills germs)
- Vasodilatory (increases blood flow)
- Extracted from wild carrot seeds
Cold-Pressed Carrot Seed Oil Properties
- Stigmasterol: 58.4 mg/100g
- Beta Sitosterol: 167mg/100g
- Beta Carotene: 0.182mg/100g
- Vitamin A from Carotene: 300 IU/100g
- Alpha Linolenic Acid (Omega-3) 0.2gm/100g
- Oleic Acid (Omega-9) 68.4gm/100g
- Linoleic Acid (Omega-6) 10.8gm/100g
Infused or Macerated Carrot Oil Properties
- Rich in beta carotene, vitamins A and E and provitamin A
- Made from cultivated carrots as opposed to wild carrots
- Fatty acid composition will depend on what oil the carrot is infused in.
- No volatile compounds.
I researched for hours about the Vitamin A content of these different oils. Some sources say that carrot seed oil contains Vitamin A, whereas other sources say that the seeds do not contain this vitamin. What is known is that the root does contain Vitamin A, so the infused oil should contain it.
Carrot seed essential oil is best for:
- creating your own skin care blends (you must dilute this oil)
- mature skin – it hydrates and prevents wrinkles
- dermatitis and psoriasis
- cellulite
- slowing down hair loss
- detoxifying the skin
- skin infections and wounds
Cold-pressed carrot seed oil is best for:
Infused carrot oil is best for:
Conclusion
Carrots shine as a healthy skin and hair care product because of their high carotenoid content. These carotneoids are potent antioxidants that can reduce and repair skin damage.
Try adding carrot seed essential oil, cold-pressed carrot seed oil, or infused carrot oil to your skin care and try it’s potent regenerative effects for yourself.
Do you know if carrot seed oil contains Vitamin A? Do you have any recipes to share?
Yours In Beauty,
Andrea
Nicole says
Thanks for your indepth research on carrot oil! You might also be interested in looking into allantoin. A family member raved to me about how anything with this ingredient has always been phenomenal for their skin but they didn’t know why. When I Googled it, I learned allantoin is a powerful “cell proliferator” and comes mainly from animal urine and comfrey (the root having the most concentration). For some reason, there are very few products with allantoin! Amazon sells a bag of it (looks like confectionary sugar) but turns out it’s “synthetically produced” and not from comfrey. Udderly Smooth (the cow cream) still comes up on Amazon under the search words, “allantoin” but reviewers say it has been removed. Jergens has a lotion called, “Healing Lotion” (think that’s the name) and it has allantoin in there but who knows how much? Anyway, wanted to flag you about this little known ingredient. Take care!
Andrea says
Thanks Nicole! I have heard of allantoin before 🙂 and I am familiar with comfrey, I even have some growing in my yard. I have seen some products with this ingredient, Celsus Bio-Intelligence Scar Cream has allantoin in it and is available on Amazon. It never ceases to amaze me, the healing power of nature!
Patty says
Please help. I added a drop of carrot seed oil to the dark circles under my eyes, and it burned horrible, how can i stop the pain?
Andrea says
Did you use the carrot seed essential oil? You should never put essential oils on your skin undiluted, especially around the eyes. I am not sure what you can do now to stop the pain, maybe go see a doctor. In the future, you should mix the carrot seed oil with a carrier oil such as apricot kernel or jojoba. The ratio is 1 drop of essential (carrot seed) oil to 1 tsp of carrier oil.
Melanie says
This was the most helpful article I have found while researching use of carrot seed oil for my sun damaged skin. I was having a hard time differentiating between the oil and EO from other articles. Thanks!
Andrea says
Thank you Melanie, that is what we try to do here, provide comprehensive information that you won’t find anywhere else!
sharon says
Where can I buy carrot seed oil. I have pigmentation which carrot seed oil is good for pigmentation. Please advice
Andrea says
If you are in the USA, you can buy carrot seed oil on Amazon.com There are links in the article above, but here they are again:
Pure, Cold-pressed Carrot Seed Oil
Carrot Seed Essential Oil
Carrot Root Infused in Olive Oil
Abi says
I love using carrot oil on my hair. It’s really good for hair breakage and preventing split ends.
Andrea says
Awesome to hear!
Judy says
Can you ingest carrot seed oil and if so, which one?
Andrea says
Hi Judy, I do not recommend ingesting carrot seed essential oil, essential oils are too powerful to be taken internally. I am not sure about using the other oils internally. I would consult your doctor about it 🙂
Anitha says
Can we add drops of carrot seed essential oil in day cream when we go out. …
Andrea says
You sure can Anitha, but realize that it cannot replace your sunscreen 🙂
Joy says
Thank you for your in-depth research and recommendations! I just ordered from your links.
Andrea says
Thanks so much Joy! We appreciate your support 🙂 Let us know how it works out for you!
Sana says
Hi, is carrot seed oil safe during pregnancy? As I am trying to conceive .
Andrea says
Hi Sana, unfortunately carrot seed oil is one of the essential oils you should NOT use during pregnancy.
Alisha says
hi. is the cold pressed carrot or the infused carrier carrot oil okay to use during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
Andrea says
Hi Alisha, I know that the essential oil is not ok to use during pregnancy, but I am not sure about the other oils.
Thalia says
Hi Andrea. I loved your article! Just one question. I was wondering if you knew whether infused carrot carrier oil was diluted enough to be safe for breast feeding? I have it also mixed with other oils in a 6:1 ratio. Hope to hear from you soon 🙂
Sincerely, Thalia
Andrea says
I am not sure Thalia. I would assume it is fine, but probably best to ask a doctor.
Christina Goel says
Thank you so much for this information. I plan on using carrot root oil and notice you mentioned -“Use 20% carrot root oil and 80% of another carrier oil”. What would you recommend I use as “another carrier oil?”
Andrea says
Any vegetable or seed oil would work as a carrier oil. Jojoba oil, Apricot kernel oil, rosehip oil, sweet almond oil, are all examples of carrier oils.
Christina Goel says
Thank you so much for this info. I plan on using carrot root oil on my hands. I see you mentioned using another carrier oil (Use 20% carrot root oil and 80% of another carrier oil.), what would you recommend I use?
Andrea says
For your hands I would recommend Apricot kernel or sweet almond oil.
Chequere says
Hello! I enjoyed this well organized and informative post. I found your blog while searching for information on carrot seed oil. I am curious to learn the reasons why you prefer the brands you recommended. Are the brands you recommended in any way providing any compensation? I don’t mean any offense, I am truly curious. Thank you very much!
Andrea says
Hi Chequere, we research brands and their customer reviews to choose the products we recommend. We also have learned what brands consistently please their customers. We try to recommend natural and/or organic brands when possible. We do receive affiliate commissions from Amazon if you purchase (at no extra cost to you), but we do not have a particular brand that we receive compensation from. I hope that makes sense! You can read our affiliate disclosure here.
Nicole says
Hi there! Great article and I was happy to come across someone else that realized that Vitamin A is in the root – not the seed. There is a LOT out there saying the opposite. One other thing I came across, and I am wondering if you did as well, is that carrot seed oil makes people highly photosensitive, because of a high concentration of furanocoumarin. However, it also appears to have some modest sun protection qualities (though obviously not an SPF 30 as you state above). Any thoughts on that contradiction? If it makes people highly photosensitive…how can it be a natural SPF, even modestly? Here is one link I found that discusses this: http://articles.mercola.com/herbal-oils/carrot-seed-oil.aspx
Thanks!! XO, Nicole
Andrea says
Hi Nicole 🙂 It is so hard to find truthful information on the internet, which is quite frustrating. I try to be thorough in my research before putting out an article, but it can be tough when source information is not readily available. The article you linked to says that wild carrot contains a high furanocoumarin content, which causes sun sensitivity. It would logically seem then, that carrot seed essential oil would also cause sun sensitivity. I think the reason this oil is said to have sun protection qualities is because of its content of carotenoids, which act as free radical scavengers. I would say that rather than protecting from sun damage, it instead helps repair sun damage.
Kristen says
Thank you for all of this wonderful information. I was searching for information on carrot seed oil to share in a blog post I wrote and this was the perfect fit!
Andrea says
Thanks Kristen!
Mary says
How should I use this oil to treat crow’s feet and which type of carrot oil should I use?
Andrea says
Hi Mary, thanks for your question 🙂 You could use carrot seed essential oil, but make sure to use it properly. We have an article about essential oils for eye wrinkles you can check out as well as an article about treating the eye area naturally.
Here is a recipe for your own eye serum:
2 teaspoons of carrier oil (Jojoba or carrot seed oil are excellent choices)
2 drops of carrot seed essential oil
One vitamin E capsule if you are under 45 and two vitamin E capsules if you are over 45
2 drops of lavender essential oil
Blend the carrier oil and Vitamin E capsules together. Add your essential oils. Mix well and apply a small amount gently around the eye area. Leave on for a bit and wipe off any excess.