Very concentrated and instantly recognisable. Part of the On Guard blend, and a fixture of spiced diffusing through the cooler months.
Where it comes from
Plant part used: flower bud. Extraction method: steam distillation. Typical origin: Madagascar, Indonesia.
Steam distillation means that hot steam passing through the plant carries the volatile compounds with it. The steam is cooled, and the water and the oil separate on their own — the oil floats on top.
What it smells like
Aroma notes: strong, warm, reminiscent of a dentist’s surgery.
If you are meeting it for the first time, do not sniff straight into the bottle. Hold it a few centimetres from your nose and waft the aroma towards you — that way the stronger oils will not hit you, and you will pick up the finer notes too.
How people use it
- One drop in the diffuser, with cinnamon and orange.
- Heavily diluted, one drop on the soles of the feet.
- A few drops in the cleaning water.
- One drop on dried fruit, instead of studding an orange with cloves.
Recipes
The ratios are worked out, and one drop is roughly five hundredths of a millilitre. Where a companion oil is listed, feel free to swap it for whatever you have at home — the drop counts stay the same.
Chest balm
What you get: 30 ml, enough for a whole season.
- Melt 25 g of shea butter and 5 g of beeswax over a water bath.
- Take it off the heat and let it cool to lukewarm.
- Stir in 12 drops of Clove and 6 drops of Eucalyptus — that is about two per cent.
- Pour into a jar and let it set. Apply to the chest and back in the evening.
It works without beeswax too, it will just be softer: in that case use forty grams of coconut oil as the base.
Surface spray
What you get: 300 ml.
- Put 60 ml of vinegar into a 500 ml spray bottle.
- Add 20 drops of Clove and swirl to combine.
- Top up with 250 ml of water.
- Shake before use, and wipe down the kitchen counter or the bathroom with it.
Do not use it on natural stone — marble or limestone — as vinegar etches it. There, use water and the oil only.
Spiced diffusing for cool evenings
What you get: one evening.
- Fill the diffuser up to the line.
- Add 3 drops of Clove and 2 drops of Eucalyptus.
- Run it for half an hour, then take a break.
Spice oils are more concentrated than citrus: fewer drops give you the same strength of aroma.
What to pair it with
These suit the same situations, so they sit well together in a blend:
- Eucalyptus — shared topic: Seasonal home habits
- Cinnamon Bark — shared topic: Seasonal home habits
- Thyme — shared topic: Seasonal home habits
Safety and storage
Very strong, and an irritant to skin and mucous membranes. Dilute it thoroughly and avoid it in children.
In dark glass, somewhere cool, tightly closed. Heat, light and air all age it: citrus oils keep for roughly one to two years, woods and resins for years. It does not need to go in the fridge, but the bathroom windowsill is the worst place for it.
Questions
How much should I use?
For adults, daily whole-body use usually works out at around two per cent: that is roughly twelve drops in thirty millilitres of carrier oil. For sensitive skin and for children, considerably less. The dilution helper on the home page works out the number of drops for your bottle.
What should I dilute it with?
Fractionated coconut oil is the easiest, because it stays liquid, has no scent of its own and does not go rancid. Sweet almond, jojoba and grapeseed oil are good choices too. Essential oil does not mix with water, so for a bath always disperse it in something fatty or in salt first.
What should I watch out for with this oil?
Very strong, and an irritant to skin and mucous membranes. Dilute it thoroughly and avoid it in children.
How long does it keep?
In dark glass, somewhere cool, tightly closed. Heat, light and air all age it: citrus oils keep for roughly one to two years, woods and resins for years. It does not need to go in the fridge, but the bathroom windowsill is the worst place for it.
