Steam-distilled from the leaves of Ocimum basilicum — the tropical or "exotic" chemotype. Fresh, boldly spicy and green, with a pronounced anise-like edge that surprises people expecting the basil of a Genoese pesto.
The chemotype is the whole story
Basil, like thyme and rosemary, produces different oils depending on where it grows. This is the estragole-rich (methyl chavicol) chemotype, and estragole can make up the large majority of the oil — which is exactly where the anise character comes from. The European chemotype, richer in linalool, smells more like the herb and carries fewer cautions.
Estragole is genotoxic and carcinogenic in animal studies, and the European Medicines Agency's herbal committee has recommended that human exposure to it be kept as low as reasonably achievable. That is not a reason this oil should not exist — it is a reason to use it in drops rather than spoonfuls, occasionally rather than daily, and on small areas rather than large ones.
Do not use it if you are
- Pregnant or breastfeeding.
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Buying it for a child. This oil is not appropriate for children.
- Taking an anticoagulant or antiplatelet medicine, or facing surgery — estragole-rich oils carry a bleeding caution.
- Epileptic, or caring for someone who is — ask a professional first.
For everyone else: keep dermal use to about one per cent or below (roughly 6 drops in 30 ml of carrier oil), on small areas, occasionally. Never neat, never in a bath, never near eyes. Patch test and wait 24 hours.
What an essential oil may and may not claim
Basil oil is often sold on the grounds that basil "has long accompanied meals as a digestive helper", that it is "prized for its purifying reputation", and that it is "a classic companion in moments of stress and fatigue". None of that appears here. Claims about digestion and about stress are health claims, and none is authorised in the EU for any essential oil.
Note also the reasoning trap in the first one: basil the herb in a plate of food and basil essential oil are separated by a factor of hundreds in concentration. It is never safe to reason from the culinary plant to the distilled oil.
What it is genuinely good for
Its scent, which is genuinely distinctive — sharp, sweet and green all at once, and quite unlike anything else. It lifts citrus blends, sits beautifully with bergamot, lime, lavender, rosemary and cedarwood, and gives a herbaceous top note that nothing else quite provides. A single drop is a full contribution.
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Diffusion: one drop, ventilated room, short session. Not around children, pregnant women or pets — cats and birds especially.
- Keep it off unsealed wood and painted surfaces.
Safety — the essentials
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Never swallow essential oils without the direct supervision of a qualified health professional.
- Keep out of reach of children, in the original bottle with the child-resistant cap.
- In eyes: flush with plain vegetable oil rather than water.
- Accident or swallowing: in Portugal call CIAV on 800 250 250 — free, 24 hours. In an emergency, 112.
Storage: cool, dark, tightly closed, upright.
Propos'Nature
Propos'Nature
Propos'Nature
Propos'Nature
