Clove bud oil

What is clove oil?

Clove oil is an essential oil distilled from the dried flower buds, leaves or stems of the clove tree, Syzygium aromaticum (also listed as Eugenia caryophyllus). Its main component is eugenol, the compound behind clove’s strong, warm scent (Kamatou et al., 2012). Clove has a long history in cooking, and eugenol is included in many dental preparations (Kamatou et al., 2012). Clove bud oil also appears in skin and nail products marketed for fungal problems.

What the research says

The antifungal evidence for clove oil is mostly from laboratory studies. In one study, clove essential oil and its vapor strongly inhibited spore germination and growth of several fungi that infect skin and nails, including Trichophyton rubrum, Trichophyton mentagrophytes, Epidermophyton floccosum, Microsporum audouinii and Candida albicans. Direct contact with the oil killed the fungi, while the vapor only stopped their growth (Chee and Lee, 2007).

Lab results like these are a starting point, not proof of a treatment. They do not show whether clove oil, diluted in a product and applied to a thick toenail, reaches the fungus in high enough amounts, or whether it clears infection in people. We found no controlled human trials of clove oil for toenail fungus. Dermatologists note that home remedies for nail fungus have only small studies behind them and that their effectiveness is still unknown (AAD).

How it’s used in products

Clove oil is used as a flavoring, in dental products, in aromatherapy blends and in topical skin and nail products, usually as one of several essential oils. Concentrations are rarely disclosed.

On safety, eugenol at the low concentrations typical of consumer products appears to have a very low potential to cause skin allergy: a survey of more than 11,000 patch tests found only two reactions (Rothenstein et al., 1983). Still, a review of eugenol’s safety singles out contact dermatitis as the main concern given how widely clove oil is used (Kamatou et al., 2012), and concentrated or undiluted oil is more likely to irritate than a diluted product. Use it diluted, keep it away from the eyes and out of reach of children, do not swallow it in medicinal amounts, and stop if redness or a rash appears. If you take prescription medicines, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, check with a doctor or pharmacist before using essential oils medicinally.