8 Amazing Benefits of Turmeric

Turmeric is a common kitchen spice known for its bright orange hue, warm aroma and anti-inflammatory properties.

Turmeric essential oil is another amazing way to enjoy the turmeric (aka curcumin) plant’s numerous beneficial compounds without cooking an entire meal. While this oil has a warm, spicy aroma, it can also be quite sharp. As a result, we frequently get the question, How do I use Turmeric essential oil?

There are numerous Turmeric oil uses, from topical skin remedies to aromatherapy and beyond.

In this short guide, we’ll go over eight impressive Turmeric essential oil benefits and the best ways to make them a part of your routine.

1. Calms & Uplifts

Turmeric has been a part of Ayurvedic medicine for over 4,000 years.  The turmeric plant once had such great cultural significance that it went by over 53 names. One Sanskrit name, Hridayavilasini, means that turmeric “gives delight to heart.

Drawing on traditional knowledge, modern aromatherapy uses turmeric extract to achieve the following beneficial effects:

• Cultivate positivity – Considered a “warming” ingredient in Ayurveda, Turmeric’s spicy aroma can help to circulate positive energy. 

• Calm and relax – If energy-boosting aromas sometimes leave you on-edge, Turmeric has additional benefits. It uplifts while actively soothing stress.

While some enjoy the aroma of the turmeric plant, this slightly sharp oil pairs well with sweet and aromatic partners. Try popping the following blend in your diffuser to find grounded positivity throughout your day:

• 3 drops Turmeric

• 3 drops Tangerine

• 2 drops Ginger

• 2 drops Grapefruit Pink Pepper

2. Combats Signs Of Aging

While one of Turmeric’s traditional Sanskrit names suggests its emotional benefits, many more extol its beneficial effects for the skin. 

Beauty and cosmetic applications are some of the most well-known essential oil turmeric uses. turmeric root is traditionally ground into a paste and then applied as a face mask. In some regions of India, this is actually a part of wedding ceremonies!

How does it work? It all has to do with Turmeric’s polyphenol compound curcumin.

• Throughout our lifetimes, free radicals—UV rays, environmental pollutants and other harmful substances—cause damage to skin cells. Also called oxidative stress, this process strips healthy skin cells of oxygen particles, rendering them unstable.

• Owing to this damage, our skin eventually begins to lose collagen, and therefore elasticity.

• Our skin no longer readily springs back into place after we make facial expressions. In addition, skin loses some of its plumpness and appears to look more drawn.

• Polyphenols like curcumin have powerful antioxidant properties that can stave off cellular damage before it produces its worst effects.

Unlike turmeric paste that can give skin a slightly yellow tint, Turmeric essential oil is a great way to enjoy Turmeric’s potential anti-aging effects without the unwanted tint.

Incorporate Turmeric into your skin care routine through one of the following methods:

• Use a weekly DIY Turmeric face mask

• Add a few drops of Turmeric to your favorite nighttime moisturizer 

3. Promotes Even Skin Tone

Beyond reducing the signs of aging, Turmeric is famous for its ability to promote a bright, even skin tone.

How does it work? It all has to do with the roots of uneven skin tone.

• Cellular damage from oxidative stress can permanently affect your melanocytes, the cells that regulate the skin pigment melanin.

• Malfunctioning melanocytes can produce excess melanin, producing darker patches of skin. Alternately, they might stop functioning, creating white, pink or red patches of skin.

• Oxidative stress can also lead to blemishes and uneven skin tone.

You’re already familiar with Turmeric’s strong antioxidant properties. A 2016 survey of research explains some of the ways these effects combine with Turmeric’s other unique properties to benefit skin health:

• Because Turmeric is antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, it can help with blemishes.

• Turmeric can improve thick, scaly, and itchy skin.

• In combination with UVB therapy, Turmeric has been shown to help repigment skin with significant variations in tone and pigmentation.

If uneven skin tone and texture are a concern, Turmeric might be the missing ingredient in your skin care routine. Likewise, if your current skin condition looks dull or dry, adding Turmeric to your facial oil or moisturizer could potentially improve its brightness.

4. Defies Dandruff

If you have scalp issues, Turmeric is a potential ally.

There are several potential causes for dandruff: 

• Overactive oil glands that leave secretions on the scalp

• Dryness that causes flaking skin

• Fungal infection creating discharge around the hair root

If inflammation plays a role in your oil glands’ over or under-production, Turmeric may be able to help. Likewise, antimicrobial Turmeric is a natural way to ward off fungi and yeast.

As an added bonus, happy, healthy hair follicles may produce hair at a faster rate, helping you grow long and shiny locks.

Try one of the following methods for integrating Turmeric into your hair care routine:

• Turmeric scalp massage – Add 72 drops Turmeric essential oil to a 4 oz bottle of Argan carrier oil. Wet your hair and thoroughly massage your scalp and roots using the oil blend. Then, wash and condition your hair as usual.

• Turmeric shampoo – Add 18 drops Turmeric essential oil per oz liquid shampoo base. Wash your hair as normal, then rinse thoroughly.  

5. Supports Immune Response

Do you already use essential oils as natural immune system enhancers during the cold and flu season?

• Many essential oils have antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties that can help fight pathogens.

• Highly anti-inflammatory essential oils like Turmeric have also been shown to help clear respiratory congestion in the nasal passages and chest.

• Essential oil aromatherapy may even help dilate your airways, allowing you to take deeper breaths and deliver more oxygen to the tissue throughout your body.

In Ayurvedic medicine, Turmeric is used to assist with conditions including:

• Allergies

• Labored breathing

• Coughing

• Nasal congestion

Try adding Turmeric oil to any of the following applications:

• Steam inhalation

• A hot shower

• Chest rub

For best results, combine Turmeric with other potent anti-inflammatory oils like Lemon, Ginger and Moroccan Rosemary.

6. Soothes Muscles & Joints

Minor aches and soreness are a daily part of life. Whether you’ve been gardening, typing or experimenting with a new yoga routine, your muscles will let you know when they’re overworked.

If you’d prefer an all-natural remedy to over-the-counter medication, consider applying Turmeric topically.

• Inflammation is often a root cause of aches and pains. Our tired muscles and joints send the body the signal that they need resources to complete cellular repairs, and this results in swelling, tenderness and other unpleasant sensations.

• Because Turmeric is so highly anti-inflammatory, it can help to reduce swelling and soreness at the afflicted site. 

Try giving yourself a massage using Turmeric diluted with a carrier oil of your choice. Alternately, add Turmeric to your homemade muscle rub along with oils like Ginger and Black Pepper.

7. Aids Healthy Digestion

Did you know that some people consider Turmeric to be a weight loss aid?

While we don’t recommend ingesting essential oils without the consultation of a doctor who is trained in aromatherapy, it’s fascinating to read about the research on how turmeric root can help support healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

A 2014 analysis of current research on Turmeric found that:

• Turmeric may result in released cholesterol uptake in the intestine, lowering levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol.

• Decreased cholesterol can also result in lower glycemic levels.

Overall, adding turmeric powder to your cooking can help to add flavor to dishes while delivering potential health benefits. 

While Turmeric aromatherapy is not known to deliver the same results, some find that diffusing the essential oil can help to soothe gas, bloating and other signs of an inflamed GI system.

8. Helps You Find Balance

Balance can be difficult to achieve. But one major thing that throws us off balance is systemic or chronic inflammation. Whether due to poor diet, environmental pathogens or plain-old stress, inflammation sends our body the signal to stay in defense mode.

When we can’t let go of our defenses and relax again, it’s that much harder to deal with the next thing that throws us off balance, whether it’s a pulled muscle or a major life event.

This is one of the major reasons why Turmeric is such a versatile, helpful oil.

What is Turmeric oil good for? It may be easier to list the ailments that Turmeric can’t help! This unsung EO has potential uses from head to toe and for everything in between. To experience its most beneficial effects, blend and diffuse Turmeric with your other favorite essential oils and make it a part of your daily routine.

Sources: 

1. Prasad, Sahdeo and Bharat B. Aggarwal. “Turmeric, the Golden Spice.” Herbal Medicine. Boca Raton, FL: Taylor & Francis, 2011.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92752/
2.  Ibid.
3.  Davinelli, Sergio  et al. “Cytoprotective Polyphenols Against Chronological Skin Aging and Cutaneous Photodamage.” Current Pharmaceutical Design 24.2 (2018). https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/cpd/2018/00000024/00000002/art00001
4. Vaughn, Alexander et al. “Effects of Turmeric (Curcuma longa) on Skin Health.” Phytotherapy Research 30.8 (2016). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ptr.5640?casa_token=9OWYMyCK8x8AAAAA%3ADFo3I9PVlgNaPBG-dRhu1NNZ4VYMm7rC4PvsIPW3uSqz4Lje30BspUrFNpB2u2_k0KXmMfRyAIifMA
5. “Tips for Dealing with Dandruff.” The Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dandruff/multimedia/tips-for-dealing-with-dandruff/vid-20456452
6. Prasad. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92752/
7. Nasri, Hamid et al. “Turmeric.” Journal of HerbMed Pharmacology 3.1 (2014). http://eprints.skums.ac.ir/4717/