There’s not much that evokes the winter holidays for me more than the smell of cloves. I love it in baking, pot pourri and reed diffusers. It’s such a spicy and warm aroma that just envelops me in comfort and coziness while all outside is white and crisp and cold.
But did you know that clove essential oil (usually known as oil of cloves) has some amazing healing properties as well? It does. In the past, its most common use was in dentistry, when clove oil was used to treat toothaches. Even today, some dentists will recommend using a small amount of oil of cloves topically to help prevent infection following an extraction, because of its antimicrobial and antifungal properties.
Diluted oil of cloves is also an effective treatment for acne, and when inhaled or applied topically to the chest it is a soothing treatment for the common cold, coughs, and sore throat. Think of it as similar to eucalyptus oil in this use.
You do need to be careful that you don’t ingest oil of cloves and that you keep it away from children, as it can be toxic in larger quantities. When using it topically, simply apply a few drops with a cotton ball or tissue.
Whatever way you use them, cloves are amazing and soothing and will bring warmth to your winter.
I love the smell of cloves! My grandmother used to have them out in kind of a potpourri sort of way but they smell so wonderful. I feel like she also somehow used it in tea??