Cilantro Essential Oil
Finding a sprig of cilantro on your plate as a decorative garnish in a restaurant has become fairly commonplace. Most people choose to ignore this vegetable in favor of the other items on the plate and few are even aware that it is edible. Not only can you eat your cilantro when it comes on your plate but you really should, because it is one of the healthiest vegetables around. In fact, cilantro essential oil has more health benefits and treats more conditions than just about any other essential oil out there. Cilantro essential oil should definitely be one that you are using.
The Basics about Cilantro Essential Oil
Cilantro essential oil offers some great health benefits to people who choose to add this essential oil to their health regimen. While most people consider their sprig of cilantro is nothing more than a decoration, the truth is, cilantro, parsley and other decorative vegetables are probably the healthiest thing you will find on your plate. That effect is even more pronounced when it comes to essential oils because you are packing all of the benefits that come with cilantro – or coriander if you are from a country that uses that name instead – into one tiny little bottle. There is a slight difference between cilantro and coriander when it comes to essential oils but we will get into that a little later.
How is Cilantro Essential Oil Manufactured?
When it comes to making cilantro essential oil, the process is the same as it is for nearly all of the other essential oils – steam distillation. The process of distillation is completed with the leaves in the stalks that come from the coriander plant. This is the only real difference with cilantro essential oil and coriander essential oil – the coriander is made from the actual seeds while cilantro uses the stems.
Types of Cilantro Essential Oil
What you may not be aware of is that cilantro essential oil is almost exactly the same thing as coriander essential oil. In fact, the two are made from the same plant and although the name differs based upon the region that you are living in there is a slight difference that you should be aware of. Cilantro is the name that the Coriandrum Sativum L plant goes by in Europe and most of the Americas, coriander is the actual name of the plant. But the difference comes when you’re talking about the essential oils. In coriander, essential oil is made from putting the seeds of the plant through the steam distillation process. Cilantro is made through the same distillation process but instead of using the seeds, the essential oils are extracted from the leaves instead.
How to Use Cilantro Essential Oil
When it comes to methods of use for cilantro essential oil, you have more freedom with this particular herb than you do with many of the others that are out there. For example, in small amounts you can easily ingest the cilantro. You do want to make sure that you are only using only a minute amount because essential oil is a compressed, packed solution, and is very concentrated. You can also use cilantro essential oil in aromatherapy applications and although cilantro is fairly safe to use topically on the skin, you need to make sure that you dilute it with carrier oil beforehand.
Composition of Cilantro Essential Oil
When you look at a list of ingredients or components that make up a particular herb, it can be a little daunting when you are faced with all of those scientific names that you aren’t exactly sure of the meaning of. However, rest assured that cilantro is one of the healthiest foods – and essential oils – that you could find and the components that make it up are just as healthy, and have their own unique benefits.
- Cineole
- Linoleic acid
- Oleic acid
- Palmitic acid
- Stearic acid
- Ascorbic acid (vitamin-C)
- Borneol
- Linalool
- Alpha-pinene
- Beta-phelandren
Aromatic Description of Cilantro Essential Oil
Cilantro essential oil isn’t that strong of a smell but is certainly is present. Cilantro has a very fresh, herbaceous smell and that effect is much more pronounced when you put it into a condensed form such as an essential oil. However, cilantro also has just a touch of citrus and when you multiply the potency of the other aromas, you also multiply the potency of the citrusy smell, which is very pleasant.
Precautions & Side Effects of Cilantro Essential Oil
There are a few things that you should keep in mind if you’re going to be using cilantro essential oil. There have been almost no reported instances of a negative effect when using cilantro or cilantro essential oil but there are people that have food allergies and they can develop to any food. So, make sure that you are carefully testing and diluting cilantro if you are planning to use it topically and don’t go crazy with it until you are sure that you are not going to have an allergic reaction. In addition, if you’re pregnant, you should not take the cilantro essential oil and you should talk to your doctor before giving it to your children.
Attributes of Cilantro Essential Oil
| Attribute | X | Definition |
| analgesic | X | Reduces pain in muscles and joints |
| anti-infectious | Prevents infection | |
| anti-inflammatory | X | Reduces inflammation |
| antibiotic | Keeps biotic infections from developing | |
| antidepressant | Helps to alleviate depression | |
| anti-neuralgic | Counteracts nerve pain | |
| anti-rheumatic | X | Counteracts pain from rheumatoid arthritis |
| antiseptic | Prevents growth of organisms which cause disease | |
| antispasmodic | X | Prevents spasms from occurring |
| antiviral | X | Kills viral agents |
| aphrodisiac | X | Increasing someone’s sexual desires |
| bactericidal | X | Kills bacterial agents |
| carminative | X | Prevents formation of gas in the GI tract |
| cholagogue | Assists with the discharge of bile | |
| cicatrisant | Assists in the formation of healthy scar tissue | |
| decongestant | Reduces or eliminates congestions of nasal cavities | |
| expectorant | Loosens mucous and helps clear it from the body | |
| digestive | X | Helps with the digestion of food |
| emenagogue | X | Promotes healthy menstrual discharge |
| febrifuge | Aids in the reduction of fever | |
| hepatic | Promotes healthy liver function | |
| hypotensive | Helps to lower blood pressure | |
| Insecticide | Kills certain types of insects or pests | |
| muscle relaxant | Relaxes tight muscles and prevents muscle spasms | |
| nervine | Reduces anxiety and calms the nerves | |
| sedative | Aids in calming or induces sleepiness | |
| stimulant | X | Increases physiological or nervous system activity |
| Stomachic | X | Aids in a healthy appetite or digestion |
| sudorific | Promotes or aids in activation of sweat glands | |
| tonic | Tones the skin or muscles | |
| vermifuge | Kills parasitic worms |
What is Cilantro Essential Oil Primarily Used For?
Cilantro essential oil is one of the strongest essential oils out there with nearly two dozen different primary functions. One of the main benefits this cilantro essential oil offers is reducing inflammation, which is due to one of the components that make up coriander and cilantro. In fact, cineole is specifically intended to help prevent inflammation while linoleic acid works right alongside to help with arthritis and rheumatism. Cilantro essential oils it also helps with various skin disorders including disinfecting and detoxifying skin, lowering cholesterol levels, treating the symptoms of diarrhea and reducing blood pressure among others.
Other Uses for Cilantro Essential Oils
As for some of the other uses for cilantro essential oil, it acts as an antihistamine, which can help people who are suffering from allergies or hayfever. It is beneficial for the liver and helps it function properly, it acts as an expectorant and it helps clear out all sorts of toxins from the body as well as sooth the patient with a calm and peaceful mood. Many people also believe that cilantro is one of the most effective aphrodisiacs that are currently out there.
Recommended Combinations Involving Cilantro Essential Oil
Your cilantro substitutions will depend upon what you are using it for but here are some of the different essential oils that you can try in combination with cilantro: peppermint, fennel, bergamot, ginger, grapefruit, wild orange, cinnamon, coriander and lemon.
The Final Word on Cilantro Essential Oil
Cilantro essential oil is one of the healthiest things that you can keep on hand if you suffer from one of the many conditions that it treats. With a couple of dozen different primary conditions that it helps with and many more secondary conditions, just about every family out there can find a use for cilantro essential oil. So, next time you see cilantro or coriander as a garnish on your plate, think of picking up a bottle of essential oil for better health.
