Clove

A natural history

Clove is the dried flower bud of a tropical evergreen native to the Maluku islands of Indonesia, the fabled Spice Islands that were once the only place on earth the tree grew. For centuries it was among the most precious spices in the world, so coveted that it helped launch the great age of exploration and was at times valued by weight against gold.

Beyond the kitchen, clove earned a warm and lasting place in care and comfort. Its sweet, spicy oil, rich in a compound called eugenol, became a household classic, most famously turned to for soothing a sore tooth, its clarifying warmth as familiar as the scent of the holidays.

What it does for your skin

Clove bud oil is prized for its high content of eugenol, a strong natural antioxidant. In laboratory study, clove oil and its eugenol showed notable antioxidant, free radical scavenging activity along with antimicrobial action.^[1] A scientific review notes that eugenol, widely used in cosmetics, is associated chiefly with antioxidant and soothing activity.^[2] In a formula, used at low levels, clove lends a warm, clarifying, antioxidant touch to dull or congested looking skin. Eugenol is potent, so it belongs in careful, gentle measure.

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