Clove Bud Oil: Uses, Traditions, Research and Safe Dilution

Clove bud oil is one of the oldest aromatics in the world, and also one of the strongest. This article covers where it comes from, how traditions have used it, and what research says about clove oil for toothache. It also shows how to dilute it safely and who should avoid it entirely.

What clove bud oil is and where it comes from

Clove is the dried, unopened flower bud of Syzygium aromaticum, an evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Kew’s Plants of the World Online lists its native range as Maluku, the Indonesian islands once called the Spice Islands. The tree grows 8 to 20 meters tall.

The buds are picked while still pink, then dried until they turn reddish-brown. According to Britannica, they contain 14 to 20% essential oil. The oil is separated by distillation, which uses steam or boiling water to carry the aromatic compounds out of the plant material.

Bud, leaf or stem: why the label matters

Three different clove oils are sold, and they are not interchangeable. The PROSEA plant database, a Southeast Asian botanical reference, describes their differences.

Eugenol is the compound that gives clove its warm, numbing bite. It is also the main source of clove oil’s risks. Because every version is rich in eugenol, the safety rules in this article apply to all three.

[PHOTO: Whole dried clove buds beside a small amber bottle labeled “clove bud”, on a plain wooden surface, photographed in daylight.]

A short history of clove

Clove is one of the earliest traded spices on record. Britannica notes that envoys from Java brought cloves to China’s Han dynasty court around 200 BCE. They held them in the mouth to sweeten their breath before speaking to the emperor.

By the 10th to 12th centuries, cloves moved through Sri Lanka to India, Arabia and the Mediterranean. The Portuguese controlled the trade for nearly a century. The Dutch took over in the 1600s and restricted growing to a few islands to keep prices high.

That monopoly broke in 1770, when the French administrator Pierre Poivre smuggled out seeds. They grew into plantations in the Seychelles and Zanzibar. Today, Britannica lists Indonesia as the largest producer, followed by Madagascar, the Comoros, Tanzania and Sri Lanka.

Traditional and spiritual uses of clove

The traditions below describe beliefs and historical practice. They are not evidence that clove treats any condition.

One thread runs through nearly every tradition: clove is treated as hot, strong and something to use sparingly. That instinct matches what modern safety research shows.

What research shows about clove bud oil

Clove’s best-studied use is in the mouth. Dentists have used eugenol for over a century in temporary fillings and dressings, often mixed with zinc oxide. That long professional use is different from home use of the essential oil.

Clove oil for toothache and dental pain

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has assessed clove oil and issued a European Union herbal monograph. Its final assessment sits in the therapeutic area of mouth and throat disorders. The 2011 draft monograph listed two traditional uses: temporary relief of toothache from a cavity, and minor mouth or throat inflammation.

“Traditional use” in EU law has a specific meaning. It recognizes long, plausible use, not proof from clinical trials. The same draft stated the product is only a stopgap, and that people should see a dentist as soon as possible. It did not recommend use under age 18 or in pregnancy.

A handful of small clinical trials have tested clove as a numbing agent in dental care:

In these trials, clove products were applied by dental staff in controlled amounts. That is very different from dabbing undiluted oil on a sore tooth at home.

Other claims: antimicrobial, antioxidant, digestion

Laboratory studies show eugenol can kill bacteria and fungi in a dish. Britannica notes activity even against MRSA in lab settings. Lab results do not tell us what a diluted oil does on human skin or in the body. They are not evidence that clove oil treats infection.

For aromatherapy in general, the US National Cancer Institute calls study results mixed. NCCIH says little rigorous research has been done for most uses. Neither agency lists clove oil as an evidence-based treatment for digestion, immunity, anxiety, colds or detoxification.

Is clove bud oil safe? Key risks to know

Clove bud oil is among the essential oils that need the most care. As a cooking spice, whole and ground cloves are safe in normal food amounts. The concentrated oil is a different substance in practice.

Swallowing: the most serious risk

Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s poison center explains that eugenol makes up 60 to 90% of clove oil. Children and infants are especially vulnerable. Significant toxicity has occurred with 5 to 10 mL. Reported effects include drowsiness, seizures, liver damage, blood acidity, clotting problems and dangerously low blood sugar.

Some wellness sites suggest taking a drop of clove oil in honey after meals. Do not do this. The poison center also advises against clove oil for teething in children under 2. Keep bottles capped, labeled and out of reach.

Skin irritation and allergy

Eugenol can irritate skin and trigger allergic reactions when it is not well diluted. The Tisserand Institute, citing Essential Oil Safety (2nd edition), recommends a maximum of 0.5% clove bud oil on the skin. That is much lower than the 1 to 3% common for gentler oils.

The EMA draft listed allergy to clove oil or to Peru balsam as a reason not to use it. People allergic to Peru balsam, a common fragrance allergen, often react to related compounds.

Gums and the mouth

The EMA draft reported mouth irritation and allergic reactions. It warned to avoid contact with the gums when using clove oil for toothache. Undiluted oil repeatedly applied to gums can cause irritation and sores.

Bleeding and medicines

Eugenol can slow blood clotting. Safety references advise caution for anyone taking blood thinners, people with bleeding disorders, and anyone due for surgery. Ask your doctor or pharmacist before using clove products if any of these apply.

Pets: a real danger for cats

The Canadian Veterinary Medical Association explains that cats lack a liver pathway, called glucuronidation, that breaks down phenols. Eugenol is a phenol. The association includes clove on its list of oils for cat owners to avoid.

Cats can be exposed by breathing diffused oil, through skin contact, or by grooming oil off their fur. Signs include drooling, vomiting, wobbliness, tremors, breathing trouble and seizures. Dogs are less sensitive but can also be harmed. Call your vet immediately if you suspect exposure, and bring the bottle.

How to dilute clove bud oil safely

If you use clove bud oil on the skin for its scent, stay at or under 0.5%. Mix it into a carrier oil such as jojoba, sweet almond or fractionated coconut oil. This chart assumes about 20 drops per mL, which varies by bottle and dropper.

Enjoying clove bud oil for its scent

Most people who buy clove bud oil want its scent: warm, spicy and slightly sweet, like mulled wine or holiday baking. Scent use is where clove fits most comfortably, as long as the safety habits above come first.

In a diffuser

Clove is intense, so a little goes a long way. Use your diffuser maker’s lowest suggested amount, run it for short sessions, and keep a window open. Clove pairs well with sweet orange, cedarwood or frankincense, which soften its sharp edge. Skip diffusing entirely in homes with cats, birds, young babies or anyone with asthma.

Without oil at all

Whole cloves give much of the same scent with far less risk. Simmer a few in a pan of water with orange peel and a cinnamon stick. Or press cloves into an orange to make a traditional pomander, then hang it in a wardrobe. Keep any loose cloves away from small children, who could choke on them.

Why the oil is so different from the spice

A whole clove contains only about 14 to 20% oil, locked inside plant tissue. A drop of essential oil is pure concentrate, mostly eugenol. That is why a spice that is safe in cooking can be toxic as a bottled oil. Treat the two as different products with different rules.

Clove oil and toothache: what to do instead

Toothache usually means something needs a dentist, such as decay, a cracked tooth or an infection. Clove cannot fix any of those. At best, the EMA recognizes it as a short-term stopgap.

The NHS suggests these steps while you wait for a dental appointment:

• Take an appropriate painkiller such as ibuprofen or paracetamol. No aspirin for anyone under 16.
• Use a pain-relieving mouth gel from a pharmacy.
• Rinse with warm salt water and spit it out. Children should not do this.
• Eat soft foods and avoid chewing on the sore side.
• Avoid very hot, very cold and sugary foods.

Clove bud oil compared with other warming oils

Clove is often grouped with other spicy, warming oils. This table compares their main safety points. Maximum skin levels follow Tisserand and Young’s published guidance.

For gentler scent profiles, see our guides to sweet orange oil and the full oils and scents collection.

Common mistakes with clove bud oil

1. Swallowing it “for digestion”. Poison centers report serious harm from small amounts, especially in children.
2. Using the 2% rule. General dilution charts often say 1 to 3%. Clove bud tops out at 0.5%.
3. Putting undiluted oil on gums. The EMA warns to avoid gum contact, and irritation is common.
4. Using clove instead of the dentist. It may dull pain briefly, but the cause keeps getting worse.
5. Diffusing it around cats. Cats cannot break down eugenol, and diffused oil settles on their fur.
6. Treating leaf oil as a cheap swap. Leaf and stem oils carry the same eugenol risks, often at higher levels.
7. Using it before surgery or with blood thinners. Eugenol can slow clotting.

Buying clove bud oil: what to look for

• The full botanical name: Syzygium aromaticum, sometimes listed under the older name Eugenia caryophyllata.
• The plant part: “bud” on the label, if you want bud oil specifically.
• Country of origin and a batch number, which signal a traceable supplier.
• A dark glass bottle with a dropper insert and a child-resistant cap.
• No medical claims on the label. Essential oils sold for aromatherapy are not approved by the FDA to treat disease.

Your one step before you open the bottle

Make a 0.5% blend before anything else: one drop of clove bud oil in two teaspoons of carrier oil. Label it, patch test it on your forearm, and store the undiluted bottle where no child or pet can reach. Starting this way gives you the scent with far less risk.

Sources

1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Plants of the World Online: Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M.Perry. powo.science.kew.org
2. Encyclopaedia Britannica. Clove. britannica.com/plant/clove
3. PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia). Syzygium aromaticum. prosea.prota4u.org
4. European Medicines Agency. Caryophylli floris aetheroleum: herbal medicinal product (EU herbal monograph, assessment finalised). ema.europa.eu
5. European Medicines Agency, HMPC. Draft Community herbal monograph on Syzygium aromaticum floris aetheroleum, EMA/HMPC/534924/2010, January 2011. ema.europa.eu (PDF)
6. Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Tennessee Poison Center. What is the main toxic component of oil of cloves? December 2025. vumc.org/poison-control
7. Tisserand Institute. Eugenol: Essential Oil Constituents in Food. tisserandinstitute.org
8. Tisserand R, Young R. Essential Oil Safety: A Guide for Health Care Professionals, 2nd edition. Churchill Livingstone, 2014.
9. Canadian Veterinary Medical Association. Cats and Essential Oils. canadianveterinarians.net
10. Khalouf H, Karkoutly M, Almonakel MB. Effectiveness of clove oil as a topical anesthetic during inferior alveolar nerve block. Journal of Stomatology 2024; 77(4): 264-269. termedia.pl
11. Alqareer A, Alyahya A, Andersson L. The effect of clove and benzocaine versus placebo as topical anesthetics. Journal of Dentistry 2006. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16530911
12. Daly BJM, Sharif MO, Jones K, Worthington HV, Beattie A. Local interventions for the management of alveolar osteitis (dry socket). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2022, Issue 9, CD006968. cochrane.org/CD006968
13. National Cancer Institute. Aromatherapy and Essential Oils (PDQ), patient version, September 2023. cancer.gov
14. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Aromatherapy. nccih.nih.gov/health/aromatherapy
15. NHS. Toothache. nhs.uk/conditions/toothache