Description

Black Pepper – Piper nigrum- India

Family: Piperaceae

Origin: India

Extraction: Steam distillation of unripe berries

Volatility: Middle note

Colour: Golden to light amber

Aroma: Sharp, resembling clove, but more pleasant and refined

Main Constituents

Monoterpenes (45 – 67%)- limonene (17%), phelladrene, a & b-pinene (7 – 23%),

Sesquiterpenes (12 – 29%) – b-caryophellene, a-humulene

Alcohols – linalool, a-terpineol

Contraindications, Safety Data

May cause irritation to the skin in large amounts. Never apply undiluted.

Useful Information

A very potent oil so use caution with sensitive skin.  Has profound warming sensation so use when increasing temperature is warranted.  Distinctive warm spicy aroma so it will compliment many other oils.  Can present a medicinal aroma when mixed with other oils for therapeutic purposes.  Provides an obvious warm spicy enhancement when blended with exotic euphoric oils for colognes and perfumes.  This oil has been a staple for many years in many spicy men’s colognes and body products.

Black pepper, like cinnamon and clove, is one of the world’s oldest recorded spices where it has served as a medicinal preparation as well as in culinary uses.  It was so valuable at one point that it was accepted as a form of currency. The red berries of the plant are picked before they are ripe and placed in the sun to dry.  This process turns them black, hence the origin of the name.

Disclaimer: Essential oils are not meant to be a replacement for traditional medical treatment of diseases and conditions.  When in doubt, please consult a physician.