About Ginger Essential Oil: Uses, Benefits, And More!
Published by hstables@newdirectionsaromatics.com BigCommerce on 30th Apr 2026
April 17, 2018
About Ginger Essential Oil: Uses, Benefits, And More!
Ginger Essential Oil, derived from the root of the Zingiber officinale plant, is a warming, stimulating oil known as “The Oil of Empowerment” for its uplifting and confidence-boosting effects. In aromatherapy, it helps enhance focus while easing stress, fatigue, anxiety, and low mood. In skincare, it supports a clearer, more radiant complexion by soothing inflammation, reducing signs of aging, and improving overall skin tone. For hair care, it promotes a healthier scalp by reducing dryness and itchiness while encouraging stronger growth through improved circulation. Medicinally, Ginger Essential Oil is valued for supporting digestion, relieving nausea and discomfort, boosting circulation, and helping the body reduce inflammation and clear respiratory congestion.
History of Essential Oils
Due to the worldwide usage of essential oils for centuries, it is difficult to pinpoint exactly which culture began using them first, but the first records of essential oils allegedly come from ancient India, Persia, and Egypt. Greece and Rome also engaged in the widespread trade of aromatic oils and ointments with Eastern countries. Each culture had various uses for them ranging from health treatments to spiritual practices. Their herbal preparations included incense, perfume, clothing and fabric fresheners, medicine such as pills, powders, and suppositories, ointments, scented baths, and aromatherapy massages. In many cultures, aromatic oils were believed to create a union with the gods and were held in such high regard that they were used only by a select group of privileged people, such as priests.
Arabs were the first to develop the technique of plant distillation to extract essential oils. They were able to replace the fatty oils that were used as solvents for extraction with a new solvent that they created by distilling ethyl alcohol from fermented sugar. During the Middle Ages, this knowledge of the distillation technique spread to Europe and its pharmacies specialized in distilled products.
Benefits of Ginger Essential Oil
The main chemical constituents of Ginger Oil are: Camphene, B-Phellandrene, α-Pinene, Geranial, Zingiberene, β-Bisabolene, β-Sesquiphellandrene, and Curcumene.
Key Chemical Constituents
Camphene
- Exhibit anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties
- Be soothing
B-Phellandrene
- Exhibit a pleasant odor that has been described as peppery, minty, and/or slightly citrusy
- Exhibit anti-septic, antiviral, bactericidal, and decongestant properties
Pinene
- Have anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and expectorant properties
- Be a bronchodilator
Geranial
- Be a fragrance ingredient with a Rose-like scent
- Have insecticidal and anti-oxidant effects
Zingiberene
- Be the fragrance ingredient responsible for the characteristic scent of Ginger
- Exhibit anti-viral, anti-oxidant, and antiseptic properties
β-Bisabolene
- Be a fragrance agent
- Exude a warm, woody, and fruity scent characteristic of “oriental” aromas
- Exhibit anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy properties
β-Sesquiphellandrene
- Have anti-viral, carminative, and stomachic properties
Curcumene
- Have hypotensive and analgesic effects
- Exhibit anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties
Aromatherapy Benefits
Used in aromatherapy applications, Ginger Oil is known for its stimulating and warming effects, which can enhance concentration while soothing and reducing the feelings of stress, sadness, anxiety, lethargy, agitation, dizziness, and fatigue.
Skin & Hair Care Benefits
When used as part of a skin care routine or topically in general, this spicy essential oil can soothe redness and eliminate bacteria, especially inflammation and bacteria associated with acne. Its antioxidant properties are known to protect the skin from oxidization and free radicals, inhibiting the signs of skin damage and aging. Its stimulating properties make it an ideal ingredient in revitalizing moisturizers that restore color and radiance to a dull complexion.
When applied to the hair, Ginger Oil’s rich mineral content contributes to the health of the scalp and the strands, while its antiseptic, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties contribute their cleanliness while soothing dryness and itchiness characteristic of dandruff. By stimulating and improving circulation, it is known to enhance healthier hair growth.
Medicinal & Therapeutic Uses
Used medicinally, Ginger Essential Oil’s detoxifying and digestive properties facilitate the elimination of toxins and boost digestion. Additionally, it eases discomforts associated with the stomach and bowel, including flatulence, diarrhea, spasms, dyspepsia, stomach-ache, nausea, and colic. For those with the intention of gaining weight, this essential oil is known to enhance the appetite.
Its expectorant property works to eliminate mucus from the respiratory tract and to effectively reduce symptoms of respiratory ailments, including breathlessness, asthma, cough, cold, flu, and bronchitis. When massaged into the muscles, Ginger Oil’s analgesic property is known to soothe and reduce aches as well as inflammation, thus benefitting complaints such as headaches, migraines, arthritis, back pain, and contractions of the uterus, which are commonly referred to as menstrual cramps.
Summary of Key Properties
As illustrated, Ginger Oil is reputed to have many therapeutic properties. The following highlights its many benefits and the kinds of activity it is believed to show:
- Cosmetic: Tonic, Stimulant, Warming, Anti-Inflammatory, Firming
- Odorous: Tonic, Stimulant, Warming, Expectorant, Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory, Aphrodisiac, Memory-Enhancing, Soothing, Anti-Nausea, Appetite-Boosting, Immune-Boosting
- Medicinal: Antiseptic, Laxative, Tonic, Stimulant, Warming, Digestive, Carminative, Expectorant, Analgesic, Anti-Inflammatory, Antispasmodic, Soothing, Anti-nausea, Appetite-Boosting, Circulatory, Diuretic, Detoxifying, Immune-Boosting, Sudorific
Composition of Essential Oils
Essential oils are comprised of a complex mixture of constituents, a single essential oil sometimes containing hundreds of them. The specific ratio of the constituents gives the oil its specific wellness-enhancing and therapeutic qualities. The most commonly found classes of essential oil constituents include: Monoterpenes, Sesquiterpenes, Diterpenes, Alcohols, Phenols, Aldehydes, Ketones, Esters, and Oxides. Due to the health-supporting and cleansing properties that many of the constituents share, almost all essential oils are anti-septic and many also have anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial activities.
The appearance of essential oils ranges from being colorless to being any color of the rainbow, and sometimes the color of the oil points to its therapeutic qualities. For example, being blue in color, Chamomile Oil is useful for aromatherapy massage on a person experiencing “red hot” emotions, as the blue represents its classic “cooling and soothing” effect and counteracts any negative physical and psychological feelings. Oils such as Patchouli, Orange, and Lemongrass are amber or yellow in color and their bright happy colors can easily help a person determine what they are best used for – as mood boosters! Younger plants yield more essential oils than older plants, but the latter produce oils that are more resinous and darker in color due to the continuous evaporation of the oil’s lighter fractions. Sometimes their colors are a result of the extraction method while at other times the color of the plant material affects the color of the final product. While Chamomile is not blue, it contains a component called Chamazulene, which turns the oil an inky blue color during the distillation process.
Ginger Essential Oil, derived from the root of *Zingiber officinale*, is a warming, stimulating oil known for boosting confidence, enhancing mood, supporting digestion, easing nausea and inflammation, and promoting healthy skin and hair.
A Guide to Ginger Oil Varieties & Their Benefits
Ginger Organic Essential Oil / Ginger Root Essential Oil (Dried) / Ginger Root Essential Oil (Fresh)
Botanical Name: Zingiber officinale
Method of Extraction and Plant Part: Steam Distillation; the Ginger root is macerated and distilled over high heat, from which the oil is extracted.
Country of Origin: Sri Lanka / China / Indonesia
Believed to:
- Ease nausea, menstrual discomfort, upset stomach, anxiety, muscle soreness, and joint pain
- Even out skin tone and enhance skin elasticity
- Have a warming and stimulating effect on the skin and mind
- Exhibit anti-septic and anti-inflammatory properties
- Display tonic, laxative, digestive, and anti-spasmodic activity
- Reduce or eliminate mucus from the respiratory tract to soothe irritation and congestion
- Promote easier breathing by opening up airways and diminishing inflammation
- Reduce symptoms of colds, flu, and fever
- Enhance libido by arousing sensuality, calmness, and confidence
- Replace negative emotions such as stress, fatigue, and sadness with enthusiastic energy
- Boost circulation and thereby stimulate the growth of stronger and healthier hair and skin
- Facilitate the fading of scars and cellulite
- Promote a smooth, clear, and radiant complexion
Ginger Oil Side Effects
As with all other New Directions Aromatics products, Ginger Essential Oil is for external use only. It is imperative to consult a medical practitioner before using this oil for therapeutic purposes. Pregnant and nursing women are especially advised not to use Ginger Oil without the medical advice of a physician, as it may have an effect on certain hormone secretions and it is unclear whether these effects are transferable to babies at these stages of development. The oil should always be stored in an area that is inaccessible to children, especially those under the age of 7.
Those with the following health conditions are recommended to be advised by a physician: diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure and other heart-related ailments, skin disorders, liver damage, or hormone-related ailments. Individuals that are taking prescription drugs, undergoing major surgery, or who are at a greater risk of experiencing strokes, heart attacks, or atherosclerosis are also advised to seek medical consultation prior to use.
Prior to using Ginger Oil, a skin test is recommended. This can be done by diluting 1 drop of the Essential Oil in 4 drops of a Carrier Oil and applying a dime-size amount of this blend to a small area of skin that is not sensitive. Ginger Oil must never be used near the eyes, inner nose, and ears, or on any other particularly sensitive areas of skin. Potential side effects of Ginger Oil include low blood pressure. Due to the potential phototoxicity of this oil, it is recommended that the areas of the application be protected from sunlight exposure for 24 hours.
Those seeking medical care to manage moods, behaviors, or disorders should treat this essential oil as a complementary remedy rather than a replacement for any medicinal treatments or prescriptions. In the event of an allergic reaction, discontinue use of the product and see a doctor, pharmacist, or allergist immediately for a health assessment and appropriate remedial action. To prevent side effects, consult with a medical professional prior to use.