Piper nigrum dried berries, steam distilled, from India.

Aroma: Crisp, fresh, peppercorn aroma, with a sweet undertone. This oil is often used as an aphrodisiac for its grounding qualities. It's a surprising and intriguing scent. - TTF

History: The word pepper is derived from the Latin word piper, which in turn is taken from the Sanskrit word pippali. It has been used since the times of the Ancient Romans and Greeks and even the Turks levied a tax on pepper, while the French, Portuguese and Dutch often went to war in the middle ages to fight for this lucrative trade from the far east.

Colour: Clear

Consistency: Thin

Perfumery Note: Middle

Strength of Initial Aroma: Medium

Common Uses: Black pepper oil can be used to help in the treatment of pain, rheumatism, chills, flu, colds, poor circulation, exhaustion, muscular aches, physical and emotional coldness, nerves, and fevers. The therapeutic properties of black pepper oil include the following as an analgesic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, anti toxic, aphrodisiac, digestive, diuretic, febrifuge, laxative, rubefacient, tonic (especially of the spleen).

Possible Uses: Aching muscles, arthritis, chilblains, constipation, muscle cramps, poor circulation, sluggish digestion. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 56-64.]

Psychologically, it is used to sharpen mental faculties and to energize the body. Spiritually, it can be used to enhance self defence and dispel negative energies - TTF

Constituents: Limonene, Pinene, Myrcene, Phellandrene, Beta-caryophyllene, Beta-bisabolene, Sabinene, Linalol, Pinocarveol, Alpha, Terpineol, Camphene, Alpha, Terpenene [Shirley Price, The Aromatherapy Workbook (Hammersmith, London: Thorsons, 1993), 54-5.]

Safety Information: Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand does not indicate any special precautions when using this oil. [Robert Tisserand, Essential Oil Safety (United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone, 1995), 209.]

Photo thanks to K Hari Krishnan, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons