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Daucus carota (seed essential oil)

Carrot seed oil

Carrot seed oil has no human trials for skin or hair, so there is no evidence it works for either. It does not protect against the sun: careful tests found an SPF of about 1 to 3 for the oil on its own, and claims of SPF 30 or more are not supported. Safety data are thin; it is an essential oil and should be diluted, patch-tested and avoided in pregnancy.

Updated
10 October 2026
Carrot seeds and a small bottle of oil beside fresh carrots
At a glance
Last reviewed 10 October 2026
Evidence
Traditional
Best for
Skin care (unproven)
Typical form & use
Essential oil, diluted; no studied dose
Onset
4+ weeks
Safety
Gives no sun protection; avoid in pregnancy. No interactions in our data.
Check with your medications →

What it's used for

Evidence is rated per use. The same ingredient can be strong for one thing and traditional for another.

UseEvidenceWhat the research shows
Sun protection (the SPF claim)Traditional

Carrot seed oil is often said to have an SPF of 30 to 40. A 2021 study tested 14 virgin vegetable oils, carrot seed among them: the in vitro SPF of carrot seed oil was 0.1 and the in vivo (ISO method, on people) SPF of the five most promoted oils was 1.2 to 2.8. The authors say the high figures in earlier papers came from not following the original dilution method.

A 2026 in vitro study of eleven plant oils, carrot seed included, found negligible SPF and UVA protection, and concluded plant oils cannot replace conventional UV filters. The one formulation study that reports a higher number (SPF 6.9) used 6% oil in a lab emulsion and an in vitro method, not people.1,2,3

Skin care and anti-ageingCompare remedies for skin →Traditional

We found no clinical trial of carrot seed oil for wrinkles, dryness, acne or any other skin problem in people. The only formulation paper is a laboratory study of 2 to 6% oil in an emulsion, which measured antioxidant activity and irritation in a lab model; it says nothing about results on human skin.3

Wound healingTraditional

In rats with excision wounds, a 10% carrot seed oil preparation closed wounds faster than controls (complete by day 21). This is animal work from a small group, one author employed by a life-science company, and there is no human trial.4

Hair and scalpCompare remedies for hair & nails →Traditional

We found no human or animal trial of carrot seed oil for hair growth, thinning or scalp conditions, so popular claims cannot be checked against any study we could read.4

How much

Ranges below are what studies used and what supplements commonly contain. They are not a recommendation for you. Start at the low end.

Human dose
None established3,4
No human trial gives a dose, frequency or dilution for carrot seed oil. Do not treat the animal and laboratory figures below as advice.
Used in a lab emulsion
2–6% w/v oil3
From a formulation study in the laboratory. Not a tested dose for people.
Used on rat skin
10% w/w4
Applied to rat wounds, and in a separate rat test did not irritate skin over three days. It has not been tested this way in people.
Cell-toxicity threshold (wild carrot oil)
Below 0.64 µL/mL5
In test-tube cells, a wild carrot (Daucus carota subsp. carota) oil of a different chemical make-up was tolerated only below this concentration. It shows the oil is not harmless at high strength.
Timing · No source gives a schedule. The rat wound study applied the preparation daily for up to 21 days.With food? · The oil is not a food or supplement and no source supports swallowing it.How long to trial · Because nothing is proven, there is no result to wait for. If you try a diluted oil, patch-test a small area first and stop if the skin reddens or itches.

How people take it

Essential oil (steam-distilled seed oil), dilutedNo studied doseRich in sesquiterpenes such as carotol. Always mixed into a carrier oil or product; never used neat.
Ready-made skin product containing the oilVaries by productOften the oil is a minor ingredient. The 2026 study found products marketed as natural with declared SPFs often gave far less protection than the label.
Carrot root (macerated or carotene) oilNot applicableA different product from seed essential oil, sold under similar names. The studies above are of seed oil, so they do not cover it.

Safety

Who should avoid
  • Relying on it as sunscreen — tests show an SPF of about 1 to 3
  • Pregnancy — seed preparations have shown pregnancy-interrupting effects in animals
  • Swallowing the essential oil — no source supports it
  • Broken skin, eczema or known fragrance allergy — no human safety data
  • Children and breastfeeding — we found no safety data
Known interactions
No interactions in our data. Absence of a flag is not clearance.

Questions people ask

What are the benefits of carrot seed oil?

We found no human trial showing any benefit for skin or hair. The published evidence is laboratory and animal work, such as faster wound closure in rats. It is used in skincare as a fragrance and in claims about skin ageing that have not been tested in people.

Does carrot seed oil have an SPF?

Not a useful one. A 2021 study measured the SPF of carrot seed oil at about 0.1 in the lab and the most promoted oils at 1.2 to 2.8 on people, and a 2026 study again found negligible protection. The SPF 30 to 40 figures online come from methods that the later study says were not applied properly. Use a tested sunscreen.

Is carrot seed oil good for skin or hair?

There is no clinical evidence either way for hair, and none for skin beyond a laboratory emulsion study. If you use it, dilute it in a carrier oil and patch-test first; the evidence cannot tell you it will help.

Is carrot seed oil safe in pregnancy?

Avoid it. We found no human safety data, and a 1976 paper on carrot seeds reports pregnancy-interrupting effects, though we could only read its title and do not know the species or preparation.

Sources (6)

  1. Laboratory and human study Ácsová A, Hojerová J, Janotková L, et al. The real UVB photoprotective efficacy of vegetable oils: in vitro and in vivo studies. Photochem Photobiol Sci. 2021.
  2. Laboratory study Popiół-Adamska J, Kolisz M, Pękala E, Gunia-Krzyżak A. Natural photoprotection under scrutiny: an in vitro evaluation. Photochem Photobiol Sci. 2026.
  3. Laboratory study Singh S, Lohani A, Mishra AK, Verma A. Formulation and evaluation of carrot seed oil-based cosmetic emulsions. J Cosmet Laser Ther. 2019.
  4. Animal study Venkatesan K, Asseri KA, Muralidharan P, et al. Wound-Healing Efficacy of Daucus carota Bioactive Compounds: Targeting Oxidative Stress, Inflammation, and Apoptosis. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2025.
  5. Laboratory study Alves-Silva JM, Zuzarte M, Gonçalves MJ, et al. New Claims for Wild Carrot (Daucus carota subsp. carota) Essential Oil. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016.
  6. Animal study (title only) Sharma MM, Lal G, Jacob D. Estrogenic and pregnancy interceptory effects of carrot daucus carota seeds. Indian J Exp Biol. 1976.

Reader notes

Experiences and questions from readers, read by an editor before they appear. They are personal accounts, not evidence, and are not medical advice.

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Last reviewed 10 October 2026 · Next review April 2027 · How we rate evidence