Ah, cloves. The sweet, spicy aroma mixing with the citrus of
oranges and pine can bring anyone back to their grandma’s house during the
holidays. I remember when I was little sticking cloves into lemons, limes,
oranges, or clementines to give our home that complex and inviting fragrance
that seemed to be the jump start to our festivities.
Recently, I’ve found that cloves can be used for more than
just pomanders, though. Often used in
mulling spices, teas, and cooking, cloves are can be found in many family
recipes. Cloves can be used medicinally as well. Clove oil has been used for
centuries to relieve pain, especially pain associated with cavities,
toothaches, and root canals.
Clove oil is analgesic, anti-aging, antibacterial, anticlotting,
antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antispasmodic, antioxidant,
antiseptic, antiviral, carminative, expectorant, insecticide, stimulant. It
contains eugenol, which is used in
countless toothpastes, mouthwashes, and other dental hygienic products. Eugenol
has been known to ease toothaches and sore throats but may also help keep your
mouth clean and bacteria free.
Some use clove oil
in their own body care and cosmetics. Because it is warming, clove can
encourage circulation to the skin giving it a more youthful look. By improving
circulation it can also soothe sore muscles. Adding it into your moisturizer or
massage oil could be just the pick-me-up you need in the winter.
One of my favorite uses for them however is when cloves
mixed into licorice tea. When the two react to the warm water the aroma is
intoxicating and the warming energetics of both the herbs can bring anyone with
a sore throat or stuffy nose relief.
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