When it comes to skin and hair care, oils from sources like coconut, avocado, argan, or jojoba have gained a good reputation, while carrot oil is a bit less recognized. It is often associated with tanning — an activity that is not recommended at all for maintaining healthy, youthful, wrinkle-free skin. However, carrot oil has many other uses that can actually benefit your body much more. Our recommendation is to make your own carrot oil at home, simply because it’s not a long or difficult process, and anyone can do it at home.
How to make carrot oil?
Carrot oil as a base for a hair care product can be made in two ways — from carrot roots or as an essential oil extracted from carrot seeds. What’s great about carrot root oil, which we’ll focus on in this article, is that it’s easy to make at home, it’s rich in vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, and it also contains fatty acids with important antioxidants, including beta-carotene, which is essential for maintaining healthy skin.
Ingredients (for about 120ml of carrot oil):
- 2 large carrots
- 1-2 cups carrier oil (such as olive oil or hazelnut oil)
Instructions:
1. Peel the two carrots and grate them into as small pieces as possible — allow all the carrot juice to be extracted.
2. Transfer the grated carrot into a glass jar and add the carrier oil so that it completely covers the carrot.
3. Pour water into a medium pot so it covers a few centimeters but remains lower than the height of the jar, and bring the pot to a boil.
4. Reduce the heat as soon as the water begins to boil, and place the jar in the pot with the opening facing up, keeping the water simmering. Ensure the jar is open, otherwise it could burst.
5. Cook the carrot for 10 minutes, then allow the jar and carrot to cool.
6. Strain the oil from the carrot. To extract all the remaining oil, press the carrot with a spoon.
How to use carrot oil — 5 things it can do for you
1. Encourage hair growth
Although there is no scientific evidence on this, people who have tried carrot oil report that it helps encourage hair growth and even makes it thicker and fuller. Softening the hair with carrot oil can also improve its texture and give it more shine. For good results, mix:
- 4 drops of carrot oil
- 2 cups of water
- 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
The addition of apple cider vinegar to the mixture will combine its antimicrobial properties and help balance the pH level of the scalp, providing a better foundation for healthy hair growth. Massage the scalp with the mixture when it’s clean and dry, and leave it on for 5-8 minutes. Then rinse with lukewarm water.
2. Prevent split ends and brittle hair
Any natural oil can help seal and strengthen the hair, but carrot oil contains plenty of antioxidants that neutralize free radicals found in the hair, which cause split ends. Applying a few drops of carrot oil to the ends of the hair twice a week will help achieve this result.
3. Renew skin cells
The high amount of beta-carotene in carrots, along with vitamin A, can renew the cells on your skin, a capability proven in a study conducted in France. The study demonstrated that vitamin A helps maintain and develop epithelial cells — cells located between the inner and outer layers of the skin, where skin tissue regeneration occurs. And indeed, as people report, truly healthy skin gradually comes to the surface, and you will notice that your skin looks much more glowing and refreshed than it did before you started using carrot oil.
4. Anti-aging
As we’ve already mentioned, carrots are a great source of beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant that can repair oxidative damage in the cells and tissues of the body. You can apply and gently rub carrot oil on the skin in the morning and evening, and for really good results, it’s worth combining it with a carrier oil. It’s important to note that too much carrot oil can stain the skin, so if you want to avoid that, make sure you don’t overuse it. Once or twice a week is enough.
5. Prevent scalp itching and dandruff
Dandruff is a common problem for nearly half of the world’s population, and it usually occurs due to a fungus that feeds on the oils on the scalp. Recent studies, such as one conducted in Portugal, have shown that carrot oil has antibacterial as well as antifungal properties, so people struggling with dandruff or dry scalp can definitely benefit from it. Apply carrot oil twice a week before bed to the roots and ends of the hair, and also gently massage the scalp with it. You can wash your hair with water in the morning after a night of sleeping with the oil on your hair.
