Essential NoseBay Laurel
Two unrelated trees are sold as bay. Sweet bay is the Mediterranean laurel whose leaves go into a stew, and its oil is clean and camphorous. West Indian bay is a Caribbean myrtle relative, and smells of cloves instead. Sweet bay runs on 1,8-cineole, up to two fifths of the oil, with eugenol adding the spice.[1] In lab tests it held back a broad range of bacteria, and has been studied as a natural food preservative for olives.[2]
Sweet Bay
Laurus nobilis
- Also Known As
- Bay Laurel, Bay Leaf, Laurel Leaf
- Family
- Herbal
- Perfumery Note
- Middle
- Intensity
- Medium
- Extraction
- Steam Distillation
- Plant Parts
- Leaves
- Origins
- Turkey, Morocco, France
- Effect
- Grounding & Centering, Focus & Mental Clarity, Energy & Uplifting
- Aroma
- Herbal, Spicy, Fresh
- Applications
- Diffusing & Inhalation, Haircare, Cooking & Flavouring
- Price
- $$$$The trees take time to mature, and the oil is prized for medicinal use
Sweet bay is the laurel of the bay leaf in your cupboard, distilled from the leaves. The oil is far stronger than the dried leaf suggests, clean and camphorous with a spicy edge. 1,8-cineole leads at up to two fifths, with alpha-terpinyl acetate and eugenol behind it.[1] It contains methyl eugenol, which EU cosmetics regulation caps, so this is one to use sparingly on skin. In lab tests it held back Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and has been studied as a preservative for olive products.[2]
West Indian Bay
Pimenta racemosa
- Also Known As
- Bay Rum Tree, West Indian Bay Tree, Ciliment, Wild Cinnamon
- Family
- Spice
- Perfumery Note
- Middle
- Intensity
- Strong
- Extraction
- Steam Distillation
- Plant Parts
- Leaves
- Origins
- Dominica, US Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Venezuela
- Effect
- Warming & Comforting, Energy & Uplifting, Focus & Mental Clarity
- Aroma
- Spicy, Clove-like, Warm, Herbaceous
- Applications
- Diffusing & Inhalation, Haircare, Perfumery & Fragrance Making
- Price
- $$$$Produced in modest volumes for the specialist grooming and aromatherapy market, pricier than common culinary herb oils but well below rare florals.
West Indian bay is not a laurel but a Caribbean relative of allspice. Its oil is up to seven tenths eugenol, so it smells of cloves rather than the clean camphor of sweet bay.[3] Distilled with rum on Dominica, it is the original bay rum, a hair and skin tonic that has been made for well over a century. In lab tests the stem oil held back Helicobacter pylori at doses comparable to a standard antibiotic,[4] and it slowed spoilage on raw chicken.[5] The eugenol makes it irritating, so keep the dilution low.
References
- [1]Chemical Composition and Antimicrobial Activity of Laurus nobilis L. Essential Oils from Bulgaria - Fidan H et al. Molecules, 2019
- [2]Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis L.) Essential Oil as a Food Preservative Source: Chemistry, Quality Control, Activity Assessment, and Applications to Olive Industry Products - Ordoudi SA et al. Foods, 2022
- [3]Chemical profile of essential oil from Pimenta racemosa leaves, antioxidant potential, and its enzyme inhibitory properties - Eldahshan OA, Nilofar N, Zengin G, et al. Scientific Reports, 2025
- [4]Valorization of Pimenta racemosa Essential Oils and Extracts: GC-MS and LC-MS Phytochemical Profiling and Evaluation of Helicobacter pylori Inhibitory Activity - Ayoub IM et al., Molecules, 2022
- [5]Effect of West Indian Bay Leaf (Pimenta racemosa) and Turmeric (Curcuma longa) Essential Oils on Preserving Raw Chicken Breasts - John C, Maharaj R, Food Technology and Biotechnology, 2024