The Ingredient Library
Clove Bud
Syzygium aromaticum
Clove bud essential oil is steam distilled from the dried flower buds of the clove tree, grown mainly in Madagascar, Indonesia and Zanzibar. The buds are picked by hand just before they open.
Get to know Clove Bud
- Source
- Dried flower buds
- Origin
- Madagascar, Indonesia
- Extraction
- Steam distilled
- Aroma
- Warm, sweet, spicy
What it is
Clove Bud is an aromatic essential oil distilled from the plant.
Why it belongs in your routine
Warm, spicy oil distilled from hand-picked, sun-dried clove buds.
How to use
Always dilute in a carrier oil before it touches skin. Never use undiluted. Patch test first.
Where Clove Bud comes from
Clove bud essential oil comes from Syzygium aromaticum, an evergreen tree native to the Maluku Islands of Indonesia. It grows to around 8 to 12 metres, with glossy, aromatic leaves and clusters of flower buds at the branch tips. Today cloves are grown mainly in Indonesia, Madagascar and the Zanzibar islands of Tanzania. The buds start pale green, turn pink as they near flowering, and are dried to the familiar brown spice.
Clove bud oil is pale yellow to golden with a warm, sweet and spicy scent. It is dominated by eugenol, often 70 to 90 percent, along with eugenyl acetate and beta-caryophyllene. The bud oil is softer and sweeter than oils from clove leaves or stems. It is used in very low amounts in perfumery, soaps, candles and seasonal aromatic blends.
Sourcing & extraction
How Clove Bud is sourced and extracted
Why it is rare
Buds must be picked by hand at a narrow stage, after they turn pink but before they open, so trees are harvested several times each season. Bud oil is distilled from the spice itself, making it costlier than the more common clove leaf oil.
How it is gathered
Clove harvest takes place by hand, usually from around September to January in Madagascar and Zanzibar, depending on the year. Pickers climb the trees or use ladders to snap off bud clusters, and many farms are small family plots. The buds are separated from their stems and spread on mats in the sun for several days until they turn dark brown. The dried cloves are sold to traders and sent to distilleries.
How it is made
Steam distilled from dried buds
- Flower bud clusters are picked by hand while still closed, then separated from their small stems.
- The buds are sun dried on mats for several days until dark brown and hard, then graded.
- Dried cloves are crushed and loaded into a still, where steam passes through them to release the oil.
- The oil is heavier than water, so it sinks and is drawn off from the bottom of the collecting vessel.
How to use Clove Bud
- Add a few drops to a diffuser for its aroma.
- For skin, dilute 1 to 2 drops in a teaspoon of carrier oil before applying.
- Keep away from eyes and never use undiluted on skin.
For external use only. Patch test on a small area before first use and stop if irritation occurs. If you are pregnant, nursing or have a medical condition, ask a healthcare professional before use.
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Questions about Clove Bud
Where does Clove Bud come from?
Clove harvest takes place by hand, usually from around September to January in Madagascar and Zanzibar, depending on the year. Pickers climb the trees or use ladders to snap off bud clusters, and many farms are small family plots. The buds are separated from their stems and spread on mats in the sun for several days until they turn dark brown. The dried cloves are sold to traders and sent to distilleries.
How is Clove Bud extracted?
Steam distilled from dried buds. Flower bud clusters are picked by hand while still closed, then separated from their small stems. The buds are sun dried on mats for several days until dark brown and hard, then graded. Dried cloves are crushed and loaded into a still, where steam passes through them to release the oil. The oil is heavier than water, so it sinks and is drawn off from the bottom of the collecting vessel.
Why is Clove Bud considered rare?
Buds must be picked by hand at a narrow stage, after they turn pink but before they open, so trees are harvested several times each season. Bud oil is distilled from the spice itself, making it costlier than the more common clove leaf oil.
