The Ingredient Library
Juniper Berry
Juniperus communis
Juniper berry essential oil is steam-distilled from the crushed ripe berries of common juniper, a slow-growing conifer gathered wild in the Balkans, whose berries take two to three years to ripen.
Get to know juniper berry essential oil
- Source
- Ripe berries (cones)
- Origin
- Balkans, Europe
- Extraction
- Steam-distilled
- Aroma
- Crisp, piney, peppery
What it is
Juniper Berry is an aromatic essential oil distilled from the plant.
Why it belongs in your routine
Crisp, piney oil distilled from wild common juniper berries.
How to use
Always dilute in a carrier oil before it touches skin. Never use undiluted. Patch test first.
Where does juniper berry essential oil come from?
Common juniper, Juniperus communis, is an evergreen conifer with one of the widest ranges of any woody plant, found across Europe, northern Asia and North America. It is usually a spreading shrub 1 to 4 metres high with sharp needles in whorls of three. The berries are in fact fleshy cones, green at first and ripening to blue-black with a pale bloom over two to three years.
Juniper berry essential oil is clear to pale yellow with a crisp, piney, slightly peppery scent. It is typically rich in alpha-pinene, with myrcene, sabinene and limonene. The same berries flavour gin. The oil is used in soaps, bath blends, men's fragrances, beard oils and room sprays.
Sourcing & extraction
How juniper berry essential oil is sourced and extracted
Why it is rare
Berries of several ages grow on the same branch, so pickers must select only ripe ones. Most berries are gathered from wild shrubs on mountain slopes, and juniper grows slowly, so the harvest cannot be scaled up quickly.
How it is gathered
In most cases juniper berries are wild-harvested by rural pickers in the mountains of North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and neighbouring countries. They are collected in late summer and autumn, often by beating branches over sheets or sieves so that ripe blue berries drop while green ones stay. The berries are cleaned, dried and sold to local buyers who supply distillers.
How it is made
Steam-distilled from crushed berries
- Ripe blue-black juniper berries are collected in late summer and autumn and sorted from unripe green ones.
- The berries are dried and then crushed just before distilling to open the oil glands.
- Steam passes through the crushed berries for several hours, carrying out the volatile oil.
- The oil is separated from the condensed water, filtered and stored in full, dark bottles.
How to use juniper berry essential oil
- 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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Products with Juniper Berry
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Questions about Juniper Berry
Where does Juniper Berry come from?
In most cases juniper berries are wild-harvested by rural pickers in the mountains of North Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and neighbouring countries. They are collected in late summer and autumn, often by beating branches over sheets or sieves so that ripe blue berries drop while green ones stay. The berries are cleaned, dried and sold to local buyers who supply distillers.
How is Juniper Berry extracted?
Steam-distilled from crushed berries. Ripe blue-black juniper berries are collected in late summer and autumn and sorted from unripe green ones. The berries are dried and then crushed just before distilling to open the oil glands. Steam passes through the crushed berries for several hours, carrying out the volatile oil. The oil is separated from the condensed water, filtered and stored in full, dark bottles.
Why is Juniper Berry considered rare?
Berries of several ages grow on the same branch, so pickers must select only ripe ones. Most berries are gathered from wild shrubs on mountain slopes, and juniper grows slowly, so the harvest cannot be scaled up quickly.
