9 Amazing Benefits of Bay Rum Essential Oil

Last Updated on April 10, 2019 by Marc Seward

The delightfully named bay rum essential has a spicy fragrance that lives up to its name. Reminiscent of clove, the oil is a popular scent for men and is used as a masculine cologne. Bay rum is also known as a tonic for the hair but this oil has a lot to offer besides its cosmetic benefits.

Research has found that bay rum essential oil has excellent antibacterial and anti-fungal benefits. It can also be used as a massage oil to help relieve sore muscles and joints. If you would like to find out more about this amazing Caribbean oil and how to use it, then read on.

What is Bay Rum Essential Oil?

Bay rum or just Bay essential oil is derived by steam distillation from the bay rum tree native to the West Indies. Known botanically as Pimenta racemosa, the tree grows to a height of around 12 meters and is now cultivated in several parts of the world including Spain, Morocco and the USA. The tree which is related to allspice has long pointed leaves, small yellow flowers and inedible berries.

The oil which is extracted from the tree’s fresh leaves is a yellow to brown color with a wonderful fragrance similar to clove. The oil can be used as a massage oil to soothe the muscles, diffused for relaxation and to treat colds or as a masculine cologne.

Bay rum essential oil has analgesic properties making it ideal for massage purposes. Studies have also found that it has powerful antimicrobial effects against a range of bacterial and fungal infections.

Do not confuse bat rum oil with bay laurel essential oil.

Health Benefits of Bay Rum Essential Oil

Bay rum essential oil has a number of potential health benefits from treating muscle pain and bacterial sickness to promoting hair growth and relieving acne. It has a number of medicinal properties including antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, analgesic, febrifuge, emmenagogue, sedative and stomachic properties.

Its therapeutic actions are derived from the oil’s diverse range of active compounds including eugenol, chavicol and myrcene, linalool, limonene, geranyl acetate, a-pinene and b-pinene.

Antimicrobial Benefits

According to research, bay rum essential oil is a potent antibacterial which is effective against a range of bacterial strains.

One study tested the effects of various essential oils against MRSA or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The researchers concluded that bay rum essential oil as well as several other oils compared favorably with vancomycin – a drug used to treat MRSA as well as MSSA. (1)

Researchers have also found that bay rum essential oil was effective against various other bacterial strains including E.coli. Salmonella and Campylobacter.

Bay rum essential oil also has good anti-fungal properties. Studies into the anti-fungal effects of various essential oils found that bay rum and thyme oil were the most effective against Cryphonectria parasitica and Phytophthora cactorum. (2)

Wound Healing

Because of its excellent antiseptic and antibacterial properties, bay rum essential oil may be a useful, natural remedy when tending to minor wounds, cuts, bites and grazes. You should first dilute the oil with water or a carrier oil and then dab it onto the affected area but not to the damaged skin itself.

NOTE : You must not apply the oil to damaged skin because it may cause greater harm.

This oil can help cleanse the wound or cut and prevent infection from taking hold. Of course, any large wound needs immediate medical care and it is important that you do not try to treat it yourself.

Respiratory Health

Although it is usually used topically, bay rum essential oil can also be inhaled to help treat a wide range of respiratory complaints like coughs, colds or flu.

Bay rum essential oil has effective antiviral properties which can help treat the cause of your sickness. It also has antispasmodic properties that may help ease your coughing and prevent spasms in the respiratory tract.

You can inhale this oil directly from the bottle or diffuse it at home throughout the day. Another option is to add a few drops of bay rum oil to a sink and make your own steam treatment.

Arthritis and Rheumatism

Bay rum essential oil makes for a wonderful soothing massage oil that can do wonders for muscle pain as well as joint pain from conditions like arthritis and rheumatism. Bay rum oil has excellent analgesic properties that can help relieve the pain in your joints and muscles. It also has excellent antispasmodic properties that can help relieve muscle cramps and spasms.

Whether you are trying to treat arthritic pain or need to relax your muscles after some heavy exercise, bay rum essential oil is a great choice. Make sure that you dilute your essential oil with a suitable carrier oil before applying it topically to your skin. Alternatively, you can add a few drops of this oil to your bath, hop in and let its soothing properties wash into your body.

Stimulates Appetite

Although there is no specific research into its effects on digestive health, there is anecdotal evidence that bay rum essential oil may help improve digestive health and help boost the appetite. Making sure that your appetite is healthy can help people rec over following periods of illness or during treatment that suppresses the appetite.

Pain relief

Thanks to the presence of compounds like eugenol, bay rum essential oil has powerful analgesic properties that can help relieve pain.

When applied topically, it can help ease muscle and joint pain but it can also be applied to the temples and forehead to treat headaches and migraines. Massaging bay rum essential oil into the body can also boost circulation which can also help ease nerve pain.

Neuropathy

Because of its ability to boost circulation and its analgesic properties, bay rum essential oil may be a good remedy for nerve damage and the pain from damaged nerves.

Peripheral neuropathy is a common complication in diabetic patients characterized by pain or numbness in the feet and toes often causing people to feel pain when none should exists or a complete loss of feeling. Massaging bay rum essential oil into the feet and toes may help boost the circulation of blood to the damaged nerves.

For Hair

As well as its many internal health benefits, bay rum essential oil is great for your hair. The oil has been used as a general tonic for the hair for a very long time and remains popular today. It is used to help treat the hair in general but many people use it as a home remedy to prevent hair loss or even to encourage the growth of new hair. So why is bay rum essential oil goof for the hair?

It has stimulant properties : when the oil is applied to your scalp, it boost blood circulation to the scalp and encourages the growth of new hair. When the blood flow is increase d, each hair follicle receives the nourishment it needs which stimulates the follicles and the growth of new, healthy hair.
It has anti-fungal properties : bay rum essential oil has excellent anti-fungal properties that can help eliminate common scalp conditions like dandruff.
It has antiseptic and antibacterial properties : bay rum essential oil can help cleanse the hair and scalp and is effective against the microbes which disrupt the scalp’s pH balance.
Nourishing and moisturizing : bay rum essential oil can help nourish the hair and keep it healthy and strong.

To Use on Your Hair

Add to Shampoo : Add a few drops of bay rum essential oil to your regular shampoo and wash as normal.
Add to a carrier oil : dilute your oil with a carrier oil like olive oil or argan oil and massage it into your scalp.
Hair rinse : Add a few drops of bay rum oil to a a cup of warm water and use the mixture as a final rinse after shampooing your hair.

For the Skin

Bay rum essential oil has antiseptic and antibacterial properties making it a good choice for certain skin conditions. It can help cleanse the pores and eliminate bacterial and fungal growth in the skin. Bay essential oil also has excellent astringent properties meaning that it can tighten the skin and reduce the production of sebum.

How to Use It

Bay rum essential oil is usually used topically as part of a massage oil but be sure that you dilute it before use.
You can also add a few drops to your bathtub to help treat aching muscles and sore joints.
Inhale the oil to help improve your respiratory health or to boost your appetite.
You can also apply it to your scalp and hair either combined with a carrier oil or mixed with your shampoo.

Precautions and Potential Side Effects

Essential oils have a good safety profile as long as they are used with care. Like any other essential oil, bay rim oil is very powerful and care needs to be taken before use.

Do not ingest bay rum essential oil.
Care should be taken to avoid contact with the mucus membranes.
Do not apply the oil to an open wound.
Bay rum essential oil must be diluted in a carrier oil before applying it to the skin. Suitable carrier oils for dilution include coconut oil olive oil, sweet almond oil and argan oil but there are many more to choose from.
Even after diluting your essential oil, it is good practice to perform a patch test on a discrete area of skin before applying a larger dose. If you experience any adverse reactions, stop using the oil immediately.
Bay rum essential oil contains eugenol which can irritate the skin. Because of the presence of eugenol, you should take extra care when diluting the oil. It should be diluted to a maximum concentration of around 3% before being applied topically.
Pregnant women and those who are breastfeeding should avoid using bay rum essential oil unless they are under expert supervision.

Final Thoughts

Bay rum essential oil is a fragrant oil from the Caribbean.
The oil contains a number of active compounds including eugenol, chavicol and myrcene. It has a number of beneficial properties including antibacterial, anti-fungal, astringent and antispasmodic properties.
The oil is usually applied topically but can also be inhaled and diffused.
It is commonly used to treat arthritis, rheumatism and sore muscles. The oil is also used to stimulate appetites and to treat various respiratory conditions.
As well as its internal uses, bay rum essential oil is a popular hair treatment. it may help promote hair growth as well as keeping the scalp healthy.
Bay rum essential oil is safe as long as you use it with care. Extra care should be taken to avoid contact with mucus membranes and open wounds because of the presence of eugenol that is known to cause irritation.

Have you ever used bay rum essential oil? Please let us know what you used it for and whether you would recommend it for others

(1) https://innovareacademics.in/journal/ijpps/Vol5Issue1/4863.pdf
(2) https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ffj.1882