Table of Contents
Updated November 2026
"Carrot seed oil" can mean two very different things: a pressed carrier oil you can use straight on skin, or a steam-distilled essential oil that must be diluted. This post is about the pressed one, carrot seed carrier oil, which feels rich and silky and is mostly petroselinic acid, a fatty acid found in carrot-family seeds. Below I explain how to tell them apart (plus carrot oil made from the roots), why carrot seed oil isn't a sunscreen, and two easy recipes. Jump to the recipes.
Comparing carriers? See my full list of carrier oils.
What Is Carrot Seed Oil?
Carrot seed carrier oil is cold-pressed from the seeds of the carrot plant (Daucus carota). It's a fixed oil, like olive or jojoba, so it's a carrier you can mix essential oils into.
The seeds don't hold much of either oil. In one study of carrot seeds, they gave about 7.8% pressed oil and only about 0.8% essential oil. The pressed oil was about 59% petroselinic acid, with some linoleic and palmitic acid (Özcan and Chalchat, Grasas y Aceites, 2007). It also carried some of the earthy scent compounds found in the essential oil, so pressed carrot seed oil can smell faintly earthy and woody.
Carrot Seed Oil Quick Facts
| Detail | Carrot seed carrier oil |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Daucus carota (seed) |
| How it's made | Cold-pressed from the seeds |
| Scent | Faintly earthy |
| Feel | Rich and a bit thick; nice mixed with jojoba |
| Rich in | Petroselinic acid |
| Best for | Facial oils, hand and cuticle oils, dry spots |
| Keep it fresh | Fridge after opening |
Carrot Seed Oil vs Carrot Seed Essential Oil vs Carrot Oil
Three different oils come from carrots, and labels often mix them up. It's important to know which one you're buying.
| Carrot seed oil (carrier) | Carrot seed essential oil | Carrot oil (root) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Made from | Seeds, cold-pressed | Seeds, steam-distilled | Carrot roots soaked in a carrier oil like sunflower |
| Color | Pale yellow to golden | Pale yellow to amber | Bright orange |
| Use on skin | As a carrier, no dilution needed | Always diluted, ages 12+ | As a carrier, no dilution needed |
| Diffuser | No | Yes | No |
| Pregnancy | See the FAQs | Avoid | No known concern |
If a bottle is small (5 to 15 ml), says "steam distilled," or comes with diffuser directions, it's the essential oil. Learn what carrot seed essential oil blends well with. Carrot seed essential oil is on Tisserand and Young's list to avoid in pregnancy and while breastfeeding (Essential Oil Safety, affiliate link).
Is Carrot Seed Oil a Natural Sunscreen?
No. You'll see carrot seed oil listed online with an SPF of 38 to 40, but that number came from a study of a whole sunscreen product with several ingredients, not carrot seed oil on its own (Tisserand Institute). When researchers tested popular plant oils by themselves on skin, carrot seed oil measured an SPF of about 2.5 (2021 study). Use a real, tested sunscreen outdoors and save carrot seed oil for your evening skin care.
How to Use Carrot Seed Carrier Oil
- Facial oil: mix it half and half with jojoba so it spreads easily, and pat a few drops onto damp skin at night.
- Hands and cuticles: rub a drop into dry, rough cuticles and knuckles.
- Dry hair ends: warm one or two drops between your palms and smooth over the ends.
- Dry spots: elbows, heels, and knees soak it up.
- With essential oils: use it as part of the carrier in a face or body blend. See my essential oils for dry skin for more ideas.
How to Buy and Store Carrot Seed Oil
Look for "cold-pressed carrot seed oil" and the botanical name Daucus carota seed oil on the label, sold in a larger bottle with no diffuser directions. Here's a cold-pressed carrot seed oil (affiliate link) to compare against. Keep it in the fridge once it's open, and replace it if it smells sharp or like stale nuts. My carrier oil shelf life and storage guide has more tips.
Carrot Seed Oil Recipes
Carrot Seed Facial Oil
Facial oil · Ages 12+ · about 0.8%
A soft, earthy-floral nighttime oil for dry skin.
- 1 Tbsp carrot seed oil
- 1 Tbsp jojoba oil
- 3 drops lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
- 2 drops frankincense (Boswellia carterii)
Directions: Add the essential oils to a small glass dropper bottle, then the carrot seed oil and jojoba. Cap and shake gently. Pat 3 or 4 drops onto clean, damp skin at night, avoiding the eyes. Label it with the name, the date, and "0.8%."
Carrot Seed Hand and Cuticle Oil
Body oil · Ages 12+ · 2%
A bright, rosy hand oil for dry knuckles and rough cuticles.
- 1 Tbsp carrot seed oil
- 1 Tbsp jojoba oil
- 5 drops lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
- 4 drops sweet orange (Citrus sinensis)
- 3 drops geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)
Directions: Add the essential oils to a small glass dropper bottle, then the carrot seed oil and jojoba. Cap and shake gently. Massage a drop or two into each hand and around your nails.
Need other sizes? My dilution chart and calculator does the math for you.
A Few Safety Basics
• Keep essential oils away from babies under 2, including diffusing in a room they're in.
• Always dilute oils before they touch skin, and patch test a new blend on your inner forearm for 24 to 48 hours.
• These recipes are for ages 12 and up. Kids 2 to 4 use only six starter oils at 0.5%, after checking with your pediatrician. Kids 5 to 11 stay at 0.5 to 1%.
• If you're pregnant, check with your doctor or midwife first. For the first 16 weeks I use only six oils, and only in a diffuser or inhaler: lavender, sweet orange, lemon, ginger, cedarwood (Virginian), and frankincense. After that, skin blends stay at 0.5 to 1%.
• Never put oils on pets, and diffuse with a door open so they can leave. Cats are especially sensitive; see my essential oil pet safety guide.
• Never swallow essential oils. If someone does, call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222.
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More Carrier Oil Posts
- List of Carrier Oils: 25 Best Carrier Oils
- Carrier Oil Shelf Life and Storage
- Jojoba Carrier Oil Benefits and Uses
- Rosehip Oil Uses and Benefits
- Avocado Oil as a Carrier Oil
Ready to make your own blends? My Aromatherapy Supply Kits have the bottles and supplies you need, and my free essential oil guides are full of recipe ideas.
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