Although cloves are valued as a flavor-packed, aromatic culinary spice, it is also known for their health, household, and beauty benefits. So, let’s bring you some amazing non-culinary uses of cloves.
Cloves as whole buds, as a powder, or essential oil can be helpful in many ways. These uses can be categorized as follows:
Now let’s look at the exciting benefits you can get from this wonderful spice.
The Best Non-Culinary Uses And Benefits Of Cloves
Cloves, an irresistibly aromatic spice derived from the Syzygium aromaticum tree, is a popular culinary ingredient in different cuisines around the world. The wonder of this spice is not only confined to our kitchen, but the powerful chemical components of cloves also help with a bunch of health issues, household chores and can be a part of our beauty regime as well.
Household Uses Of Cloves
Mighty cloves are one of the most fragrant spices that lie in our spice cabinet. While its aroma could be beneficial in multiple ways, the potent antibacterial effect in cloves could also help us to maintain a healthy atmosphere at home.
01- Works As A Natural Air-Freshener
The intense fragrance of cloves can be useful in eliminating bad odors in your home. You can mix a few drops of clove essential oil with water in a spray bottle and spritz the solutions desired. In addition, you can also make a scented pomander using whole cloves and oranges.
Poke the whole buds into the peel of the orange and hang it somewhere in your home. This will leave your home perfumed and repel flies or mosquitos at the same time.
02- Diy All-Purpose Cleaner
Have you run out of your kitchen cleaner? Worry not- the strong antibacterial properties of cloves can save you! Using a few simple ingredients, you can make a cost-effective, healthy, chemical-free all-purpose cleaner just using a few simple ingredients. You’ll need the following:
- 2 cups of water
- ¼ cups of white vinegar
- 10 drops of clove essential oil
- 10 drops of orange essential oil
- 10 drops of lavender/ rose essential oil
Mix these ingredients together in a spray bottle, shake well and use wherever you need. It can be your countertop, stovetop, windows, tables, chairs, tiles- you name it!
03- Eliminates Mold
Clove oil has the capability to combat mold formation. Mix ½ teaspoon of clove oil with 2 cups of water and spray the solution in the area you find mold. Let the clove solution sit for about a minute or two, and then scrub. You don’t have to rinse the area after spraying.
04- Repels Pests And Ants In Food
If you have bulks of grains like rice, dhal, lentils, or chickpeas at home along with ingredients like sugar, there’s a higher possibility they attract pests or ants even though you stored them safely. So, you don’t have to take risks- simply pop some whole clove buds or leaves into the containers where these ingredients are stored. Cloves have the effect of repelling insects and ants that draw toward food.
05- Kills Weeds
Assemble a mixture of clove oil and water in a large spray bottle or a garden sprayer. Use this solution weekly on weed or repeat after rain. This solution will be most effective with wide-leaved weeds. For added results, mix some white vinegar with clove oil and water.
You can find many other impressive facts about mighty cloves by clicking on this link!
Skin And hair-Related Benefits
Clove is beneficial for various skin and hair-related concerns we overlook in our daily lives. Clove essential oil and ground cloves are used in numerous ways to improve skin and hair conditions.
In fact, the assertive anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifungal, and antiseptic properties make it an effective ingredient in cosmetics, beauty, and hair care products. Moreover, this spice is loaded with vitamins A and C, making it another reason to regard using them in your DIY beauty routine. This spice is naturally very concentrated; thus, it is typically used after dilution.
01- As A Face Pack For Acne
If you suffer from breakouts or acne, cloves can be an effective natural ingredient that’ll help you reduce your skin condition. You can mix about a teaspoon of ground cloves with some raw honey until you get the consistency of a face pack and apply it to the affected areas.
Since this spice is very intense, it can be harsh on the delicate skin around your eyes. So, avoid applying this clove-honey pack around the eyes. Clove essential oil can help reduce acne and acne scars. You can mix clove oil with a carrier oil like almond or rosehip oil or simply mix it with your daily moisturizer.
02- Contains Anti-Aging Properties
Our skin is exposed to harmful toxins daily, even though we don’t sense them. So, this fragile skin can undergo a premature condition, showing signs of aging even when we are in our early 20s or 30s. Cloves are a powerful anti-aging ingredient used in cosmetology.
It helps in diminishing skin sagging and the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Applying clove oil boosts blood circulation, which gives your skin a youthful and glowing look. For best results, you can incorporate a few drops of clove oil in your regular serum or moisturizer and apply it on well-cleansed skin at night before going to bed.
03- Treats Dark Spots And Blemishes
Hyperpigmentation on the skin can cause blemishes and dark spots, losing the chance you have an even skin tone. Chemical treatments can make this condition worse, so why not find solutions through a natural remedy?
This spice contains gentle exfoliating properties that remove dead skin cells and provide an even skin tone. Combine a few drops of clove oil with a carrier oil of your choice and apply it to your face in circular movements. Continue every night for the best results.
05- Reduces Premature Hair Graying
Cloves contain some distinctive properties that could address the issue of premature hair graying. This spice can enhance the production of the pigment accountable for maintaining hair in its natural color. You can mix eucalyptus oil with clove oil in a 3:1 ratio and massage it onto your scalp at least twice a week. Use a sulfate-free shampoo to wash your hair and follow up with a good conditioner.
06- Promotes Hair Growth
Recently, we came across many YouTube videos of certain beauty influencers with their results in using clove water and clove-infused hair oil for hair growth. They have come up with promising results, exhibiting the effectiveness of cloves in hair fall reduction and improvement in hair growth.
To make the clove hair tonic, you can simply mix 1-2 teaspoons of whole cloves with one cup of normal water, leave it at room temperature for 12- 16 hours, pour the tonic into a spray bottle and apply it on your hair and scalp. You can also stir in some dried rosemary for added results.
In addition, you could also mix clove essential oil with olive oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, cold-pressed castor oil, or coconut oil and apply it to your scalp and hair if you are interested in oil treatments.
07- Treats Dandruff Or Flaky Scalp
There are different types of dandruff, which could cause a lot of trouble and embarrassment. If you feel like your hair treatments and shampoo is worsening this condition, You can try cloves as a natural remedy.
This spice’s anti-fungal, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties can effectively help you overcome this problem effectively. It will reduce flakes’ formation, soothe irritation, and relieve the itchiness of the scalp. The clove hair tonic mentioned before can help dandruff, but if you feel like it is too much work, simply mix a few drops of clove essential oil with your regular shampoo.
Health Benefits
Adding cloves to your regular diet and using clove oil can give you a number of health benefits. The precious spice is found to be rich in phenolic compounds such as eugenol, gallic acid, and eugenol acetate.
And scientific-backed data proves that cloves contain strong antibacterial, antifungal, immunostimulatory, antithrombotic, antiviral, and anticarcinogenic effects, along with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.
Cloves have been involved in ancient Chinese, Ayurveda, and folkloric medication. Using clove oil for toothaches, massaging clove oil to relieve congestion, and brewing whole cloves to use as an expectorant for respiratory problems are considered some common home remedies. Clove oil is also used to alleviate muscle pain and ease digestive issues.
01- Antioxidant Potential Of Cloves
Phenolic compounds in cloves play a significant role in the level of antioxidants and neutralizing free radicals in our bodies. Excessive gatherings of free radicals are accountable for numerous human diseases like cancer, AIDS, and Parkinson’s disease.
In addition, eugenol in cloves contains a tremendous inhibitory effect on oxidative stress, which could lead to many lifelong diseases, DNA damage, and tissue cell impairment. Therefore, incorporating cloves regularly could have potential benefits in overcoming these health conditions.
02- Cancer Protection
Scientific sources show that cloves could possibly kill cancer cells associated with melanoma, cervical cancer, and breast cancer. Research also indicates that concentrated quantities of clove oil encouraged cell death in 80% of esophageal cancer cells.
03- Eugenol Contain Liver And Heart-Protecting Properties
Consuming cloves regularly can give you a healthy liver, hindering the risk of fatty liver, liver cirrhosis, Hyperlipidemia, Dyslipidemia, and Hypercholesterolemia. These liver conditions are related to many heart-related conditions that could potentially cause an imbalance in oxidative stress and coronary heart diseases.
Clinical trials have found that this spice is rich in antihypercholesterolemic and antiatherogenic properties, which could be effective in the conditions mentioned above. Research further shows that Incorporating cloves in any form in the diet could also reduce bad cholesterol levels.
04- Cloves Keep Your Blood Sugar In Check
Studies have shown that eugenol in cloves is competent in curing multiple l metabolic illnesses thanks to its various pharmacological activities. Those studies further show that eugenol is a powerful antidiabetic bioactive compound that will help you to keep your blood sugar level in check.
This compound in this spice helps to inhibit the rate at which glucose gets absorbed into the bloodstream. Thus, it increases metabolism, maintains a healthy blood sugar level, and prevents Hyperglycemia or diabetes mellitus.
05- Antiviral And Antibacterial Activities
Eugenol is cloves, and clove oil has been found to have potent effects in destroying harmful bacteria and fungal diseases. This spice is effective in food-borne illnesses such as E Coli, Norovirus, Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens, Campylobacter, Staphylococcus aureus, etc. Moreover, cloves have also shown promising results in clinical trials using participants infected with sexually transmitted diseases.
Other Commercial Benefits Of Cloves
The importance of this spice does not confine to a household frame. In fact, those who know the therapeutic value of this spice tend to incorporate this ingredient in most commercial products. Accordingly, clove bud and leaf oil are used in disinfectant products, incense sticks, air fresheners, cleaning products, and insect repellents.
In addition, ground cloves are also integrated with various herbal tea infusions and syrups variants used in food production. Aside from these productions, this ingredient is widely used in hair and beauty-related and dental products such as soaps, perfumes, body sprays, body wash, shampoo, hair oil, body scrubs, bath salts, toothpaste, mouthwash, etc.
Uses and Benefits Of Cloves In A Nutshell
Cloves is a remarkable spice that does not limit its use to food and beverages. This spice can be used in all forms to help with various household matters, skin and beauty-related treatments, health-related conditions, and in tons of different home remedies. In essence, cloves play a significant role in folkloric and ayurvedic medication, pharmacology, cosmetology, perfumery and are also used in several commercially made productions.
