Clove Bud Oil

Clove bud oil is steam-distilled from the dried flower buds of Syzygium aromaticum. Its main component is eugenol, at about 75–88%, together with eugenyl acetate and β-caryophyllene, which give its typical warm, spicy, sweet scent.

In traditional Vietnamese medicine, clove is a warming remedy for the stomach and for vomiting. The oil is used for room scenting, soaps, candles and flavours. Eugenol irritates easily, so the oil must be well diluted.

Quick facts

Scientific name

Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M. Perry

Trade name

Clove bud oil

Part used

Dried flower buds

Method

Steam distillation

Appearance & odour

Pale yellow to yellow-brown; warm, spicy, sweet

Main components

Eugenol about 75–88%; eugenyl acetate, β-caryophyllene

Storage

Dark glass bottle, tightly closed, in a cool place

What is clove bud oil?

Cloves are the dried flower buds of a tropical tree. Their shape resembles a small nail, which is where the Vietnamese name “đinh” (nail) comes from.

Steam-distilling the dried buds gives a pale yellow oil that turns yellow-brown with age. It smells warm, spicy and sweet, and the scent lasts a long time.

According to Do Tat Loi’s reference work on Vietnamese medicinal plants, clove buds contain as much as 15–20% essential oil. This makes them one of the richest plant materials in essential oil. Eugenol makes up most of the oil, with small amounts of eugenyl acetate and caryophyllene.

Bud, leaf and stem oil: what is the difference?

Three oils are made from the clove tree. All three are rich in eugenol, but their scent and value differ.

Criterion	Bud oil	Leaf oil	Stem oil
Raw material	Dried flower buds	Leaves	Small twigs
Eugenol	About 75–88%	High, similar to or above bud oil	Often the highest, about 85–92%
Eugenyl acetate	Present, a few per cent	Very little	Very little
Scent	Round, sweet, closest to dried cloves	Harsher, slightly smoky	Close to bud oil, less rounded
Main uses	Flavours, perfume, cosmetics	Eugenol isolation, household	Flavours, eugenol isolation

Eugenyl acetate makes bud oil softer and sweeter. Leaf and stem oils contain little acetate and smell harsher.

For example, one study of Madagascar samples found 82.6% eugenol and 6% eugenyl acetate in bud oil. The leaf oil had 82% eugenol but only 0.4% eugenyl acetate.

What does the clove tree look like, and where does it grow?

According to Do Tat Loi, the clove is a tree 12–15 m tall with opposite, pointed oval leaves. Small flowers grow in clusters at the branch tips.

The buds are picked by hand when they start to turn red, once or twice a year depending on the region. They are then sun-dried or oven-dried until brown. Buds should not be left to open and set fruit, because quality drops.

The tree comes from the Moluccas (Indonesia) and is grown widely in tropical Asia and Africa. The best-known producing areas are Zanzibar and Pemba (Tanzania).

In Vietnam, clove trees are very rarely grown. Do Tat Loi records that Vietnam once imported all of its cloves and that attempts to introduce the tree did not succeed. Most clove buds on the Vietnamese market today are imported.

Cloves in Vietnamese daily life

Cloves are a familiar spice in pho broth, beef stew and slow-cooked meat dishes, alongside cassia and star anise. In folk practice, some people chew a clove to freshen the breath or hang a small bag of cloves in the wardrobe.

Because cloves are rarely grown in Vietnam, clove basil (hương nhu trắng) is used as a local source of eugenol.

Uses

For information only; not a substitute for medical advice.

Eugenol: the compound behind clove’s value

Eugenol is the aroma compound that smells of cloves. It is abundant in cloves and in clove basil. Industry uses eugenol in flavours, in dental materials, and as a starting material for semi-synthetic vanillin.

Clove oil is judged by its eugenol content and its scent. Properly dried buds, free of mould and stems, usually give a rounder, sweeter oil. Buds left to set fruit, or mouldy buds, give poorer oil.

Industrial applications

Industry	Applications
Flavours	Clove flavour for confectionery, sauces, drinks
Perfume, cosmetics	Warm, spicy middle note; soap, candles (at low levels)
Dental, oral care	Eugenol source for dental materials and oral-care products
Raw material	Eugenol isolation, semi-synthetic vanillin

Scent profile and blending

Clove smells warm, spicy and sweet, and is very strong. A small amount easily dominates other oils.

• Blend with orange or pomelo peel for a warm, cheerful scent, popular around Tet.
• Blend with cassia and star anise for candles and winter room scents.
• Blend with lemongrass for a room spray that is fresh with a warm undertone.

How to use at home

• Room scent: 1–2 drops in a diffuser, optionally with 2 drops of orange; diffuse for 30 minutes, then pause.
• Wardrobes and shoe cupboards: 2–3 drops on cotton or a small cloth bag placed in a corner. Do not drop it directly onto fabric.
• Handmade candles and soap: use at low levels, blended with cassia or orange.

How to recognise good oil and store it

• Bud oil is pale yellow to yellow-brown and clear, with a warm, sweet scent like dried cloves.
• Oil that smells harsh, smoky and less sweet may be leaf oil, or bud oil mixed with leaf oil. Ask which oil it is and check the COA.
• Clove oil naturally darkens over time. Keep it tightly closed, cool and away from sunlight.

Quality specifications

The reference standard for bud oil is ISO 3142; leaf oil is covered by ISO 3141. The key parameters are eugenol, eugenyl acetate and β-caryophyllene on the chromatogram, together with relative density and refractive index. Every lot comes with a COA and an MSDS.

Reference figures only; actual specifications follow the COA of each lot.

What buyers usually ask for

• Bud, leaf or stem: buyers want written confirmation of which oil they receive, since the three are priced and used differently.
• COA and MSDS for the specific lot.
• GC chromatogram showing eugenol, eugenyl acetate and β-caryophyllene.
• Origin of the buds: because most cloves in Vietnam are imported, ask where the raw material of each lot comes from.
• A sample before contract, to test the scent in your own formula.

Growers & cooperatives

Clove trees are rarely grown in Vietnam, and most buds on the market are imported. The company accepts dried clove buds from gardens in Vietnam. Households and cooperatives with clove trees should send a sample first so we can test the oil.

Requirements when selling:

• Buds picked when they start to turn red, before opening; sun-dried or oven-dried until crisp and brown.
• No mould, and no stems, leaves, fruit or foreign matter.
• State where the trees grow and when the buds were picked, so each lot can be traced.

According to Do Tat Loi, clove buds contain about 15–20% essential oil, depending on origin and how dry the buds are. To talk about selling clove buds, call or message on Zalo: +84 983 299 529. See more on the Raw material sourcing page.

Extraction process

1. Check the dried buds; remove stems, foreign matter and mouldy buds; crush.
2. Steam-distil and separate the oil layer.
3. Settle, filter and remove water.
4. Test for eugenol and keep the COA under the lot code.

Frequently asked questions

Read more: Clove basil oil Cassia bark oil Star anise oil Lemongrass oil Vietnamese herbal essential oils

References: Clove – Do Tat Loi, Medicinal Plants of Vietnam · Srivastava et al., Bud and leaf essential oil composition of Syzygium aromaticum (Flavour Fragr. J., 2005) · Maia & Moore, Plant-based insect repellents (Malaria Journal, 2011)