Fennel essential oil: a sweet aniseed scent to use sparingly

At the market you recognise it by its white bulb and soft green fronds; in the kitchen, by a flavour reminiscent of aniseed. Fennel is a familiar vegetable, but its essential oil is far less so. Concentrated, sweet and aniseed-like, it appeals to lovers of unusual scents – provided it is used in small touches.

What is fennel?

Fennel, Foeniculum vulgare, is a tall plant of the carrot family (Apiaceae), like dill and coriander. It grows wild on dry, sunny ground around the Mediterranean, where its tall stems crowned with yellow umbels are a common sight in summer. Depending on the variety, the fleshy bulb is eaten as a vegetable or the seeds are used as a flavouring. Its aniseed smell links it, in perfumery as in cooking, with anise and star anise.

According to the product sheet, our fennel essential oil stands out for its "sweet, aniseed scent". Our druggist classes it among oils for aromatic, highly diluted use – in other words, an oil you smell rather than apply. To understand why every oil has its own rules, see our sheet on essential oil families.

How to use it

A touch of aniseed in the diffuser

• One or two drops are enough, ideally blended with a rounder oil such as sweet orange or lavender.
• Diffuse briefly, for about ten minutes, in a well-ventilated room.
• Avoid diffusing it in a child's bedroom or around a pregnant woman.

To scent your home discreetly

• Put a single drop on a scent stone or a piece of untreated wood.
• Combine it in a small bowl with cinnamon sticks and dried orange peel for a gourmand note without any cooking.

And everything else?

On the skin, for massage or in a cosmetic product, fennel essential oil is not something to improvise with: talk to us first. And while the vegetable belongs on your plate, the essential oil must not be swallowed or used to flavour food.

Precautions

An oil that calls for restraint. Never use it neat and never swallow it. Avoid any contact with the eyes and mucous membranes. Do not use it during pregnancy or breastfeeding, for children, or if you are on medication without first asking for advice. Close the bottle carefully and keep it out of the reach of children.

Our products

• Fennel essential oil – sweet, aniseed scent; the documentation tab on the product page gives the details.

Let's talk in store

Fennel is an oil to discover with curiosity but without haste: one well-placed drop is enough to reveal its character. Before using it in any way other than diffusion, take a few minutes to talk it over with our team at Droguerie Perusset in Yverdon-les-Bains – we will help you use it with complete peace of mind.