Basil Oil (Basil Essential Oil): Benefits, Uses & Safety

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Basil oil, or basil essential oil, is the concentrated oil steam-distilled from sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), the same basil that goes into your pesto, and when it's diluted and applied to the skin it can ease migraine attacks, the use with the best human evidence behind it so far.1 My rule for any oil from a plant you already eat is a few drops in a diffuser or diluted on your skin, and no more than a drop or two by mouth.54

Holy basil, or tulsi, is a different plant with different chemistry, which is why it has its own page, and I drink it as a daily tea.4

Crush a fresh basil leaf between your fingers and the warm, sweet scent that rises is a small taste of what's in the bottle. People have reached for this plant for headaches, coughs and upset stomachs for a very long time,7 and modern trials are now testing the distilled oil on the skin, in the air and in the mouth.

As I've written, "Every symptom you're experiencing is your body's cry for help, signals that something is breaking down at the cellular level."8 A migraine, a stiff knee or a breakout is worth listening to in just that way, so think of basil oil as a way to quiet the pain or irritation while you look for the root cause in your sleep, your stress and the food on your plate.

Did you know?

• In Greek, sweet basil is known as the king of herbs.9

• In a Mississippi field study of 38 types of basil, oil made up 0.07% to 1.92% of the dried herb, so even the richest plants gave less than 2 pounds of oil per 100 pounds of dried basil.10

• In a lab test on ticks, eugenol, one of the compounds in basil oil, was as repellent as DEET at two doses.11

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What is basil oil?

Picture the bottle as basil with nearly everything but the fragrance taken away. Steam carries the light aromatic compounds out of the leaves and flowering tops, and they're collected as an oil that goes into foods, dental products and fragrances.12 Because so much plant goes into so little oil, you use it by the drop.

You'll see the word "basil" on several different products, and the studies on this page used all of them:

Linalool or estragole: which basil oil is in your bottle?

Two bottles labeled basil oil can hold very different oils, because the compounds in the plant shift with its variety, the season and the conditions it grew in.13 Researchers who grew 38 types of basil side by side in Mississippi sorted them into seven chemical groups, from high-linalool oils with 19% to 73% linalool to oils built around methyl chavicol, the other name for estragole, at 20% to 72%.10 In one study of seven sweet basil varieties, estragole ran anywhere from 0% to 88%.13

Linalool is the calming compound you'll also find in lavender oil, the compound behind much of its soothing reputation.4 Traditional European sweet basil oil, long considered the finest for its scent, is mainly linalool and methyl chavicol, while the oil from Réunion is harsher and spicier because it runs so high in methyl chavicol.12 The oil in the acne study below held 21.0% linalool and 7.17% eugenol.2 For everything on this page, choose Ocimum basilicum with linalool as its main compound, and the safety section explains why.

A short history of basil

Persian physicians were writing about basil more than a thousand years ago. Rhazes in the ninth and tenth centuries, Avicenna in the tenth and eleventh, and Salehi Heravi as late as the eighteenth all described its use for easing inflammation and bloating, and their traditional basil oil, cooked into sesame oil, was recommended for joint pain.15 Basil also found a place in Unani and Ayurvedic medicine9 and in traditional Chinese medicine preparations.19

That use continues today: healers in India and Bangladesh still turn to the leaves and seeds for fever, cough and colds,9 people in Brazil use the plant for respiratory and rheumatic problems, vomiting and pain,20 and one Indian research team lists headaches, coughs, diarrhea, constipation, warts, worms and kidney problems among its traditional uses.7 When people on several continents keep reaching for the same plant for more than a thousand years, it's worth asking why, and the studies on this page are starting to answer.

What is basil oil good for?

How basil oil works in your body

Basil oil reaches you in two ways, through the air you breathe and the skin you rub it into, and much of what it does seems to come from compounds such as linalool and eugenol, in proportions that depend on the bottle.102 Those compounds are light enough to float through the air, the way the smell of fresh bread reaches you from the next room, and I call breathing an oil the fastest route to mood and focus.4

Follow a few drops from the bottle into your body and the path looks like this:

Your body was designed to heal, and a calmer nervous system, less pain and swelling and fewer microbes all leave it freer to do that work.

Basil oil benefits: what it does for you

Ranked by evidence, basil oil does the most for migraine attacks, with encouraging results for sore joints, skin, mental fatigue, gums and bug season, and a long tradition for digestion, coughs and colds.

Can basil oil help migraines and headaches?

Headaches are among basil's traditional uses,7 and a trial in Iran put the distilled oil to the test, splitting 144 people diagnosed with migraine into four groups of 36. Each group applied a 2%, 4% or 6% basil oil or a placebo to the skin every 8 hours for 3 months, and everyone also took 325 mg of acetaminophen every 12 hours, so the oil's effect showed up on top of that. Pain and attack frequency were tracked at 2, 4, 8 and 12 weeks, and the gap between the oil and the placebo widened over time, most of all at the higher strengths.1

With any headache, I start by asking why it's there,8 so keep working on your sleep, your water and your stress while you try this, and see these natural headache remedies and how to get rid of a migraine. The lowest strength in the trial, 2%, is also the daily skin strength I recommend, about 2 drops per teaspoon of carrier oil.4 Rub a small amount into your temples and the back of your neck, and use it as a steady routine the way the people in the trial did rather than only when an attack hits.

Can basil oil ease sore knees and muscles?

The old Persian joint oil got a modern test in a randomized trial in Iran. Researchers pounded fresh basil leaves, pressed out the juice, and gently heated it with cold-pressed sesame oil, 2 parts juice to 1 part oil, until the water was gone, which makes it a different product from the distilled oil in a dropper bottle. They randomly assigned 100 adults with knee pain from osteoarthritis to this oil or a 1% diclofenac gel, three times a day for 4 weeks, and 86 people, 43 in each group, were analyzed.

On a 0 to 100 pain scale, the basil group went from 61.05 to 51.28 at 2 weeks and 44.07 at 4 weeks, while the diclofenac group went from 59.07 to 51.40 and 44.53. A standard joint score (WOMAC) fell from 40.02 to 29.27 on basil and from 39.66 to 27.52 on diclofenac, with no significant difference between the groups, and nobody on the basil oil reported a side effect. There was no placebo group, and although neither group was meant to know which product it had, the smell may have told some people.15

The distilled oil eases pain in animals too: in mice, injected basil oil cut pain-related writhing 48% to 78% at every dose tested, and its pain relief on a second test, the hot plate, was tied to the body's opioid system.20 To use it at home, rub a 2% blend into a tight muscle or a stiff joint, or stir 5 drops into a cup of Epsom salt and add it to a warm bath.4 For the bigger picture on joints, see essential oils for arthritis.

Is basil oil good for your skin?

Basil oil's cleansing power shows up on the skin too: researchers in Colombia made gels from sweet basil and orange oils and tested them on 28 volunteers with acne, in groups of 7. The basil gel went on at night and was washed off in the morning for 8 weeks. Papules fell from 68 to 13, an 80.88% drop, pustules fell 66.09%, and closed and open comedones fell 51.82% and 44.99%, which averages out to the 60.95% reduction the researchers reported. All 7 people on the basil gel felt some burning and 5 had redness, which passed within minutes, and 2 had mild peeling.2

That gel was a finished product made at 5%, so at home, mix 1 drop into a teaspoon of jojoba oil and dab it on at night, then rinse in the morning the way the volunteers did. You can dab the same blend on an insect bite, a home use no study has tested yet. A breakout shows up on your skin, but it often starts with what's going on inside, so pair this with the food and lifestyle steps in these home remedies for acne.

How to use basil oil

Always dilute basil oil in a carrier oil such as jojoba, fractionated coconut, sweet almond or olive oil before it touches your skin.4 Here are six easy ways to bring it into your day:

Basil oil blends well with bergamot, black pepper, cedarwood, fennel, ginger, geranium, grapefruit, lavender, lemon, marjoram and neroli oils. When you combine oils, count every drop toward the same total, so a 2% blend still holds 2 drops per teaspoon.

Can you take basil oil internally?

Yes, in very small amounts, if you're a healthy adult and the bottle is a linalool type. My general rule is that oils from commonly eaten herbs, spices, roots and berries are safe to take by mouth at 1 or 2 drops, about 60 milligrams,5 and basil is about as commonly eaten as an herb gets. The FDA lists basil among the essential oils generally recognized as safe for their intended use in food.33

Because the chemistry of basil oil varies so widely, one drop is plenty. Oils don't dissolve in water,4 so stir it into a spoonful of raw honey, a smoothie, a sauce or a dressing, and take it for short stretches. A drop also carries a lot of flavor in a batch of pesto.

Basil oil recipes

These three recipes put basil oil to work on your muscles, your skin in bug season and your kitchen. Each one uses a linalool-type oil and stays within the dilution above.

Basil oil also drops easily into homemade laundry soap and deodorant and into the shampoo above. Swap it in for part of the essential oil each recipe calls for, so the total number of drops stays the same.

How to buy and store basil oil

The label tells you which type of basil oil you're holding, so check it for these four things:

• The Latin name: The label should name Ocimum basilicum, the plant the FDA lists for basil oil.334

• The chemical type: Look for linalool named as the main compound, or a batch test report showing low estragole, which is also listed as methyl chavicol, and low methyl eugenol.6

• Pure and single-ingredient: The bottle should hold pure oil, with no added fragrance or perfume oil.4

• A dark glass bottle: Dark glass protects the oil from light.4

Keep the bottle cool, dark and tightly closed, and plan on replacing it after 2 to 3 years.4

Basil oil side effects & who should be careful

The reason to choose a linalool type is estragole, which your body can turn into a compound that damages DNA and that caused cancer in rodent testing.3613 Reviewers concluded that basil in food and preparations is safe, so your pesto is fine, and named the essential oil as the only concern, calling for types with little or none of estragole and its relative methyl eugenol.613 One leading essential oil safety educator holds estragole-rich oils, at 75% to 87%, to 0.1% on the skin, so leave those on the shelf, and says the linalool type, with very little estragole, needs no such limit.37

Basil oil tested as at least a moderate skin sensitizer in a mouse study,38 and linalool that has reacted with air forms much stronger allergens,39 so keep the cap tight and replace a bottle that smells off. To patch test, apply your diluted blend to the inside of your forearm and wait 24 hours, and if you see redness or itching, skip that oil.4 As I've written, "If you experience any side effects, like dizziness or nausea, when using an oil, stop using it immediately."5

Skip basil oil in pregnancy and while nursing, since no study in people has looked at its safety in either. My field guide keeps children 2 to 6 on gentle oils only, at 0.5% to 1%,4 and we don't count basil among them, so keep it away from children under 6 and don't give it to any child by mouth. For older children, use smaller amounts and a carrier oil.40 Skip it by mouth if you have a seizure disorder.

The bottom line

Basil oil: frequently asked questions

References

1. Ahmadifard M, Yarahmadi S, Ardalan A, Ebrahimzadeh F, Bahrami P, Sheikhi E. The Efficacy of Topical Basil Essential Oil on Relieving Migraine Headaches: A Randomized Triple-Blind Study. Complement Med Res. 2020;27(5):310-318. doi:10.1159/000506349
2. Matiz G, Osorio MR, Camacho F, Atencia M, Herazo J. [Effectiveness of antimicrobial formulations for acne based on orange (Citrus sinensis) and sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L) essential oils]. Biomedica. 2012;32(1):125-33.
3. Varney E, Buckle J. Effect of inhaled essential oils on mental exhaustion and moderate burnout: a small pilot study. J Altern Complement Med. 2013;19(1):69-71. doi:10.1089/acm.2012.0089
4. Axe J. Top 50 Healing Herbs & Essential Oils: A Field Guide to God's Pharmacy (Vol. 05, The Natural Pharmacy, 2026 edition). DrAxe.com protocol; 2026 ("How herbs & oils heal your cells," p. 4; "Essential oil safety & dilution," p. 39; "Ways to use" page: inhale, apply, soak; Oil 01, Lavender: linalool and GABA pathways; Holy Basil entry; "Build your home apothecary": buying essential oils, storage and shelf life).
5. Axe J. Ancient Remedies: Secrets to Healing with Herbs, Essential Oils, CBD, and the Most Powerful Natural Medicine in History. Little, Brown Spark (Hachette Book Group); 2021 (chapter "The Power of Essential Oils": internal-use rule for oils from commonly eaten plants and stop rule, p. 146).
6. Sestili P, Ismail T, Calcabrini C, Guescini M, Catanzaro E, Turrini E, et al. The potential effects of Ocimum basilicum on health: a review of pharmacological and toxicological studies. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol. 2018;14(7):679-692. doi:10.1080/17425255.2018.1484450
7. Joshi RK. Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of the essential oil of Ocimum basilicum L. (sweet basil) from Western Ghats of North West Karnataka, India. Anc Sci Life. 2014;33(3):151-6. doi:10.4103/0257-7941.144618
8. Axe J, Cole W. Heal Your Cells. Avery; 2026. ISBN 9798217181353 (symptoms as the body's call for help, p. 20).
9. Azizah NS, Irawan B, Kusmoro J, Safriansyah W, Farabi K, Oktavia D, et al. Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.)-A Review of Its Botany, Phytochemistry, Pharmacological Activities, and Biotechnological Development. Plants (Basel). 2023;12(24). doi:10.3390/plants12244148
10. Zheljazkov VD, Callahan A, Cantrell CL. Yield and oil composition of 38 basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) accessions grown in Mississippi. J Agric Food Chem. 2008;56(1):241-5. doi:10.1021/jf072447y
11. Del Fabbro S, Nazzi F. Repellent effect of sweet basil compounds on Ixodes ricinus ticks. Exp Appl Acarol. 2008;45(3-4):219-28. doi:10.1007/s10493-008-9182-6
12. Simon JE, Quinn J, Murray RG. Basil: a source of essential oils. In: Janick J, Simon JE, eds. Advances in New Crops. Timber Press; 1990:484-489.
13. Götz ME, Eisenreich A, Frenzel J, Sachse B, Schäfer B. Occurrence of Alkenylbenzenes in Plants: Flavours and Possibly Toxic Plant Metabolites. Plants (Basel). 2023;12(11). doi:10.3390/plants12112075
14. Sutthanont N, Sudsawang M, Phanpoowong T, Sriwichai P, Ruangsittichai J, Rotejanaprasert C, et al. Effectiveness of Herbal Essential Oils as Single and Combined Repellents against Aedes aegypti, Anopheles dirus and Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae). Insects. 2022;13(7). doi:10.3390/insects13070658
15. Askari A, Hasheminasab FS, Sadeghpour O, Naghizadehd MM, Ravansalar SA, Iraji A, et al. A randomized double-blind active-controlled clinical trial on the efficacy of topical basil (Ocimum basilicum) oil in knee osteoarthritis. Front Pharmacol. 2024;15:1377527. doi:10.3389/fphar.2024.1377527
16. Rafieian-Kopaei M, Hosseini-Asl K. Effects of Ocimum basilicum on functional dyspepsia: a double-blind placebo-controlled study. Iran J Med Sci. 2005;30(3):134-137.
17. Talaei M, Zare K, Hashemi Y, Pahlevani AH, Fakhraei B, Namjooyan F, et al. Basil (Ocimum basilicum) to Alleviate Anxiety in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial. Brain Behav. 2025;15(11):e70994. doi:10.1002/brb3.70994
18. Karimi FZ, Hosseini H, Mazlom SR, Rakhshandeh H. The effect of oral capsules containing Ocimum basilicum leaf extract on menopausal symptoms in women: a triple-blind randomized clinical trial. Eur J Med Res. 2024;29(1):367. doi:10.1186/s40001-024-01965-7
19. Chiang LC, Ng LT, Cheng PW, Chiang W, Lin CC. Antiviral activities of extracts and selected pure constituents of Ocimum basilicum. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2005;32(10):811-6. doi:10.1111/j.1440-1681.2005.04270.x
20. Venâncio AM, Onofre AS, Lira AF, Alves PB, Blank AF, Antoniolli AR, et al. Chemical composition, acute toxicity, and antinociceptive activity of the essential oil of a plant breeding cultivar of basil (Ocimum basilicum L.). Planta Med. 2011;77(8):825-9. doi:10.1055/s-0030-1250607
21. Kothiwale SV, Patwardhan V, Gandhi M, Sohoni R, Kumar A. A comparative study of antiplaque and antigingivitis effects of herbal mouthrinse containing tea tree oil, clove, and basil with commercially available essential oil mouthrinse. J Indian Soc Periodontol. 2014;18(3):316-20. doi:10.4103/0972-124X.134568
22. Sienkiewicz M, Łysakowska M, Pastuszka M, Bienias W, Kowalczyk E. The potential of use basil and rosemary essential oils as effective antibacterial agents. Molecules. 2013;18(8):9334-51. doi:10.3390/molecules18089334
23. Satoh T, Sugawara Y. Effects on humans elicited by inhaling the fragrance of essential oils: sensory test, multi-channel thermometric study and forehead surface potential wave measurement on basil and peppermint. Anal Sci. 2003;19(1):139-46. doi:10.2116/analsci.19.139
24. Abdi M, Rezaei E, Mirghafourvand M, Ebrahimi F, Payahoo L, Shafiei-Kandjani A, et al. The effect of Ocimum basilicum on the prevention of postpartum depression symptoms and sleep quality: A triple-blind randomized controlled clinical trial. Heliyon. 2025;11(2):e42096. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2025.e42096
25. Pai Khot AJ, Varghese AS, Ankola AV, Sankeshwari RM, Hampiholi V, Sutar KP, et al. Clinical Effectiveness of Ocimum basilicum Mouthwash as an Adjunct to Toothbrushing in Managing Patients With Plaque-Induced Gingivitis: A Randomised Controlled Trial. Int J Dent Hyg. 2026;24(2):188-196. doi:10.1111/idh.70017
26. Karimi FZ, Hosseini H, Mazlom SR, Rakhshandeh H, Asadpour H. The effect of oral capsule of Ocimum basilicum leaf extract on sleep quality and insomnia severity in menopausal women: A randomized clinical trial. Phytother Res. 2023;37(6):2344-2352. doi:10.1002/ptr.7753
27. Li C, Zhang C, Chen X, Cui H, Lin L. The Interference Mechanism of Basil Essential Oil on the Cell Membrane Barrier and Respiratory Metabolism of Listeria monocytogenes. Front Microbiol. 2022;13:855905. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2022.855905
28. Bae AH, Kim G, Seol GH, Lee SB, Lee JM, Chang W, et al. Delta- and mu-opioid pathways are involved in the analgesic effect of Ocimum basilicum L in mice. J Ethnopharmacol. 2020;250:112471. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2019.112471
29. Rodrigues LB, Martins AOBPB, Ribeiro-Filho J, Cesário FRAS, E Castro FF, de Albuquerque TR, et al. Anti-inflammatory activity of the essential oil obtained from Ocimum basilicum complexed with β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) in mice. Food Chem Toxicol. 2017;109(Pt 2):836-846. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2017.02.027
30. Kim DS, Hong SJ, Yoon S, Jo SM, Jeong H, Youn MY, et al. Olfactory Stimulation with Volatile Aroma Compounds of Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) Essential Oil and Linalool Ameliorates White Fat Accumulation and Dyslipidemia in Chronically Stressed Rats. Nutrients. 2022;14(9). doi:10.3390/nu14091822
31. Eid AM, Jaradat N, Shraim N, Hawash M, Issa L, Shakhsher M, et al. Assessment of anticancer, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, anti-obesity and antioxidant activity of Ocimum Basilicum seeds essential oil from Palestine. BMC Complement Med Ther. 2023;23(1):221. doi:10.1186/s12906-023-04058-w
32. Kristinsson KG, Magnusdottir AB, Petersen H, Hermansson A. Effective treatment of experimental acute otitis media by application of volatile fluids into the ear canal. J Infect Dis. 2005;191(11):1876-80. doi:10.1086/430003
33. Code of Federal Regulations. 21 CFR 182.20: Essential oils, oleoresins (solvent-free), and natural extractives (including distillates) (Basil, Ocimum basilicum L.).
34. Tohti I, Tursun M, Umar A, Turdi S, Imin H, Moore N. Aqueous extracts of Ocimum basilicum L. (sweet basil) decrease platelet aggregation induced by ADP and thrombin in vitro and rats arterio--venous shunt thrombosis in vivo. Thromb Res. 2006;118(6):733-9. doi:10.1016/j.thromres.2005.12.011
35. Amrani S, Harnafi H, Gadi D, Mekhfi H, Legssyer A, Aziz M, et al. Vasorelaxant and anti-platelet aggregation effects of aqueous Ocimum basilicum extract. J Ethnopharmacol. 2009;125(1):157-62. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2009.05.043
36. van den Berg SJ, Klaus V, Alhusainy W, Rietjens IM. Matrix-derived combination effect and risk assessment for estragole from basil-containing plant food supplements (PFS). Food Chem Toxicol. 2013;62:32-40. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2013.08.019
37. Tisserand H. Carcinogenic essential oils? Tisserand Institute.
38. Lalko J, Api AM. Investigation of the dermal sensitization potential of various essential oils in the local lymph node assay. Food Chem Toxicol. 2006;44(5):739-46. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2005.10.006
39. de Groot A. Linalool Hydroperoxides. Dermatitis. 2019;30(4):243-246. doi:10.1097/DER.0000000000000471
40. Axe J. Dangers of Essential Oils: Top 10 Essential Oil Mistakes to Avoid | Dr. Josh Axe. The Dr. Josh Axe Show. 2017 (small amounts of food-plant oils at 2:32; children at 7:13; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vuLggcLDLg).
41. Axe J. 8 Adaptogen Herbs to Heal Adrenals and Reduce Stress. The Dr. Axe Show. 2017 (holy basil versus regular basil at 4:39; YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0yDvQU2BPc&t=279s).

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CNS

Doctor of Natural Medicine · Founder, DrAxe.com

Dr. Axe is a certified doctor of natural medicine, clinical nutritionist, and multiple New York Times bestselling author. He has spent 20+ years in clinical practice helping people heal at the root cause and founded one of the most-visited natural-health platforms in the world.

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