Foeniculum vulgare oil (inci)

Foeniculum vulgare (semen) oil is the essential oil obtained by steam distillation from the crushed seeds of sweet fennel (fennel seed oil).

Foeniculum vulgare oil from bitter fennel is extracted from the crushed seed or from the whole plant (fennel herb oil).

Both fennel oils are used in cosmetic preparations.

Seed oil and herb oil of bitter fennel have a strengthening effect on skin or hair. Furthermore, they act as emollients (make the skin supple and smooth it) skin-caring and skin-soothing.

Seed oil of sweet fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce) is used as a fragrance (sweet, slightly anise-like earthy odor) in cosmetic preparations.

Contraindication: allergies to umbelliferous plants (fennel, caraway, celery, coriander or dill) or to anetholePregnancy
and lactation: no studies on safety. Children under 4 years of age,

Children and adolescents under 18 years of age should not take the essential oil ( bitter fennel oil).

High doses of fennel oil may impair the effect of oral contraception!

Efficacy-determining ingredients are 55-75% transanethole (sweet taste), 12-25% D-fenchone, max. 6% methylchavicol, 1-10% alpha-pinene. Furthermore D-limonene, pinene, aniseed acid, anisaldehyde, amphene and others.

Essential fennel oil should be avoided during pregnancy

1. Coelho JP et al(2012) Extraction of volatile oil from aromatic plants with supercritical carbon dioxide: experiments and modeling. Molecules 17:10550-10573.
2. Hammouda FM et al (204) Evaluation of the essential oil of Foeniculum vulgare Mill (fennel) fruitsextracted
   by three different extraction methods by GC/MS.Afr J Tradit Complement Altern Med 11:277-279.