What is Pink Pepper Essential Oil?

This essential oil isn’t well-known, but it will quickly become a favorite in your home. Pink pepper essential oil is revered for its warm, spicy yet sweet aroma that invigorates and elevates an essential oil blend.

I remember being pleasantly surprised the first time coming across pink pepper essential oil. It is a very invigorating, vibrant oil that actually smells very different from black pepper.

I first discovered pink pepper essential oil at a conference. I’d never heard of pink peppercorns, but I loved the smell and was instantly hooked! I began researching more on this special oil, and it was no time before it was added to my oil arsenal.

What does pink pepper smell like?

Pink pepper smells quite a bit different than black pepper and is way less spicy and warm. It doesn’t tingle the nose or make you sneeze as black pepper does.

Pink pepper is often found in perfume and has a woodsy yet floral scent. It is delightful, cheerful, and bright.

Pink Pepper Essential Oil Uses

Pink pepper can be used aromatically or topically. As always, check the label on your essential oil bottle for any cautions and warnings.

Aromatic Use

Pink pepper essential oil can be used for aromatherapy benefits. There are many ways you can enjoy essential oils aromatically:

• Diffuser: Add a few drops of essential oil to a diffuser with water and enjoy as the aroma is dispersed throughout the room. You can use just pink pepper or add it to a blend, like the ones listed below. Learn how to use an essential oil diffuser.
• Make a room spray: A DIY room spray is a fun and quick way to get the scent in the air. You can also use it to mist linens and pillows to get the aroma throughout the house.
• Use your hands: Simply add a drop of essential oil to the palm of your hand, cup your hands over your nose, and breathe in.
• Straight from the bottle: You can inhale the essential oil straight out of the bottle to get the aromatherapy in no time.

Pink Pepper Diffuser Blends

Unlike black pepper, pink pepper has a pleasant scent and is one that you can add to your diffuser. It gives off an invigorating aroma that has a slight floral and citrus scent to it.

Relax

• 2 drops pink pepper
• 2 drops lavender
• 1 drop wild orange

Woodsy

• 2 drops pink pepper
• 2 drops Siberian fir
• 1 drop sandalwood

Invigorating

• 2 drops eucalyptus
• 2 drops pink pepper
• 1 drop lime

Good Morning

• 2 drops pink pepper
• 2 drops wild orange
• 1 drop ylang ylang

Topical Use

The next way to use pink pepper essential oil is topically. It’s important to dilute essential oils before applying them to the skin; this is especially true for pink pepper.

Pink pepper is both a hot and stimulating oil. As a result, proper care must be taken to dilute it properly before use.

You can use oils topically by adding them to skincare products like homemade lotion or DIY body oil, or making a roller bottle.

To make a roller bottle, I suggest adding 15-20 drops of pink pepper to a 10mL roller bottle and filling the rest of the way with a carrier oil.

Fractionated coconut oil is my favorite carrier oil, but there are several other carrier oils to choose from. Learn more about the best carrier oils.

Pink Pepper Roller Bottle Blends

Soothing

• 5 drops pink pepper
• 5 drops copaiba
• 5 drops frankincense 
• 5 drops peppermint

Uplifting

• 5 drops pink pepper
• 5 drops spruce
• 5 drops chamomile
• 5 drops frankincense

Calming

• 5 drops pink pepper
• 5 drops lavender 
• 5 drops lime
• 5 drops bergamot

Ways to Use Pink Pepper Essential Oil

Besides diffusing and roller bottles, pink pepper has a variety of uses in your DIY products and home. Here are just a few ideas for how to use this invigorating, sweet yet spicy oil.

• Brighten your space: Pink pepper’s warm and spicy aroma can make a space feel very bright, cheery, and inviting! Use pink pepper aromatically to make your home feel that much happier.
• Cleaning products: Pink pepper gives your home a clean and fresh feel, making it a perfect oil for scenting DIY cleaning products!
• Unique perfume fragrance: Pink pepper adds a lovely top note to homemade personal fragrances that is unique, sleek, and warm. Its spicy aroma is suitable for masculine, feminine, and unisex scents, so try adding it to DIY perfume for women or homemade men’s cologne.
• Homemade candles: Add pink pepper to your homemade scented candles to give them an invigorating and modern scent. The addition of pink pepper makes candles feel quite luxurious and cozy.
• Fragrance men’s products: Pink pepper adds a soft heat that rounds out masculine essential oil blends perfectly. It has a slightly floral undertone, but doesn’t give blends an overly flowery scent like lavender or chamomile might. Try adding it to homemade aftershave, DIY beard oil, or homemade soap for men.
• DIY scented soap: Pink pepper is such a fun oil for soap. I find it very uplifting and cheery as I wash up in the morning. You can add this oil to cold process soap bars, such as my DIY lard soap, melt and pour soap bars like DIY goat milk soap, or homemade body wash.

Safety + Precautions

• Always dilute your essential oils before applying them topically. It’s a good idea to test a new oil on a small section of your skin and watch for adverse reactions before continuing.
• Pink pepper is a hot oil, so it is especially important to dilute it properly. If it gets on the skin undiluted and causes a burning sensation, rub carrier oil into the skin; don’t rinse with water.
• Keep essential oils out of reach of children and pets.
• When diffusing essential oils, maintain a well-ventilated room. Keep the door open so pets can escape if the smell is too strong for them.

Pink Pepper vs Black Pepper Essential Oil

Though pink pepper and black pepper essential oils are very different, they can be substituted in blends and recipes. Pink pepper has a “prettier” smell and isn’t as spicy as black pepper.

Black pepper is native to India and China, while pink pepper is native to Kenya and Peru.

FAQs

More Essential Oil Highlights

• Siberian fir essential oil uses
• Orange essential oil uses
• Lemon essential oil benefits and uses
• Grapefruit essential oil uses
• Bergamot essential oil uses
• Tea tree essential oil uses
• Rosemary essential oil uses

Resources

NIH

Science Direct

doTERRA

Have you tried pink pepper essential oil yet? Let me know your favorite way to use it in the comments!