November’s Oil of The Month is absolutely delightful and is an essential oil I’ve been meaning to get my hands on for a while – Pink Berries CO2! You may be wondering what pink berries I’m talking about but I’m positive you’re familiar with them. Also known as pink peppercorns, these berries have a dry, woodsy, and peppery scent and flavor that has become a popular addition to pepper medleys that has a subtle fruitiness and a floral note when added to cooking.
Plant Therapy’s Essential Oil of The Month – Pink Berries CO2
Botanical Name
Schinus terebinthifolius – Although black, green, and white peppercorns all come from the same plant, pink peppercorns do not!
Family
Anacardiaceae
Synonyms
Pink Peppercorn, Brazilian Pepper, False Pepper
Part Used
Ripe pink berries
Method of Extraction
CO2 extraction
Note
Middle
Country of Origin
France, though originally native to subtropical South America
Chemical Components
Delta-3-Carene
Alpha-Phellandrene
Alpha-Pinene
Terpinene-4-ol
Limonene
Uses
- Acne
- Bronchitis
- Colds and flu
- Cough
- Cystitis
- Digestive cramping
- Fungal infections
- Gout
- Immune deficiencies
- Menstrual cramps
- Muscle and joint pain
- Respiratory congestion and infections
- Rheumatism
- Stimulates the senses
- Urethritis
- Urogenital infections
- Help fortify the lungs, spleen, and pancreas
Emotional Uses
- Calms feelings of anxiety, agitation, and anger.
- Dispels feelings of insecurity, failure, and fear of judgment
- Encourages emotional independence
- Helps one let go of overt control issues and possessiveness
- Helps one let go of the overt need for security
Blends Well With
Pink peppercorns come from the ripe berries of a flowering evergreen shrub commonly known as the Brazilian Pepper tree and is considered to be quite invasive. As the berries mature, they turn pink and can be harvested and used in cooking to give food a gentle peppery flavor.
Pink Berries CO2 has a similar yet more subdued aroma than black pepper and has an exotic, fresh, diffusive, dry, warm, and spicy-sweet aroma with subtle smoky undertones that resemble juniper berry.
Although black pepper and pink berries CO2 share similar scent profiles, their therapeutic properties are quite different.
Black pepper essential oil has an affinity for the digestive, circulatory, and musculoskeletal systems where pink peppercorn essential oil is known for its significant anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties.
In fact, pink berries CO2 is effective against 15 different gram-positive bacteria (including Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (including Salmonella Typhimurium and Escherichia coli) bacteria. This makes it an excellent essential oil to consider when fighting various infections and viruses.
You can learn more about these findings here.
How to Use Pink Berries CO2
Essential Oil Recipes for Pink Berries Essential Oil
This essential oil lends a wonderful spiciness to diffuser blends, lip balm, lotions, and cold and flu preparations.
Digestive Upset Recipe
Dilute 2-3 drops of pink berries CO2 in 2 tsp of carrier oil and massage it gently over the abdomen when experiencing digestive upset, bloating, gas, and abdominal cramping.
This also works well for menstrual cramping and is especially helpful when mixed with marjoram essential oil.
For more essential oils for digestive upset, please refer to this post.
Sore Muscle Blend
In a 10 ml roll-on bottle, add 2-3 drops of pink berries CO2, 1 drop wintergreen, and 1 drop balsam fir essential oil. Apply as needed to sore muscles.
For more sore muscle essential oil recipes, please refer to this post.
Bronchitis Diffuser Blend
In a diffuser, add 2-3 drops pink berries CO2, 3 drops tea tree essential oil, and 3 drops spike lavender essential oil.
Diffuse 2-3 times daily.
For more bronchitis essential oil recipes, please refer to this post.
Have you ever used pink berries CO2 or pink peppercorn essential oil before? Please share in the comments below!
You may also enjoy reading:
Essential Oil Profiles and Therapeutic Uses
Essential Oil Quick Usage Guide
12 Must-Have Remedies for Cold and Flu
Oregano Oil Roll-On for Cold and Flu
I’ve always loved cooking with pink peppercorns since I first discovered them at the Spice Souk in Dubai last 2014. That’s why when I got my November OOTM, I was grinning with delight when I recognised the oh-so-familiar scent. So happy I got mine! <3
Me too!! I love this oil so much!
Where can I purchase Pink Berries C02?
Hi Yvonne!
You need to be signed up for Plant Therapy’s oil of the month club! You can look into it here: https://www.planttherapy.com/oil-of-the-month-club. I recommend emailing them to see if they have any stock left 🙂
Can the Pink Berries CO2 be used in hot teas to enhance their internal warming effect, like ginger & tumeric do?
Hi Penny!
I would advise against consuming this oil since it’s a hot oil. You can, however, use real pink peppercorn in homemade tea blends like chai to reap the benefits internally 🙂 Topically, pink berries CO2 is lovely for making warming massage oils and muscle rubs!