dōTERRA Clove oil: price, uses and safety

Clove smells of winter: mulled wine, gingerbread, oranges studded with cloves on a windowsill. As an essential oil it is one of the most affordable dōTERRA bottles and one of the strongest, so it rewards a light hand.

In short: clove oil (Syzygium aromaticum, also listed as Eugenia caryophyllata) is distilled from the dried flower buds of the clove tree. It costs $22 wholesale in the US and £20.26 in the UK. It is mostly used in cosy autumn and winter diffuser blends and in home cleaning, and on skin it must be very heavily diluted.

What it is and where it comes from

Cloves are the unopened flower buds of an evergreen tree native to the Maluku Islands of Indonesia; today they are also grown in Madagascar, Tanzania and elsewhere. The buds are picked by hand, dried in the sun until they turn brown and then distilled. In Canada the product is labelled “Clove Bud”, which makes the plant part explicit. For the origin of your batch, read the label.

The main compound is eugenol, typically the large majority of the oil. Eugenol is what you smell in clove, and it is also why clove is so strong on skin.

Aroma

Warm, spicy and slightly sweet, with a dry, woody depth. It is instantly recognisable and dominant: one drop of clove can take over a blend of five drops. Paired with citrus it turns festive rather than medicinal.

How people use it

In the diffuser. One drop at a time, always with friendlier oils:

Blend	Drops	When
Clove + Wild Orange	1 + 4	Autumn evenings, guests
Clove + Wild Orange + Cardamom	1 + 3 + 1	Holiday season
Clove + Lemon	1 + 3	After cooking
Clove + Frankincense + Wild Orange	1 + 2 + 2	Cold winter afternoon

Cleaning around the house. Add two drops of clove to a 500 ml spray bottle of water and vinegar together with lemon or wild orange for kitchen surfaces and bins. Shake before use and test on hidden areas first.

Simmer pot alternative. Instead of a diffuser, some people add a drop of clove and a few of wild orange to a small bowl of hot water on a safe surface.

On skin. Only if you have a specific reason, and only at one drop per 20 ml of carrier oil for adults. Never neat, never near the face or mouth area.

In the kitchen. Some labels allow food use; if yours does, dip a toothpick into the oil rather than adding a drop, as a full drop is often too much for a whole dish.

Safety

Clove is a “hot” oil, in the same group as oregano and thyme:

• Never apply it neat. Maximum one drop per 20 ml of carrier oil for adults, after a 24-hour patch test.
• Not for children: do not apply it to them.
• Avoid mucous membranes, eyes and the inside of the nose; wash hands after handling.
• Eugenol may interact with blood thinners; with such medication, before surgery, in pregnancy or with medical conditions, ask a doctor first.
• If it stings, apply a plain carrier oil, not water.
• Clove can soften some plastics; use glass or PET spray bottles. Follow the label of your country.

Is it worth the price?

At $22 for about 250 drops, a drop of clove costs around 9 cents, one of the lowest prices per drop in the dōTERRA range. Combined with the fact that you use it one drop at a time, it is very good value.

Because clove is cheap to produce, fakes are less common than with expensive oils, but quality still varies: some oils are distilled from leaves or stems rather than buds, which smell harsher. dōTERRA uses buds and publishes the test results for each batch at sourcetoyou.com.

What to pair it with

Clove is not in a starter kit. Its natural partner is Wild Orange, and if you buy one, buy the other. For winter blends, add Cardamom, Frankincense or Black Pepper. If you like the clove-and-citrus direction, On Guard is a ready-made blend in the same spirit, and Lemon is useful for cleaning sprays.

New to oils? Start with a small, gentle collection first; the first five oils for your home is a good shortlist.

Where to buy it

Buy directly from dōTERRA under your market’s terms: you pay the price in the table above, the parcel ships from the regional warehouse under your country’s rules, and the label carries the correct local safety information. If your country is not an official dōTERRA market, you order through Global Access: the parcel ships from the US via a forwarding intermediary, with extra shipping and customs costs. Avoid suspiciously cheap marketplace bottles; here is how to spot a fake. Pick your country on the home page to open the official form with the wholesale price, or ask us if anything is unclear.

Questions and answers

How much does dōTERRA Clove cost?

In the US a 15 ml bottle is $22.00 wholesale and $29.33 retail; in the UK it is £20.26 wholesale and £27.01 retail. The table above lists ten countries from the official October 2026 price lists.

Can I use Clove oil on my skin?

Only very diluted. Clove is a “hot” oil: for adults, one drop per 20 ml of carrier oil is a sensible maximum, after a patch test. Keep it away from mucous membranes and do not use it on children.

What does Clove pair well with in the diffuser?

Wild Orange is the classic partner: one drop of clove with three or four of wild orange smells like mulled wine or a holiday kitchen. Cinnamon-style and citrus blends such as On Guard go in the same direction.

Is Clove safe if I take blood thinners?

Clove is rich in eugenol, which may interact with blood-thinning medication. If you take such medication or have a surgery coming up, ask your doctor before using clove in any way other than a diffuser.

How long does a bottle of Clove last?

A 15 ml bottle holds about 250 drops. Since you only use one or two drops at a time, a bottle typically lasts a year or more.

This information is for general aromatic and household use. dōTERRA products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Follow the label of the product sold in your country; ask a doctor before use during pregnancy, with children or with medical conditions.