Free radicals and the damage they cause in the body on a cellular level, have become a hot topic in recent years. The oxidative deterioration we face in modern life like stress, pollutants in the environment including those found in our food and water, various diseases and illnesses, and even DNA damage, all take part in the slow yet steady breakdown of our health.

Thankfully, there are powerful antioxidants available that help protect the body and its cells from oxidative stress by deflecting the damage caused by free radicals.

One of the most healing properties of essential oils is that they can remove free radicals from the body. This is because they contain high amounts of antioxidants which are substances that can neutralize the damaging effects of free radicals in our everyday lives and safely eliminate them.

You may already know that fresh fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants and that they are essential to consume for vibrant health and longevity. Essential oils also contain antioxidants but in a much more concentrated form.

The antioxidant potential of certain foods and essential oils are listed as their ORAC rating or Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity.

The ORAC scale was developed by USDA researchers at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts in order to measure both the time and degree of free radical inhibition.

To give you an idea of the immense difference between the ORAC rating of common foods vs essential oils, I have included a comparison chart below from one of my favorite books, The Chemistry of Essential Oils:

You can see by just glancing at the chart that essential oils are far more potent in antioxidants than fruits and vegetables, though that certainly doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be topping up your consumption of fresh produce!

Essential oils don’t contain any nutrients, which you can read more about here, so be careful not to assume that they are superior in every way.

They are superior, however, when it comes to antioxidants and using them to protect the body from oxidative damage, especially when applied topically to the skin. This is why essential oils are popular additions to anti-aging skin care products.

Table of Contents

The Complete List of ORAC Ratings for Essential Oils

Below is a list of 75 essential oils and their ORAC rating per 100 grams or µTE/100 g.

Clove - 1,078,700
Myrrh - 379,800
Anise – 333,700
Citronella - 312,000
Coriander - 298,300
Fennel - 238,400
Clary Sage - 221,000
German Chamomile - 218,600
Cedarwood - 169,000
Rose - 158,100
Nutmeg - 158,100
Marjoram - 151,000
Melissa - 139,905
Ylang Ylang - 134,300
Palmarosa - 130,000
Rosewood - 113,200
Manuka - 106,200
Wintergreen - 101,800
Geranium - 101,000
Ginger - 99,300
Bay Laurel - 98,900
Eucalyptus Citriodora - 83,000
Cumin - 82,400
Black Pepper - 79,700
Vetiver - 74,300
Petitgrain - 73,600
Blue Cypress - 73,100
Citrus Hystrix/Combava/Kaffir Lime - 69,200
Douglas Fir - 69,000
Blue Tansy - 68,800
Goldenrod - 61,900
Melaleuca ericifolia/Rosalina - 61,100
Blue Yarrow - 55,900
Spikenard - 54,800
Basil - 54,000
Patchouli - 49,400
White Fir - 47,900
Tarragon - 37,900
Melaleuca Cajeputi/Cajeput – 37,600
Peppermint - 37,300
Cardamom - 36,500
Dill - 35,600
Celery Seed - 30,300
Fleabane, Canadian – 26,700
Mandarin - 26,500
Lime - 26,200
Galbanum - 26,200
Myrtle - 25,400
Cypress - 24,300
Grapefruit - 22,600
Hyssop - 20,900
Balsam Fir - 20,500
Melaleuca Quinquenervia/Niaouli – 18,600
Thyme - 15,960
Oregano - 15,300
Cassia - 15,170
Sage - 14,800
Mountain Savory - 11,300
Cinnamon Bark - 10,340
Tsuga - 7,100
Valerian - 6,200
Cistus - 3,860
Eucalyptus Globulus - 2,410
Orange - 1,890
Lemongrass - 1,780
Helichrysum - 1,740
Ravintsara – 890
Lemon - 660
Frankincense Carteri - 630
Spearmint - 540
Lavender - 360
Rosemary - 330
Juniper - 250
Roman Chamomile - 240
Sandalwood – 160

27 Common Essential Oils With Unknown ORAC Values

Below is a list of common essential oils that do not yet have a listed ORAC rating.

I’ve included them so that you can see them all at a glance and not have to wait for a response on what their ORAC rating is – the short answer is they don’t have one – yet!