What is it?
An essential oil from black pepper, Piper nigrum, the vine whose dried fruits are peppercorns. Its ingredient name refers to the seeds, but black pepper essential oil is made by steam-distilling the dried, crushed unripe fruits. It smells of pepper without the bite, because it contains almost no piperine, the pungent compound in ground pepper. It is used to scent perfumes, skin care and personal care products and to flavor foods.
Key information
- The FDA lists black pepper among the essential oils generally recognized as safe (GRAS) for use in food.
- Its main constituents are beta-caryophyllene, limonene, sabinene and alpha-pinene; piperine averaged less than 0.0005 percent in batches tested for EFSA.
- Based on the supplier's safety data sheet, EFSA considers the undiluted oil a skin and eye irritant and a skin and respiratory sensitizer.
- EU rules require beta-caryophyllene and limonene to be named on labels above 0.001 percent in leave-on or 0.01 percent in rinse-off products.
More information
Black pepper oil is made by passing steam through dried, crushed unripe pepper fruits and separating the oil from the condensed water, as described in a 2022 assessment by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). The specification EFSA used, adapted from the ISO standard for the oil, sets beta-caryophyllene at 12 to 40 percent, limonene at 7 to 20 percent, sabinene at 4 to 17 percent and alpha-pinene at 2.5 to 16 percent. Safrole, a compound of concern sometimes reported in pepper, was not detected in any batch tested.
EFSA concluded that the oil is safe as a flavoring in animal feed at the levels it set, with no concern for people eating the animal products. It had no specific data on skin effects; based on the supplier’s safety data sheet, it said the undiluted oil should be considered irritating to skin and eyes and a skin and respiratory sensitizer. That caution applies to handling the concentrated oil and is typical of essential oils.
For skin allergy, the constituents are the best guide. In its 2012 opinion on fragrance allergens, the EU’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) classed limonene as an established contact allergen, most potent after it oxidizes in air, and noted that beta-caryophyllene oxidizes readily but remains a weak sensitizer. Black pepper oil itself does not appear among the essential oils in the SCCS opinion. A 2023 EU regulation added beta-caryophyllene to the fragrance allergens that must be named on labels; limonene was already on the list.
On ingredient lists, look for Piper Nigrum Seed Oil or Piper Nigrum (Black Pepper) Seed Oil. Black pepper oleoresin and CO2 extracts are different ingredients that keep much more of the piperine.
Sources: EFSA FEEDAP Panel (2022): Safety and efficacy of feed additives prepared from Piper nigrum L. (black pepper oil and oleoresin); Cornell LII: 21 CFR 182.20, Essential oils, oleoresins (solvent-free), and natural extractives; SCCS: Opinion on fragrance allergens in cosmetic products (2012); EUR-Lex: Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/1545 on labelling of fragrance allergens
