What it smells like
Warm, woody and peppery rather than hot — the rhizome, not the sweet powdered spice. There is a lemony brightness at the top that the dried version loses.
Three things to actually do with it
1. Cakes, curries and stir-fries, by toothpick
Into the fat or the sugar, at the end. Food use is permitted on the European label at one drop per day. Ginger oil is less brutal than clove but still stronger than the fresh root by a wide margin.
2. A warming body oil at 1 %
Three drops in 10 ml of carrier. Pleasant on cold hands and shoulders in winter — as a warm sensation, which is all that is claimed for it.
3. In a winter diffuser blend
Two drops with two of wild orange, or one with cardamom for something less obvious than cinnamon.
What it blends with
Citrus, cardamom, cinnamon bark, frankincense. It is the most versatile of the warm spices because it is not sweet.
Getting the amount right
Food use is permitted in the European range at one drop per day. On skin, 1 % is comfortable for most people; ginger can feel warm at higher dilutions, which is a signal to use less rather than a benefit. Not photosensitising.
Questions people ask
Can I use it instead of fresh ginger?
For aroma, within the daily limit. Not for texture or heat — the fresh root brings both and the oil brings neither.
Does it help with travel sickness?
That is a medical claim and this site does not make it. Ask a pharmacist.
Why is it not spicy on the tongue?
The pungent compounds in fresh ginger are not the volatile ones that end up in the distilled oil.