doTERRA Oregano Study

Oregano essential oil is extracted from the leaves of the Origanum vulgare plant, which is well-known for its common use as a spice in cooking. The main constituent of Oregano essential oil is carvacrol, a molecule chemically classified as the monoterpenoid phenol. A new study conducted by doTERRA scientists investigated the effects of Oregano oil on skin cells.¹ The researchers used the BioMap^® system, which involved placing the cultured skin cells under conditions that model human skin.

The levels of certain biomolecules can be elevated or reduced during different cellular processes. Increased concentration of a biomolecule generally amplifies its effects on the cell or the tissue in which the cell resides. doTERRA scientists measured the levels of 17 biomarkers that are known to be hallmarks of a normal inflammatory response in the skin. They found that every single one of these 17 markers was significantly reduced when the skin cells were exposed to Oregano essential oil. Cell proliferation (rapid division) can be a sign of improper immune system function. This study found that exposure to Oregano oil reduced skin cell proliferation by about 80 percent.¹

Another experiment in the study was aimed at identifying differences in cell signaling pathways between cells exposed to Oregano essential oil compared with unexposed cells. Interestingly, many of the detected signaling differences were related to cellular development.¹ These results are exciting when taken in light of previous research.^2,3

From these findings, it is clear that Oregano essential oil has many unique properties that appear to support cellular health and proper immune system function. doTERRA is excited to lead the charge in discovering new models of use to take advantage of its biological activity.

BioMAP^® is a registered trademark of DiscoverX Corporation.