Clove
Clove is a warming, aromatic spice extract commonly used in UK beauty products for its naturally fresh scent and soothing properties. Derived from the dried flower buds of the clove tree, it adds a spicy note to perfumes, oral care, and some skincare formulations. Shoppers often find it in natural deodorants, lip balms and hair treatments.
How it works in skincare
In cosmetics and skincare, clove extract and its main component eugenol function as a natural fragrance and mild antimicrobial ingredient. It is valued for imparting a warm, spicy aroma while helping to reduce odour-causing bacteria on the skin or scalp. Formulators use it sparingly in leave-on products because of its potency, often blending it into balms, masks and hair oils where its stimulating scent and antioxidant nature can enhance the overall sensory experience.
Key benefits
- Provides a warm, spicy natural fragrance
- Helps mask unpleasant odours in natural formulations
- Offers antioxidant properties to help protect skin and hair
- Delivers a stimulating sensation in scalp and lip products
- Supports a fresh, clean feel in oral-care and deodorant formulas
- Adds depth to spicy and oriental fragrance blends
Best for
oily skin, combination skin, acne-prone skin, normal skin
Where it comes from
Clove comes from the dried, unopened flower buds of the Syzygium aromaticum tree, an evergreen native to Indonesia. The buds are harvested and dried before being steam-distilled or extracted to obtain the aromatic oil used in cosmetics.
Products with Clove
Not every product on UK Lips lists a full ingredient breakdown — so there may be many more formulas that contain Clove than we can show here. These are the comparisons where we’ve confirmed it in the listed ingredients.