Patchouli Essential Oil from Natural Health Crafters

Patchouli - the scent of the 60’s, patchouli will always be associated with hippies, but patchouli has a long history and many useful properties.

Patchouli pogostemon patchouli or pogostemon cablin) is a bushy herb growing to a height of one metre (3 ft) and has soft, hairy, oval shaped leaves and spikes of white, purple tinged flowers. When rubbed, the leaves emit the peculiar, characteristic scent of patchouli. Patchouli was first described by botanists in the Philippines in 1845. The plant is native to Southeast Asia, and grows wild in Sumatra and Java between altitudes of 900 and 1800 metres. it is now cultivated extensively for its oil in India, China and Indonesia.

The leaves and stems are harvested two or three times a year. Most of the plant material is distilled on site because patchouli shrubs are grown in remote areas, in small plots shaded under the jungle trees. However, the jungle stills are very primitive, usually consisting of a couple of metal drums,, stacked on top of each other and supported by mud and stones. One of the drums holds the plant material and one is used to boil the water by direct fire. The oil that is produced is dark reddish brown, due to the presence of iron depostits (harmless to the skin) absorbed from the metal drums. Some connoisseurs of patchouli appreciate this color and ask for it specifically.

A proportion of the patchouli drop is baled like silage and transported to the main cities where the leaves are distilled in modern stainless steel tanks. The oil from this production is pale yellow with a full bodied aroma, and is labelled 'patchouli light' It is a little more expensive than the usual patchouli because of the additional transport and investment.

There is also a rectified patchouli oil available, this is the dark patchouli which has been re-distilled to remove the iron oxide depostits, The resulting oil is virtually colorless with a pleasant earthy aroma. Although perfect for perfumery purposes, the rectified oil loses many of the therapeutic components found in the original 'jungle oil' and is not used in aromatherapy.

Patchouli is one of the few essential oils whose aroma actually improves with age. Newly distilled patchouli oil has a fresh, green, slightly harsh aroma. As the oil ages it mellows considerably, becoming sweeter and more balsamic. It is said to be the strongest aroma in the plant kingdom, and one of the longest lasting base notes used in perfumery. It lingers on clothes for many weeks, often even after laundering.

Patchouli has long been used as a moth repellent in Asia. This practice may have been responsible for its introduction to Europe in the early 1800s. At that time imported goods like silk shawls and India ink arrived redolent with the smell of patchouli in European ports. In time the presence of the aroma came to be regarded as an indicator of genuine oriental goods. Around 1844 the first shipment of dried patchouli leaves reached London and savvy (or sneaky!) local manufacturers began using the plant to scent their own versions of expensive imported goods. It wasn't long before patchouli oil's remarkable staying power made it an important fixative ingredient in the manufacture of fine perfumes and cosmetics. A fixative is a substance that combines well with the other ingredients in a blend, slowing down the evaporation of the fragrance and making it last longer when applied as a personal essence. The increased demand helped create an industry. Adulteration of patchouli is less common than with other essential oils. The relative ease of its cultivation and generous yield of oil (up to 3.5% under ideal conditions) substantially removes the temptation for unscrupulous suppliers to adulterate it.

Wherever patchouli is grown, the dried cushed leaves are commonly used to scent linen and to discourage insects. Hippies wore patchouli in the 1960s and 1970s and burned it as incense, partly for its reputed aphrodisiac qualities and partly because its penetrating odor would mask the smell of the marijuana. It is patchouli that gives black Indian ink its color. Patchouli is thick, viscous, sticky and very slow to volatilize. High-quality oils possess an elusive, wine-like, floral sweet topnote. This topnote commands more of a presence as the oil ages (approximately one year from distillation.) The bodynote is incredibly rich, intensely sweet, woody, balsamic and earthy. The aroma can cling to a perfume blotter for weeks.

Therapeutic Properties For centuries patchouli has been used in traditional medicine in Malaysia, China and Japan. A word of warning though, the old herbal texts caution that overuse of patchouli causes loss of appetite, insomnia and nervousness.

Patchouli has been credited with antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and astringent properties. Teas made from the leaves are said to help in cases of diarrhoea and fevers, and act as a restorative during convalescence. Applied externally, the cooled tea heals fungal infections of the skin. Yjese days patchouli is not a major remedy for physical ailments, although it is valuable for cracked and sore skin conditions, such as atheletes foot, as well as general skin and hair care, especially for oily skin and dandruff. Under the supervision of a qualified practitioner it is useful for impetigo, ringworm and weeping eczema.

Patchouli reigns supreme in the emotional sphere. It imparts an intriguing nuance to blends intended to help mild depression and nervous exhaustion. Its grounding quality is often helpful for the people who ‘live in their heads’ and are prone to over-thinking and worry. Anecdotal evidence amongst aromatherapists suggests that low dilutions of the oil are relaxing and restorative: whereas higher concentrations may excite the nervous system, Yet very high levels used over a prolonged period may have the opposite effect, resulting in a stupor. As always with essential oils, the precise mind and body effects cannot always be predicted, much depends on the state of the individual at a given time, and whether or not the aroma is perceived as pleasing. Some texts refer to patchouli as an aphrodisiac, but then again this largely depends on whther you like the aroma and who you are with at the time.

Adulteration

Cedarwood, clove oil sesquiterpenes and cedarwood derivatives are frequently used for cutting the oil, also, methyl abiete, hydroabietic alcohols, vetiver residues, camphor residues, Gurjun balsam oil (detected by &alpha-Gurjunene), copaiba balsam oil, castor oil and isobornyl acetate, vegetable oils, Hercolyn D; patchouli and vetiver distillation residues. The superior Indonesian patchouli oil is often blended with the cheaper Chinese oil.

GRAS

Palmarosa oil has GRAS status

Uses

There is a long tradition of using patchouli on Indian carpets and rugs to prevent insect colonisation.