Vetiver Essential Oil from Natural Health Crafters

Vetiver - the fragrant root and the oil of tranquility.

Vetiver Vetiveria zizanoides or sometimes spelled vetivert is native to Southern India, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, it is also cultivated in Reunion, the Philippines, the Comoro Islands, Japan, West Africa and South America. The oil is mainly produced in Java, Haiti and Reunion. Vetiver is a tall tough wiry perennial grass with a straight stem, long narrow leaves and a complex lacework of underground white rootlets. The rootlets are spongy and fibrous. Vetiver thrives in rich marshy soil in a warm damp climate. Closely related to Cymbopogon citratus or Lemongrass and citronella and palmarosa. In Java the plant is known as Akar Wangi - the fragrant root, in India it is Khus Khus - aromatic root and in Sri Lanka the oils is known as - the oil of tranquility. The name vetiver comes from the Tamil word which means "hatcheted up" and is a description of the way in which the roots are collected.

Vetiver has a long and history, in India it has been used to make blinds necessary to keep out the intense heat, the fibers of the grass are woven into aromatic mats that are used to sleep on, and the vetiver roots are used to repel insects and are layered among the clothes. When the blinds are sprinkled with water they emit the vetiver scent. In Java the roots were used for weaving mats and thatching huts. Vetiver grass was used in Calcutta for awnings, blinds and sunshades, and in Haiti the grassy parts were also used for thatching

The essential oil is steam distilled from the rhizomes (roots), the roots are harvested by hand using a stout long handled pry bar or a heavy steel pronged fork, the roots are then washed, dried, chopped and soaked. The essential oil yielding between 0.5% and 4%. Optimum age for roots is around 18 months to 2 years. They are sun-dried to reduce moisture content, chopped,and distilled for up to 48 hours. The oil is coloured dark brown to dark amber or olive, a viscous liquid with a syrupy consistency. Essential oil which is green in color and light in scent is of an inferior quality probable has been distilled from immature roots. It is said that the finest quality Vetiver oil is produced in the Reunion Islands. The scent is sweet, earthy, woody, deep, mysterious, reminiscent of a damp forest floor or roots and wet soil. It is pungent, mellow, smooth and tenacious, very rich and complex.

Vetiver is used extensively in Oriental perfumes and other perfumes as an excellent fixative and base note. Used in Ayurveda for inflammatory skin and joint conditions. Used in soaps, toiletries and perfumes and also used to deter insects.

The main constituents of Vetiver essential oil are: vetiverone, vetiverol, vitivene and cadinene.

Vetiver is an excellent oil when a person needs help maintaining emotional equilibrium. It is well known for its ability to center and ground, restore ones connection with their roots, calm and at the same time restore. This would make Vetiver an effective oil for those in the midst of trauma who may be having severe anxiety and flashbacks. Vetiver is also used in skin care, cosmetics, massage and baths. It is beneficial for acne, cuts, eczema, dry skin, wounds, aging skin and irritated skin

While vetivert has been used as a perfume base (fixative) for thousands of years, the fact that it is an immunostimulant is less well known. This increases our ability to withstand stress without getting sick. It also has mild rubefacient qualities, making it good in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatism and muscular pain. The most valuable use of this oil, however, is its ability to relieve stress, anxiety, insomnia and depression. It is a very grounding, stable oil and is very useful to use after a shock or during a traumatic period in life.

In recent years, amyris oil has been used for the official and conventional cutting of Haiti Vetiver Oil. The rule is that 5% amyris oil is added to all locally produced vetiver oils before these are exported from Haiti.

Toxicity:LD₅₀ - (oral) rat >5g/kg; (dermal) rabbit >5g/kg.
Irritation/Sensitisation - Nil at 8% (human)
Phototoxicity - Nil reported

Adulteration

Often adulteration is at the distillation stage as other grass roots can be mixed together e.g. cyprus. The oil can also be 'cut-back' with fractions from the isolation of vetiverol. Cutting can then be made with caryophyllene, cedarwood derivitives, amyris oil etc.

GRAS

Vetiver oil is approved by the FDA for food use.

Properties, Indications and Uses

Vetiver is an excellent oil when a person needs help maintaining emotional equilibrium. It is well known for its ability to center and ground, restore ones connection with their roots, calm and at the same time restore. This would make Vetiver an effective oil for those in the midst of trauma who may be having severe anxiety and flashbacks.