Patchouli Essential Oil
Patchouli Essential Oil. Patchouli is a fragrant herb, with soft, opposite, egg-shaped leaves and square stems, grows from 2 to 3 feet in height, giving out the peculiar, characteristic odor of patchouli when rubbed. Its whitish flowers, tinged with purple, grow in both auxiliary and terminal spikes. The crop is cut two or three times a year, the leaves being dried and packed in bales and exported for distillation of the oil. The best oil is freshly distilled near the plantations. That obtained from leaves imported into Europe, often damaged and adulterated even up to 80 per cent, is inferior. It is used in coarser perfumes and in “White Rose” and “Oriental” toilet soaps. Sachets are made of the coarsely powdered leaves, and before its common use in Europe, genuine Indian shawls and Indian ink were distinguished by the odor, which has the unusual quality of improving with age. Hence the older oil is preferred by perfumers and used to confer more lasting properties upon other scents. Essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the dried leaves.
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| Botanical Name: | Pogostomon cablin Hoffman. |
| Family: | Lamiaceae |
| Synonyms: | Pogostomon patchouly, Pogostemon patchouli, patchouly, puchaput |
| See Also: | |
| Parts Used: | Sun dried leaves, often partly fermented. |
| Extraction Method: | Steam Distillation. |
| Appearance: | Amber to dark orange transparent liquid |
| Aroma Description: | Sweet, rich, herbaceous, earthy. |
| Perfume note: | Base |
| Consistancy: | Medium |
| Strength of Initial Aroma: | |
| Blends well with: | Bergamot, frankincense, geranium, ginger, myrrh, rose, rosewood, ylang ylang. |
| Historical Uses: | Patchouli oil is used in the East generally to scent linen and cloths, and it is believed to help prevent the spread of disease. In China, Japan and Malaysia the herb is used to treat colds, headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and halitosis. |
| Modern Uses: | Extensively used in cosmetic preparations, and as a fixative in soaps, and perfumes. Major use in spicy, woody flavours for oral care products, tobacco and chewing gum; in floreal, woody fragrance compounds. |
| Cautions: | Non-toxic, non-irritant, non-sensitizing. Avoid with anorexia. |
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