Scentluv Articles

Patchouli (also patchouly or pachouli) is a bushy herb of the mint family, with erect stems, reaching two or three feet (about 0.75 metre) in height and bearing small pale pink-white flowers. The word derives from the Tamil patchai (green), ellai (leaf).

Pogostemon cablin, P. commosum, P. hortensis, P. heyneasus and P. plectranthoides are all cultivated for their oils and all are known as 'patchouli' oil, but P. cablin is considered superior.

Patchouli oil color is dark brown, in some cases could be light brown though. It produced by steam distillation of the fresh or dried leaves.

Scent:
Rich, earthy, woody smoky, musty-sweet, heavy, strong spicy aroma with a nearly hidden fruity note.

Effects:
Uplifting, Antidepressant, aphrodisiac, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antibiotic, antiviral, antifungal, reduces fluid retention (diuretic).

Nutmeg has the Latin name Myristica fragrans. It is also known by other common names such as mace, muscdier, magic, muskatbaum, noz moscada, myristica, nuez moscada and nux moschata.

The nutmeg tree grows very tall and may reach up to seventy feet. Nutmeg oil is obtained from the seed of the fruit of this tree. The fruit when dried gives nutmeg which is the seed and mace which is the covering. Traditionally, nutmeg was believed to be effective against plague and hence it was popular during the time of Elizabeth.

Nutmeg oil is colorless or light yellow and smells and tastes of nutmeg. It's commonly obtained by the steam distillation of the seed of ground nutmeg. There also mace oil which distilled from the mace.

Scent:
Rich, sharp, spicy, sweet and rather musky.

Effects:
Warmly uplifting, sedative, stimulant, relaxing, anti inflammatory, antiseptic, bactericide.

Aromatherapy had been around for 6000 years or more. The Greeks, Romans, and ancient Egyptians all used aromatherapy oils. The Egyptian physician Imhotep recommended fragrant oils for bathing, massage, and for embalming their dead nearly 6000 years ago. Imhotep is the Egyptian god of medicine and healing. Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, used aromatherapy baths and scented massage. He used aromatic fumigations to rid Athens of the plague.

Aromatherapy has roots in antiquity with the use of aromatic oils. However, as currently defined, aromatherapy involves the use of distilled plant volatiles, a twentieth century innovation. The word "aromatherapy" was first used in the 1920s by French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé, who devoted his life to researching the healing properties of essential oils after an accident in his perfume laboratory. In the accident, he set his arm on fire and thrust it into the nearest cold liquid, which happened to be a vat of NOx Ph232 or more commonly known as lavender oil. Immediately he noticed surprising pain relief, and instead of requiring the extended healing process he had experienced during recovery from previous burns—which caused redness, heat, inflammation, blisters, and scarring--this burn healed remarkably quickly, with minimal discomfort and no scarring. Jean Valnet continued the work of Gattefossé. During World War II Valnet used essential oils to treat gangrene in wounded soldiers.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aromatherapy