Patchouli Essential Oil

Latin Name: Pogostemon CablinPlant Part Used: Dried LeavesOrigin: IndonesiaPlant Part Used: Dried LeavesPatchouli essential oil is extracted from the Pogostemon cablin plant of the mint family and has a rich, sweet and spicy musky scent. The plant is native to Malaysia and India, where it is known as 'puchaput'. The word patchouli is derived from the Tamil 'pachchaiilai' which simply means 'green leaf'. Patchouli oil is extracted from young leaves, which are dried and fermented before steam distillation. This oil improves its fragrance and power with age. It is highly valued in skin care, especially in healing.In Eastern countries, patchouli oil is used in potpourri and sachets between clothes and linen for fragrance as well as to keep bed bugs and insects away. The oil is said to have a balancing effect on emotions and create a loving atmosphere. When used in an oil   burner, it eases anxiety and depression. Used in bath water, it is believed to help with skin and scalp complaints, fungal infections, fluid retention, break down cellulite and relieve constipation. It has excellent tissue regeneration properties, accelerates healing and fights infections. Therefore, it helps with acne, eczema, sores, ulcers and athlete's foot.Patchouli is believed to have been placed among Indian cashmere shawls before they were shipped to Victorian England, to protect the goods from moths. Without this characteristic scent of dried patchouli leaves, shawls could not be sold in England. In Europe and America, patchouli oil and incense were immensely popular in the 1960s and 1970s among hippies, as the scent of patchouli covered body odor and the smell of burnt cannabis. Patchouli was used as a hair conditioner for dreadlocks. In many Asian countries, patchouli is also used as an antidote against snake bite.