Patchouli Essential Oil

Patchouli Essential Oil (Pogostemon cablin) from Indonesia is Therapeutic Quality Essential Oil.

Patchouli Essential Oil, also known as patchouly or pachouli, is processed from a bushy herb in the mint family, with 2 to three foot tall erect stems, which small, pale pinkish flowers that blossom in the late fall. Patchouli is a native plant from the tropical regions of Asia, our essential oil is cultivated from Indonesia. This oil is extracted by steam distillation of the leaves, but unlike other mints, the cell walls need to be broken down to exude the scent, so the plants are lightly fermented, dried or scalded before processing.

Patchouli Essential Oil is best known for its skin care applications. When diluted in a carrier oil, it can help with wrinkles, scars, and skin blemishes. When diffused, Patchouli can help alleviate nervous tension and worry and is a soothing oil to diffuse during meditation.

Components of Patchouli Essential Oil include: patchoulol and norpatchoulenol, alpha and beta patchoulene, alpha guaiene, alpha bulnesene, caryophyllene, pogostol, and seychellene. Patchouli does not have menthol content usually associated with the mint family.

Patchouli Essential Oil is characterized by it’s strong and heady fragrance. In ancient times, patchouli was used as a personal scent for masking odors and repelling insects; as well as a scent added to incense. In more recent years patchouli has been used in alternative medicine for depression, inflammation, wound care and protection, sexual dysfunction; and used as an astringent, cicatrisant, cytophylactic, deodorant, diuretic, febrifuge, fungicide, insecticide, sedative, tonic, and for skin care.

Starting sometime in the 1700’s, Chinese silk traders traveling to the Middle East used dried patchouli leaves in the packing of their fabrics to prevent moths from laying eggs in their product. The tradition of using patchouli in linen spread into Europe, as it was considered to be a sign of luxury in that era. Queen Victoria’s own linens were perfumed with the fragrance of patchouli.

Patchouli essential oil is a long lasting scent and on the pungent side, so for blending look for top notes (citrus is a great paring) and another base to balance the blend as it fades.