Patchouli patchouli patchouli…
This essential oil is often referred to as marmite in the world of cosmetics.
Some love it, some hate it.
But this essential oil is an absolute giant of an oil.
It’s a base essential oil (oils are usually termed as top, middle, or base).
It belongs to the Lamiaceae family of essential oils, and the fragrance family of woody oriental.
Oils from the same family of oils are related.
Other oils from the Lamiaceae family are basil, clary sage, lavender, peppermint, rosemary, and thyme.
It comes from a bushy perennial plant called…. you guessed it, Patchouli. The essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of the dried leaves.
Therapeutic effects of patchouli:
Anti-fever, antidepressant, aphrodisiac, balancing, deodorising, aids exhaustion.
Insect repellent, good for muscle pain, sedative, stress relief/axniety.
It’s a balancing oil and is good for concentration.
It is also good for oily skin, dry skin, sensitive skin, problem skin -acne, eczema and inflammation.
In haircare it helps to get rid of dandruff, adds shine and helps to reduce oiliness.
Top notes are the light, stimulating oils. Fresh and immediately apparent aroma. Usually citrus scents. Their smell doesn’t last long as they evaporate quickly. A top note is the initial fragrance and first impression to hit you when smelling a blend of oils.
Middle notes usually form the main part of the aroma blend. They are strong and potent. Not as stimulating and light as the top notes, nor as solid as the base notes. There scent can be detected immediately after the impression of the top note. Middle notes are usually obtained from flowers and herbs. Middle notes help to define the character of the perfume and work in harmony with the top and base notes.
As mentioned above, Patchouli is a base oil.
Base notes hang around the longest as they are the last to evaporate. Their scents are rich, full bodied and heavy. They emerge slowly after the top and middle notes have made their presence known. They form the base of most blends. They are also known as fixatives or anchors. They can prevent the top note from evaporating too quickly and will help give the essential oil blend depth. Base notes are usually obtained from woods and resins.
Patchouli also contains no declarable allergens. An allergen is a component of an essential oil. These are what can cause an allergic reaction in people.
On a cosmetic label you will frequently see ingredients listed like the following:
*linalool, *citral, * limonene, *geraniol to name a few, there are 26 allergens in total that have to be listed if they are in an oil that has been used in a product. These are naturally occurring allergens that essential oils contain. They must be listed on an ingredient label if they are over a certain percent in a product.
So, love Patchouli or loath it, it certainly has a place in cosmetics and essential oil blends for it’s fantastic fixing and anchoring benefits, as well as it’s many therapeutic benefits.
Therefore, it’s a favourite of mine to use in blends. Sometimes it’s just used as a small amount for its fixing abilities and not one of the dominating scents.
Not a Patchouli lover? Don’t worry there are plenty more different types of essential oil blends in my soaps.
Take a look at the website.
Soaps available with patchouli in the essential oil blend below.