Jasmine ~ Essential Oil

Description

 

Jasmine Essential Oil is known as the “King of Flowers”. It is the oil of romance and revered in the Hindu and Muslim traditions. Jasmine is the best aphrodisiac that aromatherapy can offer. Jasmine releases inhibition, liberates imagination and develops exhilarating playfulness. It is recommended for any kind of kundalini work.

Jasmine is used to calm, relax, soothes headaches, insomnia, depression, anger and worry. It helps to dissolve apathy, indifference and lack of confidence. Jasmine has a great influence on the emotions. Susanne Fischer-Rizzi (95) describes the powerful effects: The fragrance diminishes fear, it is helpful in enhancing self confidence and defeating pessimism. No other oil is quite as capable of changing our mood so intensely. It offers little choice other an optimism.

Jasmine is often recommended for use during childbirth. It is said to strengthen contractions, relieve uterine pain, and aid post-natal recovery. It is also recommended by some as a hormone balancer, and soothing with menstrual pain. It is often used in skin care, especially in the treatment of dry or aggravated skin. Many use it in treating eczema and dermatitis, however it can be sensitizing.

Jasmine flowers extraction process is known as enfleurage, or fat maceration. In this process fat absorbs the volatile aromatic compounds from the living flower over several hours. When the fat becomes saturated, the aroma is then extracted from the fat rather than directly from the flower.

The enfleurage extraction process begins with the hand-picking of the jasmine flowers after they open at night. Harvest takes place all the way through to morning, before the sun drives the aroma from the flowers. The freshly picked blooms are laid out on panes of fat-covered glass, stacked so the aromatic volatiles don’t escape into the air. This ensures that every molecule of essential oil is absorbed by the fat. This process is repeated for several days with successive layers of fresh flowers, until the fat is thoroughly saturated with aroma.

The saturated fat is next melted under very low heat, then filtered. In traditional enfleurage the aromatic compounds are extracted from the fat with alcohol. The alcohol is then gently distilled away to leave behind the pure essence. To make this process more efficient, much fat is now extracted with solvents for a higher yield of oil. The final product of this process is an absolute.

Enfleurage is time consuming and costly. This is why the oil is very expensive.

Botanical Name: Jasminum grandiflorum

Family: Oleaceae

Country of Origin: India

Part of Plant Used: Flower

Blends Well With: Bergamot, clary sage, frankincense, geranium, lavender, orange, mandarin neroli, palmarosa, rose, rosewood, sandalwood, ylang ylang

Common Uses: Anxiety, cough, depression, frigidity, hoarseness, impotence, uterine disorders

Characteristics: Deep reddish – brown color with sweet, floral, exotic, slightly heady fragrance

Extraction Method: Enfleurage/solvent extraction

Healing Properties: Antidepressant, antiseptic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, cicatrisant, expectorant, galactagogue, parturient, sedative, uterine