Essential Oil Monograph - Patchouli
patchouli
pogostemon cablin
I love the sweet earthy aroma of
patchouli oil. While I am not a big
fan of the oil on its own, I always
find room for patchouli oil in my
blends. It is the most heavenly
base note!
Being such a yang energy person
I find patchouli too grounding -
drawing all my energy down to the
earth.
Valerie Ann Worwood best
describes patchouli;
Patchouli reminds us that sitting
quietly under a tree is good if there
is a purpose in it the purpose
of knowing and appreciating.
Sitting under a tree represents the
contemplation of what we can do for
ourselves and others in the way of
caring.
Perhaps Valerie is correct - I need
more quiet time and sitting under
a tree. It is the perfect way to
balance and reconnect ourselves
and nature.
Method of extraction
Weiss says that fresh patchouli
leaves should not be used for
distillation of patchouli oil as the
distillation process does not
rupture the cells within the leaf. The
leaf is dried or lightly fermented
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allowing the leaf cell structure to
become more permeable, liberating
the oil. However it has also been
noted that fermentation does not
improve the yield of the oil but may
contribute to an unpleasant aroma
in the oil.
Traditionally patchouli oil is distilled
in stills made of iron. It is known
that as the iron oxidises it will leach
into the oil, contributing to the
slightly darker colour. Research
has shown that this should not
adversely affect the quality of the
oil. However the perfume industry
considers the colouring undesirable
and redistills the oil to remove the
iron content.
Country of origin
Patchouli is a native of the tropic
regions of Asia and is now cultivated
in Indonesia, India, Malaysia, China
and Vietnam. Perfect Potions
certified organic patchouli oil is
sourced from Sri Lanka.
Characteristics
Patchouli oil is usually a viscous,
dark or orange brown liquid with a
distinctive rich, sweet-herbaceous,
spicy and earthy aroma.
by Salvatore Battaglia
Traditional uses
In TCM and Kanpo medicine
the herb is used to treat colds,
headaches, nausea, vomiting,
diarrhoea, abdominal pain and
halitosis. The patchouli herb is
referred to as Huo Xiang. It is used
to harmonise the middle burner
(digestion) and releases the exterior
wind-damp-cold and summer heat.
Other uses
Dried patchouli leaves were
traditionally used to ward off moths
from carpets and fine woven goods
such as shawls and jackets. This is
a practice which dates back to the
Victorian period.
While the oil is extensively used in
perfumery, its unique flavour and
odour means that patchouli oil is
often used to flavour foods and
beverages. I recall challenging the
Japanese Health Ministry in 2008
when they had just passed a new
regulation banning patchouli oil in
cosmetics. Certainly I would have
understood the need to do this if
patchouli presented any toxicology
problems. I argued that patchouli
oil is one of the safest essential oils
in aromatherapy and I also pointed
out that many popular beverages
contain patchouli oil as a flavouring,
so if they were going to ban
patchouli oil from use in cosmetics
they had also better ban it as a
flavouring agent in many popular
commercial beverages. They
realised it was not a good idea to
ban patchouli from use in skincare
or aromatherapy products.
You may be shocked to know that
essential oils are also used to flavour
cigarettes. Patchouli oil is often used
as a flavouring agent in cigarettes.
Weiss, Mojay and Lawless say
that patchouli oil can be used as
an antidote to snake bite. I would
not suggest for a second that you
try this. Australia has some of the
most venomous snakes in the
world so I doubt that patchouli oil
would act as an antidote!
Chemistry
Patchouli oil is very complex- over
60 constituents have been detected.
It is rich in sesquiterpenes which
accounts for the oils excellent anti-
inflammatory properties.
The typical constituents found in
patchouli oil include patchouli
alcohol (30 35%), & guaiene characteristics. According to
(2-15%), -patchoulene (3-55%),
pogostol (2%), and traces of
valencene, elemol and farnesol.
Clinical studies have also confirmed
that patchouli alcohol has anti-
inflammatory properties.
Properties
Antidepressant, anti-inflammatory,
antiphlogistic, antiseptic, anti-
microbial, astringent, cicatrizant,
deodorant, fungicidal, nervine,
sedative.
Uses
There are many reported
aromatherapy uses for patchouli
such as:
Nervous system: nervous
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tension, stress related conditions,
depression, anxiety, irritability and
mood swings.
Skin care: the rejuvenating
properties make it useful for mature
skin and in blends for healing
scars, while its anti-inflammatory
properties make it useful in blends
for eczema, inflammation, cracked,
chapped and irritated skin.
Mojay says that patchouli oil calms
the mind when it is stimulated with
overthinking and worry.
It is good for those who, due
to excessive mental activity and
nervous strain, feel out of touch
with their body and their sensuality.
Personality profile
Worwood says that patchouli
personality types are well balanced
and grounded. She says there is an
elderly quality about them. She say
Patchoulis are born aged forty!
Using the Myers Briggs Personality
types, I would describe the
patchouli oil personality as an INTJ
Introvert, Intuition, Thinking and
Judging type personality.
Patchouli personalities
perfectly epitomise the introvert
of the senses and awakening
Valerie Ann Worwood;
Patchoulis do not have a lot of
friends, nor do they encourage
the family to invade their personal
territory, being perfectly happy
on their own and quite capable of
seeking out the company of others
when desired.
They are very responsible and
dependable. They can be people
of very few words and tend to be
private. They are usually punctual,
precise and they have the ability
to concentrate and are difficult to
distract.
INTJs have a clear vision of
how things ought to be and are
constantly seeking to improve
themselves, others and everything
around them. They have a strong
need for autonomy and are highly
independent.
Other characteristics include:
they are modest, unassuming and
down-to earth
they can make quick critical
judgements of others
they prefer to work on their own
and dislike distractions
they can be overly detailed
oriented, but are devoted hard
workers.
Subtle aromatherapy
Davis says that Patchouli oil is
recommended for dreamers and
people who feel detached from
their bodies. In other words it is
beneficial for people who are on a
spiritual path and are focusing on
their mental psychic experiences
to the detriment of their physical
wellbeing.
Chakra
Patchouli oils grounding qualities
make it perfect for grounding
the Base chakra. Loughran and
Bull say that it also spiritualises
sexuality. Facilitating enjoyment
creativity. This helps to open and
balance the Sacral chakra.
Energetics
Mojay says that patchouli oils
most valuable therapeutic use is
mainly energetic and psychological.
Patchoulis earthy aroma
corresponds to the Earth element.
According to the principles of TCM,
Mojay says that it should be used
for people with a deficiency of qi
energy in the spleen. This refers to
people who suffer from constant
fatigue and who have a weak
digestive system.
How to use
Bath: Typically for a full body bath in
a tub, use up to 5 drops of essential
 oils in the tub of warm water. Foot
or hand baths may be prepared by
adding 2-3 drops of essential oil to
a bowl of warm water.
Massage: Use a 2.5% dilution of
the appropriate blend of essential
oils to the chosen carrier oil.
A 2.5% dilution equates to 5 drops
of essential oil to 10mL of carrier oil.
Inhalation: The best way to use
essential oils for inhalation is by
diffusing them. When you are using
essential oils in an ultrasonic diffuser
please follow the instructions of the
diffuser that you are using.
Blending tips
Patchouli oil imparts strength,
character, allure and lasting
qualities to a blend. It is very
grounding and balancing. It
contributes to the rich base note
of a perfume. Patchouli oil can
easily overpower a blend so it is
best to use with other essential oils
that have a rich and heavy aroma.
Generally patchouli oil would not
be more than 5% of your essential
oil combination.
In perfumery, patchouli oil
blends well with:
rich warm resins such as benzoin,
cistus, peru balsam or frankincense
sweet citrus oils such as bergamot,
sweet orange or mandarin
floral, fresh, herbaceous oils
such as lavender, clary sage,
geranium and palmarosa
warm and subtle woody and
earthy oils such as vetiver, atlas
cedarwood and sandalwood
warm spicy oils such as clove
bud, cinnamon bark, coriander
seed and ginger
rich floral oils such as rose
absolute, jasmine absolute and
ylang ylang
It is used extensively in perfumes
especially Orientals and Chypres.
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Perfect Potion classics with
patchouli
As I stated earlier it is ironic I am
not a big fan of patchouli - because
apart from lavender oil it is the 2nd
most used essential oil in all of our
Perfect Potion products.
In blends such as Earth and
Balance, patchouli is the main
star. The purpose of these blends
is to energetically ground us.
Patchoulis musty aroma reminds
me of old books and libraries, this
is why it was used in our sacred
space blend Wisdom.
I honestly do not think of patchouli
as being sensual, however when it is
blended with floral oils such as ylang
ylang or jasmine to create Lust
Pulse Point, Eros Blend or Allure
Chakra Blend it enhances the
intensity and tenacity of the floral oils
making the blend so voluptuous!!
Sometimes patchouli is simply
used as a base note to balance
complex blends such as Umi or
our most exquisite of all perfect
potion blends Green Goddess.
Im a big fan of patchouli in
skincare. Being rich in patchouli
alcohol and sesquiterpenses, it is
perfect for its anti-inflammatory
and rejuvenating properties on the
skin. It is not surprising that it is
an important ingredient in all our
Skin Elixir skincare range and
Replenish skincare range.
The papaya enzymes in Papaya
Enzyme Mask have a strong
distinctive aroma, hence we added
patchouli oil to mask the strong
aroma of the natural enzymes.
I dont think it would be possible to
make a perfume without patchouli
oil in it - especially rich floral
perfumes such as Turkish Moon,
Salam, Shanti and Shalom.
It is also used in our hair care
products Hair & Scalp Elixir,
Hair Balm and Beard Elixir.
Safety
Patchouli oil is considered
non-toxic, non-irritant and non-
sensitising.
No contraindications known.
References
Aftel M. Essence & Alchemy.
Bloomsbury publishing Plc,
London, 2001.
Battaglia S. The Complete Guide
to Aromatherapy. The International
Centre of Holistic Aromatherapy.
2nd ed, Brisbane, 2003.
Fischer-Rizzi S. Complete
Aromatherapy Handbook. Stirling
Publishing Co., Inc. New York, 1989.
Http://examine.com/supplements/
patchouli/
Lawless J. The Encyclopaedia
of Essential Oils. Element Books
limited, Dorset, 1992.
Lis-Balchin M. Aromatherapy
Science A guide for healthcare
professionals. Pharmaceutical
press, London, 2006.
Mojay G. Aromatherapy for Healing
the Spirit. Healing Art press,
Rochester, Vermont, USA, 1999.
Schnaubelt K. The Healing
Intelligence of Essential Oils.
Healing art press, Rochester
Vermont, 2011.
Tisserand R, Young R, Essential Oil
Safety. Churchill Livingstone, 2nd
ed, UK, 2014.
Weiss EA. Essential Oil Crops.
CAB International, London, 1997.
Worwood V. The Fragrant Mind.
Transworld Publishers Ltd.
London, 1995.
Worwood V. The Fragrant
Heavens. Transworld Publishers
Ltd. London, 1999.