September Oil of the Month: Green Patchouli Absolute

So, you think you know Patchouli?

Well, you may find yourself surprised with this Oil of the Month!

We are pleased to introduce you to Green Patchouli Absolute Pogostemon cablin.

And, this is a wonderful opportunity to meet a newer version of an old standby.

While sharing some of the same sensibilities as the essential oil, Green Patchouli Absolute differs in scent. Due to a different extraction process, the essential oil-laden leaves of the patchouli plant produce a fresh new aroma.

Green Patchouli Absolute captures more of the fruity top notes of the botanical while still retaining its woody-herbaceous profile. And, while familiar in scent, this patchouli presents more of a clean earthiness than its essential oil counterpart.

So, let’s take a look and learn a little more about the rich history of the patchouli plant, how this absolute is extracted, and how to go about using this form of the aromatic essence.

Background

Patchouli grows as perennial bush native to Asia and Indonesia. It produces large, dark green leaves rich in a fruity fragrance. The patchouli used to make this absolute is harvested from the steep hillsides of Sulawesi, Sumatra, and Java in Indonesia.

Some may still associate patchouli as the signature scent for the1970’s hippie counter-culture. Yet, patchouli’s story precedes that notable period. Historically, the ancient Greek, Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine systems have employed the patchouli herb to prevent the spread of disease and strengthen the immune system. ,

Later, patchouli as perfume attained the height of popularity in Victorian England. The British became familiar with its beautiful fragrance upon opening crates shipped from India containing cashmere pashminas and silk scarves customarily packed with dried patchouli leaves as a protection against pests.

How it’s made:

The creation of Green Patchouli Absolute differs than that of its essential oil counterpart. While essential oils are produced primarily through steam distillation, absolutes are created through solvent extraction.

To produce an absolute, the aromatic plant parts are placed in a solvent. Once the solution evaporates, it leaves behind a thick, waxy substance called a concrete.

This concrete contains not the only a high yield of the aromatic molecules from the plant, but also additional components from the plant itself such as waxes and colorants that would not cross over in steam distillation. Alcohol is then used to extract these constituents from the concrete creating the absolute as a highly aromatic, concentrated essence with a thick, sticky viscosity.

This extraction process provides an alternative for delicate plant materials that cannot withstand the heat of distillation. Common absolutes include Rose, Jasmine, and Boronia. Absolutes are often preferred in perfumery providing stronger aromas closer to the signature scent of the actual plant.

In the case of Green Patchouli Absolute, this extraction process provides a different aroma profile than Patchouli Essential Oil allowing the fruity top notes to shine, while still presenting a clean sense of earthiness.

Benefits

While absolutes are highly valued in perfumery and personal product formulation, they also have their place in aromatherapy.

They are particularly beneficial in applications for mental and emotional concerns, as well as supporting the spirit. While they do require the use of solvents for extraction, Tisserand states that any residual trace amounts remaining do not present a risk of toxicity.

In aromatherapy, Green Patchouli Absolute shares the benefits of its essential oil counterpart while offering the bonus of a different scent option.

For the mind and emotions, Green Patchouli Absolute can be particularly beneficial for:

• Promoting Relaxation
• Relieving Nervous Tension
• Soothing Worry
• Soothing Anxiousness
• Slowing Overthinking
• Lifting Your Mood
• Supporting Meditation

Green Patchouli Absolute also offers some powerful options for supporting the spirit.. As with the essential oil, you can reach for Green Patchouli Absolute to: ,,

• Promote Intuition and Insight
• Encourage Inner Peace
• Restore a Scattered Spirit
• Support the Need for Grounding and Centering
• Provide a Sense of Strength and Stability
• Enhance the Connection to Our Physical Needs

Blending

The rich, sweet, fruity and woodsy aroma of Green Patchouli Absolute provides an array of blending options adding both brightness and depth to a synergy.

Given its aromatic potency and tenacity, only a bit is required to build a beautiful base for your blend. And, due to its viscosity as an absolute, it is more easily dispensed after a brief, gentle warming process.

With this in mind, we want to provide you an option to have your Green Patchouli Absolute (or any absolute) readily available for use by creating a master stock blend in a carrier oil at a 10% dilution. At 10% you can easily divide your dilution further according to safe standards and the scent strength you are seeking.

We suggest a one-ounce portion so you do not need to repeat the process too often. And, due to the long shelf life of the Green Patchouli Absolute, we recommend a carrier oil such as the Organic Fractioned Coconut Carrier Oil which very shelf stable as well as being unscented. Another good option might be Organic Jojoba Carrier Oil for the same reasons. But, you may choose whichever carrier suits your purposes.

Some helpful, but not required, tools include a small graduated beaker measured in milliliters to avoid counting large numbers of drops, and an eyeglass dropper or pipette to quickly transfer the absolute to the carrier oil blend.

Before we start, a few notes about Green Patchouli Absolute:

• KidSafe: Yes
• Cautions: None known
• Shelf Life – 6-8 years

Green Patchouli Absolute Carrier Oil Master Stock Blend

10% Dilution

What you’ll need:

• 3 ml (90 drops) Green Patchouli Absolute Pogostemon cablin
• 30 ml (1 oz) Organic Fractionated Coconut Carrier Oil (FCO)*
• 30 ml (1 oz) Amber Glass Bottle with Orifice Reducer
• Small, Heatproof Glass Dishes
• Pipette or Eyedropper
• Warm Water

Note: We suggest FCO due to its long, stable shelf life and lack of scent. Jojoba is another good option. You may use another carrier oil of your choice.

What you’ll do:

1. Pour FCO into 30 ml amber bottle to just below the shoulder. Replace cap, but leave slightly loose.
2. Twist open the Green Patchouli Absolute bottle top, leaving lid on but slightly loose.
3. Pour warm water into the heatproof glass dishes. You may need two different sizes for the different sized bottles to sit up to their shoulders.
4. Place bottles of Patchouli and FCO upright in the glass dishes ensuring that no water gets into either bottle
5. Replace the water as needed to maintain warm temperature for both, ensuring both remain at same temperature.
6. Wait about 15 minutes for the Green Patchouli Absolute to liquefy.
7. Using the pipette or eyedropper, quickly add the warmed absolute to the warmed FCO, cap and shake vigorously to mix.
8. Label bottle and store away from heat and light
9. Use as a 10% dilution master stock blend to mix into recipes.

Note: Due to the presence of carrier oil, this blend is not appropriate for diffusers.

KidSafe®: Yes, at appropriate dilutions.

Cautions: None Known.

Soothing Scented Sachets

These lovely, easily hand crafted sachets provide an updated option on the historical use of patchouli packed among your garments. You might place them among your lingerie, your linens, a closet, or things packed away for another season.

The scent of this synergy will greet you with a softly bright fruity bouquet featuring just a hint of patchouli’s signature perfume to provide a gently uplifting, soothing and calming experience for the senses.

What you’ll need:

• 1/4 cup Epsom salt
• 1/2 cup plain white rice, dry
• 6 drops Green Patchouli Absolute10% Diluted Pogostemon cablin*
• 2 drops Grapefruit Pink Citrus x paradisi
• 2 drops Bergamot Citrus bergamia
• 6 small linen sachet bags

* Diluted to 10% in a carrier oil. See directions for creating a master blend with an absolute and carrier oil.

What you’ll do:

1. Measure Epsom salt into a medium bowl
2. Add essential oils and mix well.
3. Add rice and stir again.
4. Spoon about 2 TBSP of the mix into each linen bag
5. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

KidSafe®: Yes.

Cautions: None Known.

Sources:

Lawless encyclopedia

Shutes dymanics of blending

Worwood

“Absolute (Perfumery).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Mar. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absolute_(perfumery).

Purchon, Nerys, and Lora Cantele. The Complete Aromatherapy & Essential Oils Handbook for Everyday Wellness. Robert Rose Inc., 2014. Cantele

Tisserand, Robert, and Rodney Young. Essential Oil Safety: a Guide for Health Care Professionals. Churchill Livingstone/Elsevier, 2014.

Zeck, Robbi. The Blossoming Heart: Aromatherapy for Healing and Transformation. Aroma Tours, 2004.

Keim, Joni, and Ruah Bull. Aromatherapy & Subtle Energy Techniques: Compassionate Healing with Essential Oils. CreateSpace, 2015.

Mojay, Gabriel. Aromatherapy for Healing the Spirit: a Guide to Restoring Emotional and Mental Balance through Essential Oils. Gaia, 2005.