Patchouli
Pogostemon Patchouli
Family- Labiatae
Ayurvedic Names: Sanskrit- Patchpan, Hindi-Patchouli.
International Name: Patchouli
Habitat: (a) Indigenous to Sub - Tropical Himalayas, South East Asia and Far East. It has been cultivated for commercial purposes in India. (b) Patchouli is a herb grass as small annual shrub. Its flowers are beautiful violet color. It needs good amount of water. Grows fast and easy in favorable climate.
Part used for getting oil: Leaves of the herb.
Source and method for getting oil: Tops of the herb have been Picked and dried under sunlight. Dried leaves have been distilled to make oil.
Constituents of the oil-Alcohol: Patchoulol, Phenol, aldehydes, Evenol, luglviol, cadinene, benzoic, cinnamic, patchoulene, which yields a strong scented essential volatile oil commonly known as oil of Patchouli.
Action: Diuretic and carminative, Antifungal Aphrodisiac.
Aroma of the oil - It has a eastern aroma, which is due to its strong scented volatile oil. Contains typically oriental musty odor which is Hot and Power full. In India it is commonly used in Linen, Shawls, to create special scent, due to its germ killing properties. It is also used in Indian Inks. It has a unique quality to mask other odors due to which used by cloth industries to mask odors of different ingredients used in the cloth.
When freshly made it contains a sweet and sour element. Its sweetness improves with age. It has been kept for at least one year for getting a musky sweetish smell which is peculiar in itself. It is said that either you love it or hate it there is no way in between.
Use in Ayurveda:
• All over orient commonly used for Poisonous snake bites and stings of various Animals, Mosquitoes etc. In case of Poisonous snake bites like cobra etc. 100% Pure oil is put on a cotton/cloth and applied on the bitten surface immediately as first aid and until reaching to the doctor or find instruments’ to cut and clean the wound. After that 50% oil mixed with 50% of any base oil such as cold pressed sesame, coconut, Sweet Almond, grape seed, wheat germ or Sandal wood oil is mixed and applied twice daily until the wound gets completely healed. In case of stings of various Animals, Bugs, mosquitos 25% oil mixed with 75% base oil could be applied until gets normal. Both are tribal formulas. Remember you can always decrease the percentage of Patchauli oil mixed with the Base oil depending upon the sensitivity of the skin.
• It has a unique quality of cell regeneration on the skin as well as kills bacteria, mask bad odor of the wounds and helps healing it.
• It has been used as an aphrodisiac for all body types specially for vata/pitta and vata/kapha type people. It could be used as a fragrance, applied on the body 10% dilution with any base oil or concentrated on cloths bed sheets, Burning it in the fragrance Lamp, in bathing water 1 gram with 20 litters of water should be mixed.
• Due to its antifungal action, it has been used for skin infection, eczema, ache, swelling due to infection, specially cracked skin scar tissues and cracked foot collect athlete’s foot.
• 20% oil mixed with other base oil has been applied on the skin for this purpose. If one has sensitive skin use 10% oil or less.
• It has excellent qualities of which is diruretic, carminative, antiseptic and antiinflammatory. As an antidepressant. It has been mainly used by vata pitta, Vata Kapha people. It could be used for all body types.
• It is good antidandruff. Take any herbal shampoo, use one gram patchouli oil, mix it with 20 grams shampoo and keep it. During bath/shower apply it on your head as well as hair and massage it for a few minutes all over the skull. It will not only kill dandruff but also help skin of the head to grow thick and strong hair. It also helps to keep hair in its natural color, preventing them from getting white.
• Due to its insect repellent action, it has been used to drive away mosquitoes, ants, moths, flies, gnats. To prevent woolen cloths and expensive dresses from ravages of moths and insects. It has been used in wardrobe, almirah etc.
• In scanty urine, ½ drop oil mixed with 4 gram basil seeds powder (ocymum basilicum). This powder has been divided into 3 parts and given three times in a day after meals. It cleans the system and calms down excessive heat of the body.