What’s the Big Deal About Patchouli??

If you were alive during the sixties, you most likely know the scent of patchouli, even if you don’t know that’s what it’s called. You probably even have an opinion on it, whether positive or negative. Patchouli was a very popular scent among the counterculture, featured in both perfume oils and incense, often burned to disguise other burning odors.

But did you know patchouli is a plant? The familiar fragrance is derived from a distillation of the leaves of the patchouli plant into an essential oil, which is often used today in modern perfumery. The scent is rich and earthy, combining a floral sweetness – even though it is made from leaves – with a musky scent reminiscent of fresh-turned soil. Some people loathe the scent and say it smells like dirt, while others adore its vivid and powerful fragrance.

Originally grown in the East Indies, patchouli was a popular fragrance for centuries and even used as a flavoring herb in foods. Because patchouli was believed to repel moths, Asian silk and cashmere manufacturers would sprinkle it in the shipping containers they sent to markets in Europe. The cloth was imbued with the exotic scent, which became associated in Western minds with the romance of far-away places. Patchouli is now grown commercially in hot southern climates.

But Wait!! Did you know that Patchouli has many medicinal properties and health benefits???

Health Benefits & Medicinal Properties of Patchouli Essential Oil

Relieves Depression
This oil works great for people suffering from depression as it It helps them to get over the feelings of sadness or loss and fills them with new hope. Which is why patchouli essential oil is so frequently used in aromatherapy. It uplifts the mood, drives away disappointment, and relaxes tension in a majority of people. This is due to the impact that inhaling patchouli essential oil has on the hormones and various chemical reactions in the body and mind. By stimulating the release of pleasure hormones like serotonin and dopamine, feelings of anxiety, anger, and sadness simply disappear.

Soothes Inflammation
It soothes inflammation, particularly if the inflammation or irritation is a result of fever, and it also provides relief from the fever itself. This means that patchouli essential oil is useful in treating a wide array of skin conditions, as well as internal inflammation from conditions like arthritis and gout.

Prevents Infections
Patchouli essential oil protects wounds and ulcers from developing infections and becoming septic. This is perhaps the most important property of this oil since small wounds in the skin can lead to many serious infections, including tetanus, if the wound was inflicted with a rusty, iron object. Patchouli essential oil protects against that possibility as well.

Aphrodisiac
Patchouli oil is also good for treating sexual problems including impotence, loss of libido, disinterest in sex, erectile dysfunctions, frigidity, and sexual anxiety. It is good for both men and women to put a spark back in the bedroom by stimulating the sexual hormones, estrogen, and testosterone, which boosts the sex drive. Patchouli essential oil has been used as an aphrodisiac for hundreds of years.

Astringent Property
This powerful essential oil stimulates contractions of muscles, nerves, and skin. This helps strengthen the hold of gums on the teeth, prevent sagging skin, hair loss, and loosening of muscle tissue. The astringency of patchouli oil also helps stop hemorrhaging by contracting the blood vessels. It can act as an anti-aging substance in this way since loosening of muscle and skin is commonly associated with getting old.

Speeds up Healing
Patchouli essential oil helps speed the healing process of cuts and wounds, and also hastens the fading of scars. It is similarly effective in eliminating marks left by boils, acne, pox, and measles.

Stimulates Blood Circulation
This property of the essential oil of patchouli promotes growth by stimulating the generation of new cells. It also helps in the production of red blood cells, which can boost energy levels. By increasing the circulation, it also increases the oxygenation of organs and cells throughout the body, increasing their functionality and boosting metabolism. Patchouli essential oil is good at regenerating new skin cells, thus keeping the skin looking healthy, young, and vibrant.

Eliminates Bad Odor
The strong sweet, spicy, and musky aroma of this essential oil eliminates or masks body odor. However, it should be used in a diluted form as the aroma of patchouli oil might be very strong to some people’s olfactory senses. It remains a popular oil to use as a cologne in many demographics. Some people find the smell wonderful, while others are somewhat irritated by its distinctive aroma.

Stimulates Urination
It increases the frequency of urination as well as the quantity of urine. This helps to lose weight, lower blood pressure, increase appetite, lower cholesterol, and remove toxins from the body. Urination removes excess water, unnecessary salts, and uric acid, which reduce your chances of developing gallbladder stones and kidney stones, as well as conditions like gout.

Reduces Fever
Patchouli essential oil reduces body temperature in cases of fever by fighting the infections that cause it. As an antiphlogistic, it relieves inflammation, which simultaneously helps to bring it down, since fever can be reduced to some extent if the pain and inflammation associated with it are eliminated.

Inhibits Fungal Growth
Patchouli essential oil has been found to be quite effective at inhibiting fungal growth and infection, thereby providing protection from some notorious infections like Athlete’s foot. Fungal infections can be quite serious, especially when they attack the respiratory system through inhalation. Patchouli essential oil becomes very valuable at that point to keep your body fully protected.

Kills Insects
As mentioned earlier, the insecticidal property of patchouli oil was recognized all the way back in ancient times. Despite smelling sweet, it is very effective at keeping insects at a distance. It is frequently used in sprays, body lotions, fumigants, vaporizers, and incense sticks. It can also be mixed with water to wash clothes and bed linen to drive away mosquitoes, ants, bed bugs, lice, fleas, flies, and moths. Only a few drops are required to keep insects away or you can also burn the oil in a room and have the effects last even longer. However, be careful about burning the oil inside, as its distinct smell can quickly seep into your fabric and furniture.

Metaphysically and Magically 
Patchouli is associated with both love and money, an unusual combination, and is therefore often used to attract a rich mate. You can make your own richness enhancing perfume oil by adding 10 to 15 drops of patchouli oil, some cinnamon oil and vetiver to a 15 milliliter bottle, then filling the bottle with a scentless blending oil such as grapeseed or apricot kernel oil. Don’t apply essential oils directly to your skin, as some of them are quite strong and can burn. To make a light perfume spray, let handfuls of the dried herb steep in vodka for several weeks, then strain the alcohol off the herb. This scented alcohol, called a patchouli tincture, can be diluted with water to make a cologne spray and blended with other tinctures to create your own personalized scent.

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* The information included in this website on the structure and functional uses of herbs is based on historical use and personal experience. It has not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease