The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (29 page)

OTHER SPECIES There are several varieties such as
S. fragrantissima.
It is not related to true lavender
(Lavandula angustifolia)
despite the common name.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION It was used as an antidote to all sorts of poison, and to expel worms; also ‘good against obstruction of the liver, the jaundice and to promote the menses’.
⁸⁴
It was used to keep away moths from linen, to repel mosquitos, and as a remedy for insect bites, warts, scabs and veruccae. The Arabs are said to have used the juice for bathing the eyes.

ACTIONS Antispasmodic, antitoxic, anthelmintic, insecticidal, stimulant, vermifuge.

EXTRACTION Essential oil by steam distillation from the seeds.

CHARACTERISTICS A pale yellow liquid with a strong, acrid, herbaceous odour.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS Only one principal constituent: santolinenone.

SAFETY DATA Oral toxin. ‘There is no safety data available … likely to be dangerously toxic.’
⁸⁵

AROMATHERAPY/HOME USE None.

OTHER USES Little used in flavour or perfumery work due to toxicity.

Sassafras albidum

FAMILY Lauraceae

SYNONYMS
S. officinale, Laurus sassafras, S. variifolium
, common sassafras, North American sassafras, sassafrax.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION A deciduous tree up to 40 metres high with many slender branches, a soft and spongy orange-brown bark and small yellowy-green flowers. The bark and wood are aromatic.

DISTRIBUTION Native to eastern parts of the USA; the oil is mainly produced from Florida to Canada and in Mexico.

OTHER SPECIES There are several other species, notably the Brazilian sassafras
(Ocotea pretiosa)
which is also used to produce an essential oil (also highly toxic). See also Botanical Classification section.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION It has been used for treating high blood pressure, rheumatism, arthritis, gout, menstrual and kidney problems, and for skin complaints. ‘Sassafras pith – used as a demulcent, especially for inflammation of the eyes, and as a soothing drink in catarrhal affection.’
⁸⁶
The wood and bark yield a bright yellow dye.

ACTIONS Antiviral, diaphoretic, diuretic, carminative, pediculicide (destroys lice), stimulant.

EXTRACTION Essential oil by steam distillation from the dried root bark chips.

CHARACTERISTICS A yellowy-brown, oily liquid with a fresh, sweet-spicy, woody-camphoraceous odour. (A safrol-free sassafras oil is produced by alcohol extraction.)

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS Safrole (80–90 per cent), pinenes, phellandrenes, asarone, camphor, thujone, myristicin and menthone, among others.

SAFETY DATA Highly toxic – ingestion of even small amounts has been known to cause death. Carcinogen. Irritant. Abortifacient.

AROMATHERAPY/HOME USE None. ‘Should not be used in therapy, whether internally or externally.’
⁸⁷

OTHER USES Sassafras oil and crude are banned from food use; safrol-free extract is used to a limited extent in flavouring work. Safrol is used as a starting material for the fragrance item ‘heliotropin’.

Juniperus sabina

FAMILY Cupressaceae

SYNONYMS
Sabina cacumina
, savin (oil).

GENERAL DESCRIPTION A compact evergreen shrub about 1 metre high (though much taller in the Mediterranean countries), which tends to spread horizontally. It has a pale green bark becoming rough with age, small, dark green leaves and purplish-black berries containing three seeds.

DISTRIBUTION Native to North America, middle and southern Europe. The oil is produced mainly in Austria (the Tirol), a little in France and Yugoslavia.

OTHER SPECIES Closely related to the common juniper
(J. communis)
and other members of the family – see
juniper.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION It was used at one time as an ointment or dressing for blisters, in order to promote discharge, and for syphilitic warts and other skin problems. It is rarely administered nowadays because of its possible toxic effects.

ACTIONS Powerful emmenagogue, rubefacient, stimulant.

EXTRACTION Essential oil by steam distillation from the twigs and leaves.

CHARACTERISTICS A pale yellow or olive oily liquid with a disagreeable, bitter, turpentine-like odour.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS Sabinol, sabinyl acetate, terpinene, pinene, sabinene, decyl aldehyde, citronellol, geraniol, cadinene and dihydrocuminyl alcohol.

SAFETY DATA Oral toxin. Dermal irritant. Abortifacient. ‘The oil is banned from sale to the public in many countries due to its toxic effects (nerve poison and blood circulation stimulant).’
⁸⁸

AROMATHERAPY/HOME USE None. ‘Should not be used in therapy, whether internally or externally.’
⁸⁹

OTHER USES Occasional perfumery use. Little employed nowadays.

Satureja hortensis

FAMILY Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

SYNONYMS
Satureia hortensis, Calamintha hortensis
, garden savory.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION An annual herb up to 45 cms high with slender, erect, slightly hairy stems, linear leaves and small, pale lilac flowers.

DISTRIBUTION Native to Europe, naturalized in North America. Extensively cultivated, especially in Spain, France, Yugoslavia and the USA for its essential oil.

OTHER SPECIES Closely related to the thyme family, with which it shares many characteristics. There are several different types ‘of savory’ which include
S. thymbra
, found in Spain, which contains mainly thymol, and the winter savory
(S. montana)
– see separate entry.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION A popular culinary herb, with a peppery flavour. It has been used therapeutically mainly as a tea for various ailments including digestive complaints (cramp, nausea, indigestion, intestinal parasites), menstrual disorders and respiratory conditions (asthma, catarrh, sore throat). Applied externally, the fresh leaves bring instant relief from insect bites, bee and wasp stings.

‘This kind is both hotter and drier than the winter kind … it expels tough phlegm from the chest and lungs, quickens the dull spirits in the lethargy.’
⁹⁰

ACTIONS Anticatarrhal, antiputrescent, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, astringent, bactericidal, carminative, cicatrisant, emmenagogue, expectorant, fungicidal, stimulant, vermifuge.

EXTRACTION Essential oil by steam distillation from the whole dried herb. (An oleoresin is also produced by solvent extraction.)

CHARACTERISTICS A colourless or pale yellow oil with a fresh, herbaceous, spicy odour. It blends well with lavender, lavandin, pine needle, oakmoss, rosemary and citrus oils.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS Carvacrol, pinene, cymene, camphene, limonene, phellandrene and borneol, among others.

SAFETY DATA Dermal toxin, dermal irritant, mucous membrane irritant. Avoid during pregnancy.

AROMATHERAPY/HOME USE None. ‘Should not be used on the skin at all.’
⁹¹

OTHER USES Occasionally used in perfumery work for its fresh herbaceous notes. The oil and oleoresin are used in most major food categories, especially meat products and canned food.

Satureja montana

FAMILY Lamiaceae (Labiatae)

SYNONYMS 5.
obovata, Calamintha montana.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION A bushy perennial subshrub up to 40 cms high with woody stems at the base, linear leaves and pale purple flowers.

DISTRIBUTION Native to the Mediterranean region, now found all over Europe, Turkey and the USSR. The oil is mainly produced in Spain, Morocco and Yugoslavia.

OTHER SPECIES The creeping variety of the winter savory
{S. montana subspicata)
is also a well-known garden herb. See also
summer savory (S. hortensis)
and Botanical Classification section.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION It has been used as a culinary herb since antiquity, much in the same way as summer savory. It was used as a digestive remedy especially good for colic, and in Germany it is used particularly for diarrhoea.

When compared against many varieties of thyme, rosemary and lavender, recent research has shown ‘the net superiority of the antimicrobial properties of essence of savory’.
⁹²

ACTIONS See
summer savory.

EXTRACTION Essential oil by steam distillation from the whole herb. (An oleoresin is also produced by solvent extraction.)

CHARACTERISTICS A colourless or pale yellow liquid with a sharp, medicinal, herbaceous odour.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS Mainly carvacrol, cymene and thymol, with lesser amounts of pinenes, limonene, cineol, borneol and terpineol.

SAFETY DATA See
summer savory.

AROMATHERAPY/HOME USE None. ‘Should not be used on the skin at all.’
⁹³

OTHER USES Occasionally used in perfumery work. The oil and oleoresin are employed to some extent in flavouring, mainly meats and seasonings.

Schinus molle

FAMILY Anacardiaceae

SYNONYMS Peruvian pepper, Peruvian mastic, Californian pepper tree.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION A tropical evergreen tree up to 20 metres high with graceful, drooping branches, feathery foliage and fragrant yellow flowers. The berries or fruit have an aromatic, peppery flavour.

DISTRIBUTION Native to South America; found growing wild in Mexico, Peru, Guatemala and other tropical regions, including California. It has been introduced into North and South Africa and the Mediterranean region. The fruits are collected for essential oil production in Spain, Guatemala and Mexico.

OTHER SPECIES Closely related to the mastic tree
(Pistacia lentiscus)
– see entry on mastic.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION In Greece and other Mediterranean countries an intoxicating beverage is made from the fruits of the tree. The fruit is also used as a substitute for black pepper in the growing areas. During World War II, the oil of black pepper was unavailable and was consequently replaced by schinus molle.

ACTIONS Antiseptic, antiviral, bactericidal, carminative, stimulant, stomachic.

EXTRACTION Essential oil by steam distillation from the fruit or berries. (An oil from the leaves is also produced in small quantities.)

CHARACTERISTICS A pale green or olive, oily liquid with a warm, woody-peppery scent with a smoky undertone. It blends well with oakmoss, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper and eucalyptus.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS Mainly phellandrene, also caryophyllene, pinene and carvacrol.

SAFETY DATA Non-toxic, non-irritant, non-sensitizing.

AROMATHERAPY/HOME USE See
black pepper.

OTHER USES Used as a substitute for black pepper in perfumery and flavouring work.

Asarum canadense

FAMILY Aristolochiaceae

SYNONYMS Wild ginger, Indian ginger.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION An inconspicuous but fragrant little plant not more than 35 cms high with a hairy stem, two glossy, kidney-shaped leaves and a creeping rootstock. The solitary bell-shaped flower is brownish purple, and creamy white inside.

DISTRIBUTION Native to North America, especially North Carolina, Kansas and Canada. The oil is produced in the USA mainly from wild- growing plants.

OTHER SPECIES It should not be confused with ‘serpentaria oil’ from the Virginian snakeroot
(Aristolochia serpentaria)
which belongs to the same botanical family but contains asarone and is considered toxic.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION This plant has been employed for centuries in folk medicine but is now little prescribed. It used to be used for chronic chest complaints, dropsy, rheumatism and painful bowel and stomach spasms. It was also considered a ‘valuable stimulant in cases of amenorrhoea and colds’ and for ‘promoting a copious perspiration’.
⁹⁴

The name (of the Virginian variety at least) derives from its use in aiding the body to combat nettle rash, poison ivy and some snake bites.

ACTIONS Anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, carminative, diuretic, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, febrifuge, stimulant, stomachic.

EXTRACTION Essential oil by steam
distillation from the dried rhizomes and crushed roots.

CHARACTERISTICS A brownish-yellow or amber liquid with a warm, woody-spicy, rich, gingerlike odour. It blends well with bergamot, costus, oakmoss, patchouli, pine needle, clary sage, mimosa, cassie and other florals.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS Pinene, linalol, borneol, terpineol, geraniol, eugenol and methyl eugenol, among others.

SAFETY DATA Non-toxic, non-irritant, non-sensitizing. Avoid during pregnancy.

AROMATHERAPY/HOME USE May possibly be used for its antispasmodic qualities, for example for period pains or indigestion.

OTHER USES Occasionally used in perfumery work. Mainly used as a flavouring agent with other spicy materials, especially in confectionery.