The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (33 page)

RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
: Bronchitis, catarrh, mouth and throat infections.

NERVOUS SYSTEM
: Dizziness, headaches, insomnia, nervous exhaustion – the scent was believed to ‘comfort and strengthen the heart’.

OTHER USES Used in high class perfumery work; occasionally used in flavouring, mainly confectionery.

Gaultheria procumbens

FAMILY Ericaceae

SYNONYMS Aromatic wintergreen, checkerberry, teaberry, gaultheria (oil).

GENERAL DESCRIPTION A small evergreen herb up to 15 cm high with slender creeping stems shooting forth erect twigs with leathery serrated leaves and drooping white flowers, which are followed by fleshy scarlet berries.

DISTRIBUTION Native to North America, especially the north eastern region and Canada. The oil is produced in the USA.

OTHER SPECIES There are several other
Gaultheria
species which are also used for oil production, sharing similar properties.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION The plant has been used for respiratory conditions such as chronic mucous discharge, but is mainly employed for joint and muscular problems such as lumbago, sciatica, neuralgia, myalgia, etc. The dried leaf and stem are current in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia as a specific for rheumatoid arthritis.

The essential oil has been used interchangeably with sweet birch oil, both being made up almost exclusively of methyl salicylate.

ACTIONS Analgesic (mild), anti-inflammatory, antirheumatic, antitussive, astringent, carminative, diuretic, emmenagogue, galactagogue, stimulant.

EXTRACTION Essential oil by steam (or water) distillation from the leaf, previously
macerated in warm water. The essential oil does not occur crudely in the plant, but is only produced during the process of decomposition in warm water.

CHARACTERISTICS A pale yellow or pinkish liquid with an intense sweet-woody, almost fruity odour. It blends well with oregano, mints, thyme, ylang ylang, narcissus and vanilla.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS Almost exclusively methyl salicylate (up to 98 per cent), with formaldehyde and gaultheriline.

SAFETY DATA Toxic, irritant and sensitizing – an environmental hazard or marine pollutant. The true oil is almost obsolete, having been replaced by synthetic methyl sallicylate. See also
sweet birch oil.

AROMATHERAPY/HOME USE None. ‘Avoid both internally and externally.’
¹¹²

OTHER USES Some pharmaceutical use, such as ‘Olbas’ oil. Some perfumery applications especially in forest-type fragrances. Extensively used as a flavouring agent in the USA for toothpaste, chewing gum, root beer, Coca Cola, and other soft drinks.

Chenopodium ambrosioides var. anthelminticum

FAMILY Chenopodiaceae

SYNONYMS
C. anthelminticum
, American wormseed, chenopodium, Californian spearmint, Jesuit’s tea, Mexican tea, herb sancti mariae, Baltimore (oil).

GENERAL DESCRIPTION A hairy, coarse, perennial wayside herb up to 1 metre high with stout, erect stem, oblong-lanceolate leaves and numerous greenish-yellow flowers, the same colour as the leaves.

DISTRIBUTION Native to South America; cultivated mainly in the east and south east USA, also India, Hungary and the USSR.

OTHER SPECIES The parent plant,
C.ambrosioides
, is also used to produce an essential oil with similar properties. There are many different members in the
Chenopodium
or Goosefoot family, such as Good King Henry
(C. bonus-henricus)
, a European variety whose leaves were eaten like spinach. See also Botanical Classification section.

The so-called ‘Russian wormseed oil’ or wormseed Levant
(Artemisia cina)
is quite different from the American type, although it is also used as an anthelmintic and is extremely toxic, containing mainly cineol.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION ‘Used for many years by the local Indians as an effective anthelmintic … several Indian tribes of the eastern part of the United States use the whole of the herb decocted to help ease painful menstruation and other female complaints.’
¹¹³

Apart from being used to expel roundworm, hookworm and dwarf tapeworm, the herb has also been employed for asthma, catarrh and other chest complaints, and to treat nervous disease. In China it is used to treat articular rheumatism. Causes dizziness and vomiting in concentration.

ACTIONS Anthelmintic, antirheumatic, antispasmodic, expectorant, hypotensive.

EXTRACTION Essential oil by steam distillation from the whole herb, especially the fruit or seeds.

CHARACTERISTICS A colourless or pale yellow oil with a sweet-woody, camphoraceous, heavy and nauseating odour.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS Ascaridole (60–80 per cent), cymene, limonene, terpinene, myrcene.

SAFETY DATA A very toxic oil – cases of fatal poisoning have been reported even in low doses. Effects can be cumulative. Due to high ascaridole content, the oil may explode when heated or treated with acids.

AROMATHERAPY/HOME USE None. ‘Should not be used in therapy either internally or externally. One of the most toxic essential oils.’
¹¹⁴

OTHER USES In pharmaceuticals its anthelmintic applications have been replaced by synthetics. Used as a fragrance component in soaps, detergents, cosmetics and perfumes. Its use is not permitted in foods.

Artemisia absinthium

FAMILY Asteraceae (Compositae)

SYNONYMS Common wormwood, green ginger, armoise, absinthium (oil).

GENERAL DESCRIPTION A perennial herb up to 1.5 metres high with a whitish stem, silvery-green, divided leaves covered in silky fine hairs, and pale yellow flowers.

DISTRIBUTION Native to Europe, North Africa and western Asia; naturalized in North America. It is extensively cultivated in central and southern Europe, the USSR, North Africa and the USA, where the oil is mainly produced.

OTHER SPECIES There are many other
Artemisia
species such as davana and the Roman wormwood. See also entry on mugwort
(A. vulgaris)
also commonly called ‘armoise’.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION Used as an aromatic-bitter for anorexia, as a digestive tonic and as a choleretic for liver and gall bladder disorders, usually in the form of a dilute extract. It is also used to promote menstruation, reduce fever and expel worms. It was once used as a remedy for epilepsy and as an aromatic strewing herb to banish fleas.

ACTIONS Anthelmintic, choleretic, deodorant, emmenagogue, febrifuge, insect repellent, narcotic, stimulant (digestive), tonic, vermifuge.

EXTRACTION Essential oil by steam distillation from the leaves and flowering tops. (An absolute is occasionally produced by solvent extraction.)

CHARACTERISTICS A dark green or bluish oil with a spicy, warm, bitter-green odour and a sharp, fresh topnote. The ‘de-thujonized’ oil blends well with oakmoss, jasmine, orange blossom, lavender and hyacinth.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS Thujone (up to 71 percent), azulenes, terpenes.

SAFETY DATA Toxic. Abortifacient. Habitual use can cause restlessness, nightmares, convulsions, vomiting and, in extreme cases, brain damage. In 1915 the French banned the production of the drink Absinthe with this plant, due to its narcotic and habit-forming properties.

AROMATHERAPY/HOME USE None. ‘Should not be used in therapy either internally or externally.’
¹¹⁵

OTHER USES Occasionally used in rubefacient pharmaceutical preparations and as a fragrance component in toiletries, cosmetics and perfumes. Widely employed (at minute levels) as a flavouring agent in alcoholic bitters and vermouths; also to a lesser extent in soft drinks and some foods, especially confectionery and desserts.

Achillea millefolium

FAMILY Asteraceae (Compositae)

SYNONYMS Milfoil, common yarrow, nosebleed, thousand leaf – and many other country names.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION A perennial herb with a simple stem up to 1 metre high, with finely dissected leaves giving a lacy appearance, bearing numerous pinky-white, dense flowerheads.

DISTRIBUTION Native to Eurasia; naturalized in North America. Now found in most temperate zones of the world. The oil is mainly distilled in Germany, Hungary, France and Yugoslavia, also the USA and Africa.

OTHER SPECIES A very extensive species. Other varieties include the Ligurian yarrow
(A. ligustica)
and the musk yarrow or iva
(A. moschata)
, which also produces an essential oil containing mainly cineol – used in the preparation of ’iva liquor’, a medicinal aperitif.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION An age-old herbal medicine used for a wide variety of complaints including fever, respiratory infections, digestive problems, nervous tension and externally for sores, rashes and wounds. Its use in the treatment of wounds is said to go back to Achilles who used it for injuries inflicted by iron weapons.

It is used in China mainly for menstrual problems and haemorrhoids. In Norway it is also used for rheumatism. The stalks are traditionally used for divination in the
I Ching
, the Chinese classic.

It is current in the British Herbal Pharmacopoeia as a specific for thrombotic conditions with hypertension.

ACTIONS Anti-inflammatory, antipyretic, antirheumatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, carminative, cicatrisant, diaphoretic, digestive, expectorant, haemostatic, hypotensive, stomachic, tonic.

EXTRACTION Essential oil by steam distillation from the dried herb.

CHARACTERISTICS A dark blue or greenish-olive liquid with a fresh, green, sweet-herbaceous, slightly camphoraceous odour. It blends well with cedarwood, pine, chamomile, valerian, vetiver and oakmoss.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS Azulene (up to 51 per cent), pinenes, caryophyllene, borneol, terpineol, cineol, bornyl acetate, camphor, sabinene and thujone, among others. Constituents, especially azulene levels, vary according to source.

SAFETY DATA Non-toxic, non-irritant, possible sensitization in some individuals.

AROMATHERAPY/HOME USE

SKIN CARE
: Acne, burns, cuts, eczema, hair rinse (promotes hair growth), inflammations, rashes, scars, tones the skin, varicose veins, wounds.

CIRCULATION, MUSCLES AND JOINTS
: Arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis, thrombosis.

DIGESTIVE SYSTEM
: Constipation, cramp, flatulence, haemorrhoids, indigestion.

GENITO-URINARY SYSTEM
: Amenorrhoea,
dysmenorrhoea, cystitis and other infections.

IMMUNE SYSTEM
: Colds, fever, ’flu, etc.

NERVOUS SYSTEM
: Hypertension, insomnia, stress-related conditions.

OTHER USES Occasionally used in pharmaceutical bath preparations for skin conditions. Limited use in perfumes and aftershaves. Employed as a flavour ingredient in vermouths and bitters.

Cananga odorata var. genuina

FAMILY Annonaceae

SYNONYMS
Unona odorantissimum
, flower of flowers.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION A tall tropical tree up to 20 metres high with large, tender, fragrant flowers, which can be pink, mauve or yellow. The yellow flowers are considered best for the extraction of essential oil.

DISTRIBUTION Native to tropical Asia, especially Indonesia and the Philippines. Major oil producers are Madagascar, Reunion and the Comoro Islands.

OTHER SPECIES Very closely related to cananga
(C. odoratum var. macrophylla)
, although the oil produced from the ylang ylang is considered of superior quality for perfumery work, having a more refined quality.

HERBAL/FOLK TRADITION In Indonesia, the flowers are spread on the beds of newly married couples on their wedding night. In the Molucca Islands, an ointment is made from ylang ylang and cucuma flowers in a coconut oil base for cosmetic and hair care, skin diseases, to prevent fever (including malaria) and fight infections.

In the Victorian age, the oil was used in the popular hair treatment Macassar oil, due to its stimulating effect on the scalp, encouraging hair growth. The oil was also used to soothe insect bites, and is thought to have a regulating effect on cardiac and respiratory rhythm.

ACTIONS Aphrodisiac, antidepressant, anti-infectious, antiseborrhoeic, antiseptic, euphoric, hypotensive, nervine, regulator, sedative (nervous), stimulant (circulatory), tonic.

EXTRACTION Essential oil by water or steam distillation from the freshly picked flowers. The first distillate (about 40 per cent) is called ylang ylang extra, which is the top grade. There are then three further successive distillates, called Grades 1, 2 and 3. A ‘complete’ oil is also produced which represents the total or ‘unfractionated’ oil, but this is sometimes constructed by blending ylang ylang 1 and 2 together, which are the two least popular grades. (An absolute and concrete are also produced by solvent extraction for their long-lasting floral-balsamic effect.)

CHARACTERISTICS Ylang ylang extra is a pale yellow, oily liquid with an intensely sweet, soft, floral-balsamic, slightly spicy scent – a
good oil has a creamy rich topnote. A very intriguing perfume oil in its own right, it also blends well with rosewood, jasmine, vetiver, opopanax, bergamot, mimosa, cassie, Peru balsam, rose, tuberose, costus and others. It is an excellent fixative. The other grades lack the depth and richness of the ylang ylang extra.

PRINCIPAL CONSTITUENTS Methyl benzoate, methyl salicylate, methyl para-cretol, benzyl acetate, eugenol, geraniol, linalol and terpenes: pinene, cadinene, among others.

SAFETY DATA Non-toxic, non-irritant, a few cases of sensitization reported. Use in moderation, since its heady scent can cause headaches or nausea.

AROMATHERAPY/HOME USE

SKIN CARE
: Acne, hair growth, hair rinse, insect bites, irritated and oily skin, general skin care.

CIRCULATION, MUSCLES AND JOINTS
: High blood pressure, hyperpnoea (abnormally fast breathing), tachycardia, palpitations.

NERVOUS SYSTEM
: Depression, frigidity, impotence, insomnia, nervous tension and stress-related disorders – ‘The writer, working with odorous materials for more than twenty years, long ago noticed that … ylang ylang soothes and inhibits anger born of frustration.’
¹¹⁶

OTHER USES Extensively used as a fragrance component and fixative in soaps, cosmetics and perfumes, especially oriental and floral types; ylang ylang extra tends to be used in high class perfumes, ylang ylang 3 in soaps, detergents, etc. Used as a flavour ingredient, mainly in alcoholic and soft drinks, fruit flavours and desserts.