The essential oil extracted from jasmine is known for its exotic and intoxicating fragrance. Considered as an aphrodisiac, the oil is high in antispasmodic and antidepressant qualities, thus soothing the nerves of people troubled by incoherent dreams, sleeplessness, anxiety, and also treating scars and postpartum stretch marks.
Jasmine is an evergreen plant that is fragile and is a climbing shrub. It can grow up to 10 meters in height and has dark green leaves. What makes the jasmine plant so desirable are its small star-shaped flowers that have a really intense aroma.
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Native to India and China, the plant was introduced to Europe by the Moors who brought it to Spain. The name jasmine comes from the Persian word Yasmin. For several centuries now, jasmine has been used for medicinal as well as ceremonial purposes by the Indians, Chinese, and the Arabs.
The wood from the plant was used to make rope stem in Turkey, and jasmine tea was very popular among the Chinese. In Indonesia, jasmine, even today, is popularly used as a garnish in many native recipes.
The Oil Extraction Process
Jasmine is hand-picked at night and an experienced picker can pick about 10,000 to 15,000 blossoms per night. These blossoms are then used to produce oil by using methods such as enfleurage or solvent extraction. The process results in an absolute oil.
In enfleurage, the flowers are left on the top of a blend of fats that adsorbs the fragrance and the old flowers are replaced by new flowers for a number of days. This produces a pomade and the fats are removed using alcohol. The alcohol is then removed to produce an absolute that is jasmine oil.
This is a long and laborious process that produces very little oil from many flowers. Therefore, the oil is really expensive and often found in an adulterated condition.
Benefits
▩ Jasmine oil is used to treat people suffering from depression, nervous exhaustion, and stress. It is also used as an analgesic, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and carminative tonic.
▩ Its uses also include treating chest infections, coughs, headaches, rheumatism, joint pain, insomnia etc.
▩ It used to be believed in China that the oil can also be useful to treat conditions like liver cirrhosis, dysentery, and hepatitis.
▩ It is used extensively in aromatherapy and blended with herbs like bergamot, Clary sage, frankincense, germanium, lemon balm, pine, rose, sandalwood, etc.
The use of such an oil helps in increasing the healing process of the body naturally. It is also believed that the oil encourages cell growth and skin elasticity, and can be helpful in treating minor to moderate burns.
Pure jasmine essential oil is really expensive and can cost several thousand dollars per kilogram. The fragrance of jasmine is a heady aroma that appeals to both sexes. Which is why this oil is often used as an aphrodisiac as well.
The benefits of jasmine oil increase the demand for the same, but due to its high price, there are many adulterated and synthetic versions in the market.