Vetiver Essential Oil
Botanical Name: Vetiveria zizanoides
Common Method Of Extraction: Steam distilled
Parts Used: Roots and rootlets – washed, chopped, dried, and soaked
Note Classification: Base
Aroma: Deep smoky, earthy-woody, with a sweet persistent undertone
Largest Producing Countries: Haiti, Java, and Reunion
Traditional Use: Employed as a fixative and fragrance ingredient in soaps, cosmetics, and perfumes, especially oriental types.
Properties: Antiparasitic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, depurative, emmenagogue, nervine, rubefacient, sedative, stimulant (circulatory, production of red corpuscles), tonic, and vermifuge.
Benefits: Arthritis, cuts, debility, depression, insomnia, menstrual problems, moth repellent, muscular aches and pains, nervous tension, rheumatism, sprains, stiffness, and wounds.
Blends Well With: Bergamot, black pepper, cassie, clary sage, coriander, eucalyptus citriodora, geranium, ginger, grapefruit, jasmine, lavender, lemon, lemongrass, litsea cubeba, mandarin, melissa, mimosa, oakmoss, opopanax, orange, patchouli, rose, sandalwood, violet, ylang ylang, and yuzu.
Of Interest: Woven into heavy blinds and screens, the wiry, fibrous roots darken the windows of homes in the burning noon of summer. Constantly doused with water, the cool, sweet scent of their vapor turns scorching winds that dehydrate into moist and balmy breezes. Because its fragrance repels insects, women from India and Java cherish vetiver fans. Sanskrit texts refer to its use as an unguent for anointing brides. Growing the plant protects against soil erosion.
Safety Data: Non-toxic, non-irritant, and non-sensitizing.