Jasmine absolute oil
Jasmine is such a captivating flower which produces an equally alluring fragrance that fills the night air. But it doesn’t stop there. The Jasmine flower is often associated with romance and love, and is responsible for inspiring the work of many writers and poets.
There is nothing more poetic and relaxing than closing your eyes and breathing in the elegantly floral, aromatic fragrance of Jasmine essential oil to ease away the stresses and strains of the day and transport you to a warm summer's evening beneath the stars.
However, these aromatic flowers do not give up their rich, delicate and floral essence easily. The scent itself is universally acclaimed and often mimicked in perfume laboratory’s due to its being one of the most expensive essential oils available. Astonishingly, it takes over 8,000 flowers to make just one gram of oil. But if you are looking for nature’s perfection you need to experience the magnificence of the pure absolute oil.
The process for extracting this night-time gem is complicated, and even the most talented flower pickers can retrieve only ten to fifteen thousand a night. Today, the essence is retrieved from the flowers using a solvent extraction method. Essentially, this process uses food-grade solvents such as ethanol to isolate the oils from the flowers. The flowers are rotated though the solvent, which slowly releases the fragrance molecules. Once the process is completed a waxy aromatic compound is created. This wax, known as a concrete, can be used to make solid perfumes, but more often a second solvent process is carried out to produce the absolute oil many of us know and love.
To many, Jasmine is all about the complex rich, exotic, sensuous and heady scent. It is not just the fragrance we adore but also its many reported therapeutic benefits. Studies have shown that smelling jasmine alone can lift people's mood; but there is much more to this oil. We have selected just a few identified in recent studies, for example:
- The Department of Molecular Cardiology Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, USA, found Jasmine essential oil ‘has a pleasing and uplifting effect on the mind and it actively fights depression… The aromatic effect of jasmine oil stimulates the release of certain hormones in the body, including serotonin, which results in the boost of energy and the uplifted mood.’
- A study in the Journal of Health Research found that when inhaled, Jasmine oil affected brain activity and mood states and the participants, who reported feeling more positive, energetic, and romantic.
- Jasmine oil is also recognised for its calming properties. Studies have found in very low concentrates, such as jasmine tea, it can have a calming effect on mood and nerve activity.
- Jasmine has for centuries also been seen as an aphrodisiac, and used in many cultural ceremonies and wedding. However, research in this area is limited, but one study by the International Journal of Institutional Pharmacy and Life Sciences, found Jasmine to have aphrodisiac properties, increasing your libido and feelings of sexual desire.
More and more research is been carried out to understand the health benefits of essential oils and Jasmine, known as the 'king of oils', has many reputed benefits from simple relaxation to maintaining beautiful skin.
You can reap the rewards of this glorious oil in a variety of ways. Sadly, for many of us, the luxury of having a 10ml bottle of pure Jasmine absolute oil to hand is out of reach - but a little goes a long way! Just one drop can provide a potent, lasting aroma; plus it blends well with many other oils and, being a base note, you will be able identify its distinct fragrance and benefit from it multifaceted aromatherapeutic properties.
We are celebrating this beautiful oil in our exquisite Allure blend, which is part of our new Onyx collection.
Allure has been created using an opulent blend of exceptional essential oils and decadent absolutes in order to seduce and entice the senses. This captivating blend is elegantly floral with a heady mix that includes sensuous Jasmine, exotic and spicy Neroli, intoxicating Rose and earthy Vetiver.
We are running a series of blog posts celebrating some of our favourite essential oils, so if you would like to learn more check out our blogs and stay in touch with all things flo, follow us on Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter.