Aromatherapy an A-Z by Patricia Davis

Author:Patricia Davis
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781446446034
Publisher: Ebury Publishing

Jasmine

Two varieties of Jasmine used in making the essential oil are grown in great quantity around Grasse and excellent Jasmine oils are also being produced in Egypt and India. The chemical constituents of the oil include methyl anthranilate, indol, benzyl alcohol, benzyl acetate, linalol and linalyl acetate.

The properties of Jasmine overlap in some respects with those of Rose, being a valuable uterine tonic. It is valuable for menstrual pain and cramps (though less costly oils, such as Marjoram, can be used just as effectively) and is very helpful in childbirth. If it is used as a massage oil on the abdomen and lower back in the early stages of labour, Jasmine will both relieve pain and strengthen contractions, and it helps with the expulsion of the placenta after delivery and aids post-natal recovery. Being also an antidepressant, it is a good oil to help relieve post-natal depression.

Conversely, it is equally valuable in certain male disorders, such as enlargement of the prostate gland, and is said to strengthen the male sexual organs. It has had a reputation as an aphrodisiac since antiquity, and is one of the best means at our disposal to help with sexual problems. An important fact to remember is that Jasmine, like all essential oils, acts on the mental and emotional levels as well as the physical. Since the majority of sexual problems arise from tension, anxiety, depression or fear, rather than from any physical cause, a relaxing antidepressant oil such as Jasmine can be a real aid in relieving them, and it is doubtless in this way that Jasmine has earned its aphrodisiac title.

As well as relaxing, Jasmine is often said to be ‘warming’. This can be confusing, for it is not a rubefacient like many of the warming oils (that is, it does not make the skin red by dilating the surface capillaries when used in massage) but it does have a gentle and deeply penetrating effect which makes it an ideal massage oil. Culpeper described it as being ‘good for hard and contracted limbs’.

On the emotional plane, we find once again that the actions of this oil parallel its physical effects, for it is relaxing and emotionally ‘warming’. It is a powerful antidepressant of a stimulating nature, which makes it one of the best oils to help where depression has given rise to a certain lethargy. Jasmine is a good oil to choose for massage or baths for any person who lacks confidence, either in their own worth as a person, or their ability to overcome immediate problems.

Jasmine is described as being a good remedy for coughs (particularly catarrhal coughs), chest infections in general, and loss of voice; but I have to say that I have never used it for any of these purposes, because it is so costly, and there is a wide choice of other oils that are very effective for pulmonary problems.

Jasmine is a beautiful oil to use in skincare, and enjoyed by almost anybody using it for the delicious perfume, though it is particularly good for skin that is hot, dry and sensitive.

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