I.B.P.U

Patcouli Oli-Minyak Nilam- 廣藿香油

Quantity : 5 MT/month

PA : 30% min

Patchouli           Patchouli Oil

Patchouli (also patchouly or pachouli) is bushy herb of the mint family, with erect stems, reaching two or three feet (about 0.75 metre) in height and bearing small pale pink-white flowers. The plant is native to tropical regions of Asia and is now extensively cultivated in Caribbean countries, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Philippines, West Africa and Vietnam.

The scent of patchouli is heavy and strong. It has been used for centuries in perfumes and continues to be so today. The word derives from the Tamil patchai பச்சை (green), ellai இலை (leaf).

Pogostemon cablin, P. commosum, P. hortensis, P. heyneasus and P. plectranthoides are all cultivated for their oils and all are known as ‘patchouli’ oil, but P. cablin is considered superior.

Extraction of the essential oil

Extraction of the essential oil is by steam distillation, requiring the cell walls of the leaves to be first ruptured. This can be achieved by steam scalding, light fermentation, or by drying.

Leaves are harvested several times a year, and where dried may be exported for distillation of the oil. Sources disagree over how to obtain the best quality oil. Some claim the highest quality oil is usually produced from fresh leaves, distilled close to the plantation,^[1] while others claim baling the dried leaves and allowing them to ferment a little is best.^[2]

Uses

In Europe and the US, patchouli oil and incense underwent a surge in popularity in the 1960s and 1970s, mostly among devotees of the free love and hippie lifestyles, since the pungent smell of patchouli is alleged to cover the smell of burnt cannabis and body odor.^{[citation needed]} It can also be used as a hair conditioner for dreadlocks. One study suggests Patchouli oil may serve as an outdoor insect repellent.^[3] In several Asian countries, such as Japan and Malaysia, Patchouli is also used as an antidote to poisonous snakebite.

The plant and oil have a number of claimed health benefits in herbal folk-lore, and its scent is used with the aim of inducing relaxation. Chinese medicine uses the herb to treat headaches, colds, nausea, diarrhea and abdominal pain.

Despite its common association with an alternative lifestyle, patchouli has found widespread use in modern industry. It is a component in about a third of modern, high-end perfumes, including more than half of perfumes for men^{[citation needed]}. Patchouli is also an important ingredient in East Asian incense. It is also used as a scent in products like paper towels, laundry detergents, and air fresheners. Two important components of the essential oil is patchoulol and norpatchoulenol.

During the 18th and 19th century silk traders from China travelling to the Middle East packed their silk cloth with dried patchouli leaves to prevent moths from laying their eggs on the cloth. Many historians speculate that this association with opulent eastern goods is why patchouli was considered by Europeans of that era to be a luxurious scent. This trend has continued to the present day in modern perfumery and hippiedom.

Source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patchouli