Aromatherapy....Jasmine
Jasmine oil (jasminum grandiflorum or sambac
or auriculatum) in Aromatherapy
Introduction
The Jasmine plant is known in south-east Asia as the queen
of the night, mainly due to its rich night-time aroma. The
oil is used extensively in soaps, cosmetics and perfumes.
In western societies the aroma from the flowers was used
centuries ago to ease childbirth. In Eastern societies the
oil has been used to treat conditions of the liver such as
hepatitis and cirrhosis.
As we look at the uses of jasmine through history we see
the oil has long been used as an aphrodisiac. We also
see that it continues to be used in India for ceremonial
purposes. The ancient Chinese used jasmine to freshen
the air around sick beds, and as a head clearer, almost
like smelling salts, particularly for inebriated guests.
The Chinese also used jasmine tea frequently, and in
Indonesia, jasmine is traditionally used as a garnish
for food.
Jasmine trees are well known to gardeners because of their
rambling nature, that makes them very suited to for fence
plants. This nature combined with the lovely aroma
that the jasmine flowers give off makes them an ideal plant
for the home garden.
The jasmine tree is native to the area of south-east Asia,
particularly the country of India. Both jasminum
auriculatum and jasminum sambac are native to
southern India. These two species seem to thrive in
geographic locations which experience warm temperatures
and above average levels of rainfall. By way of contrast,
jasminum grandiflorum is native to northern Iran,
Afghanistan, and Kashmir. It is this species that has been
extensively cultivated around the world as it is hardy and
copes with a range of climates.
Jasmine is extensively cultivated in Algeria, Morocco, Egypt,
France, and India. These countries, apart from France, are
the main producers of jasmine absolute in commercial
quantities.
Jasmine uses through history
Jasmines fragrant flowers have been used for thousands of years
as a personal grooming tool and also in various religious
ceremonies.
In India, jasmine is known as "Queen of the Night" this is
because the aroma of the flower is stronger at night.
Gardeners often make use of this property to create a
lovely jasmine scene around outdoor living areas and
near bedrooms. People in India also see the jasmine
flower as a symbol of divine hope.
The Chinese regard the jasmine flower as symbolizing the
sweet nature of women. In particular some of the
ancient Chinese emperors also went to great lengths
to cultivate jasmine for the fragrance. Similar
cultivation also occurred in the rulers palaces of
Afghanistan, Iran and Nepal. The Moors are credited
with bringing the jasmine plant to Europe when they
introduced the plant to the Spanish in the late 15th
century.
In China, the flowers of the jasmine plant (j. grandiflorum)
are apparently used as a treatment for hepatitis, for
pain due to liver cirrhosis, and abdominal pain from
dysentery. The Chinese also apparently use flowers
from j. sambac for treating conjunctivitis,
skin ulcers and abdominal pain from dysentery.
History also records the use of jasmine as an aphrodisiac
and as a sweetener of the air during childbirth. And
of course, no discussion of the use of jasmine flowers
and oil through history would be complete without
mentioning the extensive use of dried jasmine flowers
for making jasmine tea, which is still used today.
Characteristics and extraction
The Jasmine plant is a sturdy climbing evergreen shrub with
bright green leaves. It can grow up to a height of around
20 feet (about 6 meters). Its flowers are beautifully
scented, and are star shaped. When the flowers are
picked at night, they tend to hold their scent for some time.
Jasmine absolute is a dark orange viscous liquid, with an
sweet, intense floral, warm rich aroma, with a tea-like
undertone. The long-lasting quality of its aroma identify
jasmine essential oil as a base note.
Because jasmine oil is extracted from the flowers of the
plant it is usually extracted using solvents. This
extraction method can produce both a concrete and
an absolute, with the essential oil being distilled from
the absolute. Large volumes of the flower petals are
required to obtain commercial quantities of the
essential oil. This production requirement makes
jasmine oil one of the more expensive essential oils.
Chemistry
The chemical composition of jasmine oil typically includes:
benzyl benzoate, benzyl alcohol, linalool,
farnesol, geraniol, nerol, terpineol (all alcohols),
benzyl acetate, methyl anthranilate (esters),
jasmone, indole (ketones) and eugenol (a phenol).
The fragrance of the jasmine flower and jasmine oil is
usually attributed to the constituents benzyl acetate,
indole and jasmone. However, research indicates
that the impact on the fragrance of picked jasmine
flowers is less to do with indole and jasmone.
It also appears that the concentration of linalool in the
essential oil is around 10x that of the concentration
of linalool in the naturally occurring flower.
Uses in Aromatherapy
Jasmine oil can be applied topically using massage,
compresses, in a bath, or local skin application. As
an inhalation, it is used by direct inhalation by placing
a few drops on a tissue, a diffuser, or through steam
inhalation.
Aromatherapists generally indicate that the properties of
jasmine oil include:
Analgesic, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic,
antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, carminative, cicatrisant,
emollient, expectorant, galactagogue, parturient,
sedative, and also as uterine tonic.
As a result, Jasmine oil is used in aromatherapy in a number
of ways, as follows.
Nervous system
As a hormone balancer, jasmine oil is one of the essential
oils used in aromatherapy to help provide relieve
nervous anxiety, restlessness, and depression,
including post-natal depression. This essential oil is
also considered to calm the nerves and warm the
emotions, especially when applied with massage.
Other uses in aromatherapy for jasmine oil at the emotional
level include help develop an optimistic mood that can
lead onto higher energy levels and vitality and improved
confidence.
Respiratory system
Jasmine oil is used by aromatherapists to help regulate
respiration through assisting the development of deeper
breathing, calming spasms of the bronchi. It is also
considered to be useful in helping to relieve lingering
coughs and voice loss.
Skin Care
Jasmine oil has long been used as a luxurious skin tonic. It
is used for all skin types, particularly for dry sensitive
skins. In skin care, it is often blended with lavender
and either mandarin or tangerine oils in a carrier oil as
an aid or promoter of skin cell growth and skin
elasticity. However, it appears that too much jasmine
oil can have a negative effect on skin, so we note that
it should be used in small quantities and preferably,
under the guidance of a qualified aromatherapist.
Reproductive system Care
Jasmine oil is sometimes recommended by aromatherapists
for massage use during childbirth. The massage is
usually performed on the abdominal and lower back
areas in the early stages of labor. The intention is to
help relieve the pain of labor and to assist the strength
of the contractions during labor. Some aromatherapists
also consider that the use of jasmine oil may help the
expulsion of the placenta after child-birth and also in
post-natal recovery.
Jasmine oil is also used sometimes in aromatherapy to
alleviate spasms of the uterus and to assist with
bringing on a delayed menstrual cycle or to relieve
the pain from dysmenorrhea. Some literature cautions
against the use of jasmine oil during pregnancy, other
than as a massage during childbirth.
Some scientific research on Jasmine oil
Shrivastav P., et al., Suppression of puerpereal
lactation using jasmine flowers Aust. NZ Journal
of Obstet Gynaecol. (1988). No. 28, pp 68-71.
Frosh, P.J., et al., Further important sensitizers in
patients sensitive to fragrances Contact Dermatitis
Nov. 2002 Vol 47,. P 249.
Safety notes
While jasmine oil is considered to non-irritating, non-
sensitizing, non-phototoxic, there is some reports of
allergenic reactions to jasmine oil. In addition, some
aromatherapists note that the use of jasmine oil is not
recommended during pregnancy.
