Lemongrass has antiseptic, antibacterial, deodorising and stimulating properties. Lemongrass essential oil is a stimulating tonic for the skin and excellent for revitalising and energising tired bodies and minds. Lemongrass essential oil enlivens the senses and focuses the mind. Lemongrass essential oil is an excellent insect repellent. It has a fresh, lemony-citrus and grass-like aroma.
Ajwain seeds have a small amount of oil in them known as ajwain oil. The oil contains thymol, a phenol that gives the fruit its thyme-like smell. Thymol is commonly used to treat digestive problems. It also has antifungal and antibacterial properties.
Cardamom oil has a spicy, fruity, warm and balsamic aroma. It is clear to pale yellow in color and slightly watery in viscosity. A perennial, reed-like herb, Cardamom grows wild and is cultivated in India and Ceylon. It grows up to 4 meters (13 feet) high and has long, green silky blades, small yellowy flowers with a violet tip and a large fleshy rhizome, similar to ginger. Oblong gray fruits follow the flowers, each containing many seeds. Cardamom was well known in ancient times and the Egyptians used it in perfumes and incense and chewed it to whiten their teeth, while the Romans used it for their stomachs when they over-indulged. The Arabs ground it to use their coffee and It is an important ingredient in Asian cooking.
Clove bud essential oil (Eugenia Caryophyllus Bud Oil) or oil of the clove as it is often referred to is highly antiseptic and piercing. Clove bud essential oil is both uplifting and stimulating. It soothes and relaxes the digestive system when used to massage the abdomen. It is a natural analgaesic and antiseptic used primarily in dentistry for its main ingredient eugenol. It has a spicy and slightly fruity aroma. The various basils have such different scents because the herb has a number of different essential oils which come together in different proportions for various breeds.
Fennel oil has cleansing, toning, purifying and stimulating properties. Fennel oil is ideal for use with cellulite, especially when used in massage. It makes a refreshing mouthwash. Fennel oil has a sweet, aniseed aroma with an earthy tone.
Bergamot essential oil has antibacterial, deodorising, refreshing, soothing, and uplifting properties which make it excellent for body skincare preparations, for ensuring healthy and vital skin. Bergamot essential oil has a fresh, citrus and slightly spicy aroma and is powerfully refreshing, uplifting and invigorating and helps maintain a balanced mood. Dr Nicholas Monardes who wrote a book about the plants of America in 1569, named the plant Bergamot because the scent of its leaves resembled the Italian Bergamot Orange, Citrus Bergamia from which an essential oil is made.
Jasmine oil is a sweet-smelling substance that is made from the flowers of the jasmine plant (Jasminum officinale). Widely used in aromatherapy, this essential oil contains the plant’s aromatic compounds, which are believed by some to have various health benefits related to skin care and stress reduction.
