Kathi KevilleThis North American tree scents soap and cologne, although it has lost popularity since the 19th century, when even cedarwood “matches” were burned for their scent. The oil makes the wood resistant to wool moths and other insects...
Celery extensively flavors food, as well as alcoholic and soft drinks. It also scents soaps and some cosmetics. Family: Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) Extraction: Distilled from flower heads, celery’s scent is warm, spicy and sweet. The absolute is...
German chamomile oil contains green-blue chamazulene (azul means blue), a potent anti-inflammatory constituent produced during distillation. Learn about its many medicinal uses, as well as emotional and cosmetic attributes.
This short-growing perennial produces very little chamazulene, so the resulting oil is pale yellow, not blue. It is a digestive stimulant and antispasmodic used for constipation and insomnia. Its applelike fragrance gives chamomile the Spanish name...
Originally from Asia Minor and Egypt, anise now grows throughout the Mediterranean. Turner’s 1551 Herbal recommends it “maketh the breth sweter.” The oil’s delightful taste still flavors pharmaceuticals, confections...
Cinnamon has an amazing variety of uses beyond flavor. It can treat a number of medical ailments, enhance mood, has antiseptic properties, and has even been used as an aphrodisiac.
Basil comes from India, but has been cultivated in the Mediterranean for thousands of years and is now also grown in North Africa. The genus name Ocimum is probably from the Greek word “to smell.” Once made into cleansing water for the...
Clary sage was mixed with ambergris, cinnamon, brandy and sugar into a popular European cordial for digestive problems and to improve the complexion. It still flavors muscatel wine and tobacco; the largest U.S. grower is the tobacco company R. J...
Also called “laurel,” bay leaves were once placed on the heads of headache sufferers and Greek scholars. Today, we still confer a baccalaureate degree, which means “noble berry tree” in French. Crush a leaf and the smell is...
Not a picturesque plant with its grasslike leaves, vetiver’s (or vetivert) thin, aromatic roots are its treasure. They are distilled in Java, R‚union, Haiti, Brazil and India. Door and window screens (called tatties) and fans are woven in East...
