Oct 07 2007
The Facts About Vanilla Essential Oil
Besides just smelling good, vanilla essential oil is a very interesting product. Vanilla oil is used to flavor different kinds products. It is also used to make perfumes and skin scrubs. Vanilla essential oil’s scent is a known sensual aphrodisiac, which may be why it is an ingredient in Oriental type perfumes.
Many people find the vanilla scent very comforting and relaxing. It can be used to fend off a multitude of maladies from an anxiety attack to a headache. Vanilla essential oil should not be eaten, though. It’s not toxic, but it could be desensitizing to your tongue and throat.
Here is a simple face scrub recipe that can be made with vanilla essential oil called “Peppermint Vanilla Sugar Scrub”. Mix together two cups of packed brown sugar, one half-cup of sweet almond oil and one half-cup of fine salt in a big bowl. Then add ten drops of vanilla essential oil and nine drops of peppermint essential oil. Mix well and store in an airtight container. This scrub will stay good for several weeks in a refrigerator.
Use your scrub while in a warm shower or tub on clean skin. Take a handful of scrub and rub it on the skin you want to exfoliate in a circular motion. This scrub is especially good for softer skin like arms and legs. You may need to use a coarser salt for areas like the feet to scrub off the thicker dead skin.
What Makes Vanilla Essential Oil “Essential”?
Essential oil is a liquid that contains strong aroma molecules from plants. Vanilla essential oil has the essence of vanilla and that is why it is called “essential” oil. To make vanilla essential oil the green fruit of the vanilla plant are picked and then cured, fermented, and dried, which turn the fruit into a brown vanilla bean. The vanilla oil is extracted from Vanilla folia by a process called enfleurage, which uses fats to capture the essence expelled by the vanilla bean. The beans are hung over the fat on grates or mixed directly into the fat in what is called solvent extraction. The vanilla scented fat is separated from the essence by soaking it in ethyl alcohol to draw the fragrance into the alcohol. The alcohol is then distilled and what is left over is the essential oil. The oil is then bottled for use.
.
Give us your rating of this article below!
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
What pops into your head when you think about holidays? Sugarplums? Or do you see yourself trying to balance work and family with gifts, baking and parties?
You’re not alone. But there is a way to both enhance the holidays and comfort yourself during a hectic holiday season — aromatherapy.
Aromatherapy uses pure essential oils to relax, [...]
It seems that lavender, or the scent of it, is everywhere – candles, hand lotions, shampoo, bath gel, air freshener, even laundry detergent. It’s the most widely used and best-selling essential oil. Why is lavender so popular?
According to Tim Blakley, aromatherapy author and educator, pure lavender essential oils offer benefits for the body, mind and [...]
The best part of spring cleaning is opening the doors and windows to welcome fresh air and sunshine. Why not add to that spring freshness with natural cleaners?
Taken from the flowers, bark, leaves, and other parts of plants, essential oils are as natural as fresh air and sunshine. Many have their own properties as disinfectants, [...]
Aromatherapy quality essential oils can be a bit pricey, but a little goes a long way. If they are 100% essential oil, then you only need a few drops per use. You can sometimes get a price discount if the essential oil has already been blended with a carrier oil like apricot kernel, jojoba or [...]