Patchouli. The word alone is nearly a placeholder for a wide range of aromatic sensations. Woody, earthy, spicy, rich, balsamic… the descriptors add up, yet still don’t come close to touching this long-lasting fragrant oil. It is one of the few essential oils that improve with age, and its medicinal uses are many. Oh, and it makes for a great aphrodisiac.

Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin) is actually a shrubby mint that grows in the East and West Indies. Long important in traditional Chinese medicine, the essential oil is extracted from the plant through the process of steam distillation. Those in the United States of a certain age will probably most closely link patchouli with the 1960’s and 1970’s when it surged in popularity thanks in no small part to the Hare Krishnas. In the Hare Krishna movement, the god Krsna is said to “inhabit” patchouli.

Patchouli has been put to a great many medicinal uses through the ages. Its scent has been used to help reduce tension and anxiety, cure insomnia and just in general uplift the spirits. It is this soothing aspect that explains why it is used extensively in temples as a way to ground and center the mind prior to meditation. It has been used by various cultures to treat dysentery, diarrhea, colds and nausea. Patchouli has been most widely used as a treatment for skin and scalp conditions, however. Its natural antiseptic qualities make it a good remedy for a wide range of skin problems, including athlete’s foot, dandruff, acne, wrinkles and more. It can also help to rejuvenate cells, making it an effective treatment for wounds and scars.

In terms of non-medicinal uses, think perfumes. Patchouli has long been used as a fixative in perfumes and currently shows up in a third of all women’s perfumes and half of all colognes made for men. And did we mention its qualities as an aphrodisiac? Many cultures believe that patchouli can be worn to attract the opposite sex (this works especially well if your target of affection is an aging hippy). It is also used spiritually to ward off negativity/evil and as an aid to divination and clairvoyance.

Now that’s one versatile little plant.

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