Jasmine
Jasminum Grandiflorum
or Jasminum Officinale.
Family - Oleaceae
Ayurvedic Name: Sanskrit- Jati, Hindi-Chameli, Johi.
Habitat: Indigenous to the foot hills of Himalayas and plains of Ganges. Commercially cultivated in the temperate regions of India especially Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh. It has been taken to China, France and Mediterranean regions. It has been produced in bulk quantities in these countries. It is native os Spain.
History: Due to the excellent Aroma, it is known as “Queen of Perfume." Europeans loved it. There was a big demand of Jasmine in the west. Hundreds of years ago, it had been supplied from India to Europe in camel and goat skin bottles. It is part of Indian culture that people grow it is their gardens, around homes for getting delicate smell coming from its flowers.
Part used for getting oil: Flowers
Source and methods of getting oil: Distillation of the flowers.
Constituents of the oil Alcohol: linalol, merol, methyl anthranilate, ketone, phenol, linalyl acetate, benzyl, terpineol, farnesol.
Action: Anthelmintic, deobstruent, diuretic, Emmenagogue, Astringent, Antidepressants, aphrodisiac, Aromatic, Neurasthenia, Stimulant.
Aroma of the oil : It has a bitter sweetish but attractive fragrance and strong aroma of its own kind which is cooling, soothing and identical as of Jasmine.
Uses in Ayurveda : It has been used in Ayurveda and dates back to several thousand of years. At the time of Lord Buddha, its oil was used for anointing kings and wealthy people of the society. It has a cooling and soothing effect. They weave using it to massage the body before taking bath. It is said that after massage, if one takes bath or shower one gets relaxed, feels fresh & cheerful. For trial, take one gram jasmine oil, mix it with 25 grams sesame or any base oil, get massage or Rub your whole body by yourself. Leave it for 15 to 30 minutes, after that take a shower. This method will be effective during warm sunny hot and humid days. It is not recommended in cold seasons. Application of oil on the body, in the cloths, in perfume lamps, in incenses and smelling them is cooling and useful in headache especially due to aggravation of Pitta, Skin diseases, weak-eyes and migraines.
In scorpion-sting or any other Poisonous sting, application of the oil reduces pain, calms down swelling. It is applied in India and China for reducing the effect of the sting. Useful as an aphrodisiac, 1 gram oil mixed with 25 grams base oil has been applied on the male genitals, loins, pubes and gently massaged as an aphrodisiac. Remember Jasmine grows in warm climate soil. It has a cooling effect. Always mix it with heating oils as well as avoid using it in very cold season on the body, for massage.
Jasmine is strong sensual stimulant. It has been loved in past several centuries by western people for its Romantic fragrance. Which relaxes mind & body both. Jasmine is a early evening perfume. To start with, one can use it around sunset and apply little by little for stronger effect as evening hours Pass by and night is coming.
In Ayurveda, its oil has been used for several head diseases, aggravation of Pitta in the head, thirst, mental diseases like madness with anger etc.
1 gram oil should be mixed with 25 gram sesame oil or any base oil & applied on the skull for massage. Later on taking shower or Bath helps in calming down anxiety and mental disorders. A special Jasmine oil is famous all over India. It is commonly used by people for having fragrant oily hairs as well as to feel cool and calm in the head during hot seasons of India. This oil is known as “Chameli Ka Tel” or Fragrant Jasmine oil. The details about how to make this oil is as following.
Indian Perfumers take 40 kg. sesame seeds. In the early evening, spread them on cement or stone made floor of a big sized Room. On top of them, spread 20 kg. Jasmine flowers and leave it for 3 hours. After that mix jasmine flowers together with sesame. The process is to be repeated whole night after each 3 hours. In the morning sesame should be filtered through a strainer and flowers thrown away. This process is known as “Basana” or Impregnating the smell of the flowers in the sesame seeds.
Same sesame seeds are to be mixed again with 20 kg flowers next evening, Process it to be repeated generally for good quality jasmine oil. For the purpose of hair or massage oil. 40 kg sesame seeds has been mixed with 100 kg flowers in 5 nights, 20 kg flowers each day has been used for mixing. The seeds get saturated with the aroma of the Jasmine oil, as seeds have thick oil in them and flowers have essential oil mixed with water. This essential oil then goes into the thick oily sesame seeds due to viscosity.
The seeds has been crushed by the speller to make oil. This oil is greenish in color, its fragrance stays for days on the head if applied once. This is also used by rich people as anointing their bodies through massage.