Delicate, white star-shaped jasmine flowers perfume the air with their exotic, erotic and nearly narcotic aroma. Shiny green leaves cover the large evergreen shrub Jasminium officinalis or Jasminium grandiflorum, which can reach twenty to thirty feet in height. Jasmine can also grow along the ground or cascade downward in vines. Native to Working at night, gatherers pick these flowers by hand, making the production of jasmine essence very labor-intensive. About 1,000 pounds of flowers-or over 3.5 million blossoms-yield just one pound of precious jasmine essence.
While jasmine is commonly considered together with the essential oils because of the way in which it is extracted, it is more accurate to refer to it as jasmine enfleurage or jasmine absolute. For simplicity's sake, however, jasmine enfleurage and jasmine absolute are referred to as jasmine essence in this section.
Jasmine essence is a thick mahogany-colored oil that has a rich, warm, floral scent with tealike undertones. This intensely sweet "king of essential oils" smells of mystery and magic. Its long-lasting fragrance has a pheromone-like quality, perhaps due to its chemical similarity to human perspiration, which some scientists speculate may contain pheromones.
Beauty Benefits
The hormone-balancing action of jasmine essence affects the condition of the skin. Jasmine benefits any skin type-whether dry, oily, irritated or sensitive. It inhibits bacteria and regulates oil production, thereby helping acne and oily skin. Jasmine essence also helps to moisturize dry, dehydrated or mature skin. Jasmine has played an important part in all grand perfumes, softening and smoothing out any harsh notes.
Emotional Effects
Jasmine essence benefits almost any nervous condition. It decreases anxiety, depression, nervous exhaustion and stress. It elevates spirits and balances moods. Jasmine essence encourages optimism and self-confidence while diminishing fear. It is both emotionally and physically relaxing.
Jasmine essence warms the emotions and helps counteract apathy and indifference. It spurs creativity, inspires artistic expression and awakens intuition. It arouses an appreciation of the beauty in the world and helps dissolve emotional blocks that hinder personal growth. The sensual and inspirational aroma of jasmine essence creates a sense of euphoria that engenders trust and true love. As a sensual stimulant, jasmine promotes feelings of attractiveness and allure.
Reprinted from Aromatherapy for Vibrant Health and Beauty by Roberta Wilson with permission of Avery Books, a member of Penguin Putnam Inc. Copyright © 1995 by Roberta Wilson.
source from http://beauty.ivillage.com
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