The essential oil of patchouli is extracted from the large, evergreen perennial herb of the Labiatae family, thus making it a close cousin of the mint, lavender and sage plants, through a process of steam distillation. The herb is native to the tropical regions of Asia and is now cultivated mainly in Asia, in places like China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Ever wondered where the word patchouli comes from? It hails from the Hindustan word “pacholi” which means “to scent”! In the 1980s, patchouli oil was sprayed onto Indian shawls and fabrics for its strong scent. Since then, patchouli oil has been widely used in perfumes, incense and insect repellents.

Not only that, patchouli oil, with its distinctly musky and earthy scent, was commonly associated with the hippy generation back in the ‘60s and ‘70s. But beyond this, you should not simply dismiss patchouli oil as just a highly scented oil. It actually contains numerous medicinal properties that makes it a viable and highly useful oil to improve the physical and mental health of your body. Read on to find out more!

Health Benefits of Patchouli Essential Oil:

1. Soothes Your Mind

Patchouli oil, like many essential oils out there, is a great natural antidepressant agent. The woody and musky scent of the oil can help uplift your emotional spirits, boost your mood and drives away anxiety, tension as well as stress.

Inhaling patchouli oil stimulates the release of serotonin and dopamine, which helps to ward off feelings of anger, anxiety and nervousness to bring about a sense of renewed peace and calmness.

And for this very reason, patchouli oil is commonly used during prayer times in some religions, because it brings about tranquility and peace.

How to Use it: Simply add 5 drops of the oil into a diffuser or burner and let the aromatic wafts engulf you. Or, you can try adding 10 drops of the oil into a tub of warm, bathing water to soak inside after a long, tiring and exhausting day at work.

2. A Potent Antiseptic

Perhaps the most important property of the oil, patchouli oil is a great antiseptic agent where it protects wounds, sores, cuts and ulcers from developing infections and becoming septic. After all, small wounds still contain the possibility of incurring tetanus and developing serious infections, especially if the wound was being made by a rusty, iron object. However, patchouli oil prevents such cases from happening.

Not only that, it also contains antifungal properties, which means it can help alleviate certain fungal conditions like athlete’s foot and ringworm patches. It also accelerates the healing process, because of its capacity to regenerate the skin cells underneath.

A 2013 study published in the Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research found that there was antibacterial activity in about 26 compounds in patchouli oil, with the strongest being the (-)-patchouli alcohol and pogostone compounds in the oil. As such, the oil exhibited powerful antimicrobial activity against the six frequently-used pathogenic bacteria that were tested in the experiment.

Another 1996 study done by the Regional Medical Research Centre in Bhubaneswar, India found that patchouli oil inhibited 20 bacterial strains and all 12 fungal strains that were used in the experiment were successfully inhibited by patchouli essential oil. As such, this reveals patchouli oil’s antimicrobial and antifungal nature.

How to Use it: Simply mix 2-3 drops of patchouli oil in a spoonful of coconut oil and apply onto the affected areas. For fungal infections, you can make a foot bath by adding 5-10 drops of the oil into a bowl of warm water to soak your feet inside for a few minutes.

3. Promotes Skin and Hair Health

With its astringent properties, patchouli oil helps to tighten hair roots and hair follicles, thus preventing excessive hair loss. Additionally, it also helps to tighten facial skin, preventing sagging and loose skin. This helps you maintain the youthful, radiant glow and delays the onset of ageing signs.

With its antibacterial properties, it also helps to ward off skin conditions like acne since it inhibits the pimple growth by eliminating bacteria lingering on your skin. And coupled with its quick-healing properties and ability to regenerate the skin and tissue cells underneath your skin, it minimizes the appearance of scars and dark spots which are left behind by acne, wounds, measles, pox or boils, so as to ultimately promote a much smoother complexion!

How to Use it: Mix it with a carrier oil (such as coconut, jojoba or sweet almond oils) in a 1:1 ratio and massage it directly onto your face, or on affected areas. You can even add 5 drops of it into your daily face wash or lotion solution. For your hair, try massaging 5 drops of the diluted patchouli oil onto your scalp or add it into your conditioner.

4. Promotes Sleep

Since patchouli oil is also a sedative and known to induce a sense of peace, calmness and relaxation onto oneself, it is a great natural remedy for those suffering from insomnia, restlessness or have trouble sleeping in general because it helps to put your mind and body at ease.

How to Use it: You can diffuse patchouli oil in your diffuser or vaporizer. Alternatively, you can rub 2-3 drops of the oil directly onto your hands and cup your nose to inhale the sweet scent.

5. Soothes Inflammation

Patchouli oil is also an antiphlogistic agent, which means it helps to soothe inflammation and it contains anti-inflammatory properties. As such, it helps to resolve red, swollen and inflamed skin conditions and able to alleviate cases of general internal inflammation such as arthritis, gout and even irritable bowel syndrome.

This is especially important and useful since inflammation is the root cause of most diseases and ailments, thus patchouli oil helps to mitigate and reduce the risks of such diseases from occurring in the body.

How to Use it: You can diffuse patchouli oil into your diffuser or vaporizer to breathe in the aromatic wafts, or you can rub 5 drops of patchouli oil (that has been mixed with a carrier oil prior to this) and massage on feet, stomach, lower back or any other inflamed areas.

6. A Natural Aphrodisiac

Patchouli oil has actually been used as an aphrodisiac for hundreds of years, as it is widely known to be able to stimulate hormones that increase your libido, or sex drive. As such, it can be a natural remedy for various sexual-related problems, such as impotency, erectile dysfunction and frigidity.

These problems are partly caused by anxiety, stress or tension. Thus, with its stress busting and mood enhancing qualities, patchouli oil is great for increasing your sex drive and put the sparks back in the bedroom. It also helps to boost testosterone and estrogen levels, as it stimulates the release and regulation of such hormones, thus making it applicable to both men and women.

How to Use it: Diffuse the oil in a diffuser or vaporizer and put it on the bedside table, next to your bed, to add some spark to your relationship and to induce the sensual mood.

7. Promotes Detoxification

Patchouli oil also contains diuretic properties, which means it helps to facilitate an increased quantity and frequency of urination. This helps in the detoxification process of the body as it removes unwanted and harmful toxins out of the body, such as excess salts, fats, water, urea and uric acid.

It gives your kidneys and liver a good cleanse, thus protecting them from infections and diseases. Not only that, this helps to lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels naturally as well as prevent various conditions like gout or the formation of kidney/gallbladder stones.

How to Use it: You can consume a drop of patchouli oil by mixing it well with lemon water or flavored tea.

8. As a Natural Deodorant and Insect Repellent

With its sweet, musky and woody aroma, patchouli oil is a great deodorizing agent as well that helps to mask unpleasant body odors and kill off bacteria and fungus which causes such odor in the first place. It also has the power to repel pesky bugs, insects and other creepy crawlies such as mosquitoes, fleas, ants, lice, moths and flies.

As such, you can apply this on your body as a natural perfume and insect repellent, or you can even diffuse it in your households to ward off bad-smelling odor and to kill off insects, thus making your home environment much cleaner and pest-free!

In fact, a 2010 study carried out by researchers from Canada found that patchouli oil has sufficient efficacy to be considered as components of an essential oil-based insecticide that targets the lepidopteran pests which were being tested. These include serious fruit and vegetable pests which are stubborn and thus, require multiple insecticide applications. Patchouli oil was able to seriously inhibit and kill off these dangerous, parasitic pests.

How to Use it: Diffuse a few drops of the oil into your diffuser or vaporizer, but if you find the smell too strong, you can mix it with lemon, orange or geranium oils too. You can also rub 1-2 drops of the diluted patchouli oil on your wrists or armpit area to get rid of body odors.

Safety Precautions:

• Patchouli essential oil is considered safe to be used, in regulated amounts. However, there is not a lot of scientific evidence to support the safety of the oil on pregnant and nursing women, so do consult your doctor first before using the oil as a form of treatment if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

• When applying it topically onto the skin, be sure to mix it with a carrier oil (such as coconut, jojoba or sweet almond oils) and perform a skin patch test first to ensure you do not suffer from any allergic or sensitive reactions.

• Ingestion of patchouli oil as a dietary supplement is only recommended if you purchase a high-quality, top-grade and 100% pure organic patchouli essential oil from a reliable seller. Do consult with your doctor first for medical advice before taking patchouli oil internally, especially so if you are on prescription drugs too.

• It is not recommended for children who are under 6 to use the oil as a form of treatment.

• Because it works as a sedative, do not take in large amounts.

Patchouli oil blends well with frankincense, clary sage, cedar, geranium, lavender, rose and ylang-ylang essential oils.

References:

Yang X, et al., “Evaluation of the antibacterial activity of patchouli oil”, Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research (2013); 12(3)

Pattnaik S, Subramanyam VR, Kole C, “Antibacterial and antifungal activity of ten essential oils in vitro”, PubMed (1996); 86(349)

Machial CM, et al., “Evaluation of the toxicity of 17 essential oils against Choristoneura rosaceana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and Trichoplusia ni (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)”, PubMed (2010); 66(10)