Patchouli is often used in incense.
If you were alive during the 1960s, you probably know what patchouli smells like, even if you don’t know what it’s called. You probably even have an opinion about it, either positive or negative. Patchouli was a very popular perfume among the counterculture, present in both perfume oils and incense, often burned to disguise other burning odors.
Patchouli essential oil can be yellow or amber.
But did you know that patchouli is a plant? The familiar fragrance is derived from the distillation of the leaves of the patchouli plant into an essential oil, which is often used today in modern perfumery. The aroma is rich and earthy, combining a floral sweetness, albeit made of leaves, with a musky scent reminiscent of freshly turned earth. Some people hate the scent and say it smells like dirt, while others love its powerful, lively fragrance.
Patchouli is often used in perfumes.
Originally cultivated in the East Indies, patchouli has been a popular fragrance for centuries and has even been used as a flavoring herb in food. Because patchouli was believed to repel moths, Asian silk and cashmere manufacturers sprayed it into containers they shipped to European markets. The fabric was permeated with the exotic scent, which became associated in Western minds with the romance of faraway places. Patchouli is now grown commercially in hot southern climates.
Metaphysically and magically, patchouli is associated with love and money, an unusual combination, and is therefore often used to attract a wealthy partner. You can make your own richness-enhancing perfume oil by adding 10 to 15 drops each of patchouli oil, a little cinnamon oil, and vetiver to a 15-milliliter bottle, then fill the bottle with an odorless mixture, such as grape. or apricot kernel oil. Do not apply essential oils directly to the skin as some of them are very strong and can burn. To make a light perfume spray, soak a handful of dried herb in vodka for several weeks, then strain the alcohol from the herb. This fragrant alcohol, called patchouli tincture, can be diluted with water to make a cologne, sprayed on, and mixed with other tinctures to create your own custom scent.