The ABCs of Essential Oils: Jasmine

Jasmine or juniper, juniper or jasmine? I've been going back and forth on the issue, and while juniper berry is an awesome oil, and I recommend that you buy some, I will write about jasmine, since that's what "j" is really all about. As Arctander writes, jasmine is "one of the most important, if not the most important natural perfume raw material."

One of the main reasons for writing about jasmine is that I get to write about indole, a molecule present in jasmine absolute that is also found in your poop. Indole adds a dirtiness to jasmine, along with other white flowers. It might sound gross, but don't let it scare you off. It's part of what makes jasmine complex and beautiful. Indole is also available as an aromachemical, and if too much is used, it could make your perfume gross. But the small amount in jasmine makes it interesting.

You will usually find jasmine in the form of an absolute, though jasmine wax and concrete are also available. The absolute is extracted from the concrete, leaving the wax behind. Carbon dioxide extractions are becoming more readily available, and are very lovely. I have not tried any, but jasmine ruhs are available, and these are hydrodistilled instead of solvent extracted. While rare, jasmine enfleurage oil is still produced, but it is very pricy. Each extraction method results in a different odor profile, and you may wish to try a different form if the one you're using isn't quite right for your blend.

Oh, and if you want jasmine and sandalwood in one bottle, look into attars.

If you're already overwhelmed enough by these options, you might want to stop reading. There are different varieties of jasmine available, though grandiflorum and sambac are the two most common. You can also find jasmine auriculatum in some of the above extractions, and I have also see flexile as an absolute and polyanthum enfleurage.

Country of origin can also impact an oil's odor, along with factors like the weather that year. Some oils are better than others, and you also need to be on the lookout for places that might sell adulterated oils (the adulteration can happen before they receive it).

So where to start? Buy samples of grandiflorum and sambac absolutes from a few places, pacing yourself if need be due to the expense. The samples might even be large enough for you to try them out in your blends, since you don't necessarily need much. Some places offer dilutions in jojoba or fractionated coconut oil, and these can be a great way to try jasmine for less money. If you make your perfumes in alcohol though, buy the pure stuff. Jasmine blends well with many essential oils, so don't be afraid to add a little to a fragrance you're working on. Jasmine with rose is a classic, and will add a beautiful floral note to your middle.

While nothing can replace jasmine, if you're looking for other white florals, consider ylang ylang, champaca, tuberose, and orange flower absolute.

Previously:
Immortelle
Ho Wood
Ginger
Frankincense

Eucalyptus

Davana
Coffee
Bergamot
Anise

Intoxication- Walking Under the Influence (of Jasmine)

I haven't enjoyed moving to Mountain View, but when I'm walking here and there, I can at least enjoy the abundance of flowers here. For a few moments, the fragrance takes me away from where I am. Long stretches of jasmine, large and fragrant roses, and the blossoming trees stop me in my tracks, and all is right and beautiful. I move on sadly, looking forward to the next moment when the scent of flowers fills the air.

I spent several years trying to figure out what to do with my life. I knew I wanted to start my own business at some point, but it took awhile to figure it out. When I started studying perfumery, I knew that I wanted to work with these captivating materials. I feel intoxicated after spending a day in a room full of essential oils, absolutes, and other aromatics. Sometimes it will make me giddy, excited, and just happier. Other times it's so intense and I need to step out for fresh air.

When I started Ivre de Fleurs, I knew I wanted to focus on natural fragrance. Knowing that not everyone likes or wears perfumes, I decided to include bath and body products, like lip balms, hair oils, etc. These would let me share the fragrances with a wider group of people, and allow me to work with different mediums as well.

As time went by and I developed the brand, my mind was pulled this way and that. The products I made and the direction of my brand have led me to a point where I look at what I have, and I'm not excited by it. I've barely blogged the past few months, and without Instagram, I would have barely done anything with social media. I'm not a real fan of social media - I'm more of a keep to myself kind of person - but I keep hearing how important it is for business.

I've spent the time experimenting and studying the past few months, and also figuring out where I want my brand to head. Along the way I pondered so many possibilities, each tempting, but they would take away from what I really want to do. And that is create beautiful and strange fragrances. I'm going to refocus my creative energies on scent creation. I'm going to make lip balms, hair oils, and a few other products, but for now at least, I won't be making soap.

Ivre de Fleurs translates to "drunk with flowers," but so far I've aimed for a more restrained, quiet brand. I hope to breathe life into it with the passion I feel for the materials, and the wild beauty I strive to capture.

"In the room the women come and go
Talking of Michelangelo.

The yellow fog that rubs its back upon the window-panes,
The yellow smoke that rubs its muzzle on the window-panes,
Licked its tongue into the corners of the evening,
Lingered upon the pools that stand in drains,
Let fall upon its back the soot that falls from chimneys,
Slipped by the terrace, made a sudden leap,
And seeing that it was a soft October night,
Curled once about the house, and fell asleep.

And indeed there will be time
For the yellow smoke that slides along the street,
Rubbing its back upon the window-panes;
There will be time, there will be time
To prepare a face to meet the faces that you meet;
There will be time to murder and create,
And time for all the works and days of hands
That lift and drop a question on your plate;
Time for you and time for me,
And time yet for a hundred indecisions,
And for a hundred visions and revisions,
Before the taking of a toast and tea.

In the room the women come and go
Talking of Michelangelo."

-T.S. Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

Davana

Davana is an odd scent. Kind of fruity, and to me, kind of boozy. It reminds me a bit of cough syrup sometimes. It is also a bit of a chameleon, and can smell differently on different people. Of course that's true of all (or at least many) fragrances, but when creating this scent, I couldn't stand it in the bottle, but liked it on my skin.

I wanted to emphasize the fruitiness of davana, so I added Roman chamomile. Frankincense and Peru balsam at the base added additional sweetness and some citrus. At this point, it seemed like it could be a sugarbomb of a fragrance, and while there is a market for that, I don't want that to be the end result.

Back to the middle notes, I added rose geranium and ylang ylang. This probably didn't help with the sweetness, but adds a small touch of floral. For the top notes I went with spice (black pepper and juniper berry) and some floral woods- petitgrain and rosewood. The scent definitely isn't a fruity floral- the floral aspect is pretty quiet.

Lab #4 Davana is available from Etsy and Ivre de Fleurs for $10.

Also new on Etsy are blended floral balms. There are currently three different blends- Trio Blend, which leans towards jasmine but with hints of rose and tuberose; White Flowers, a blend with jasmine, neroli, and tuberose; and Mimosa Neroli, a honeyed scent with an orange flower twist. These are $10 for each .15 ounce jar.

Valentine's Day Gift Ideas

These gift ideas would work for any time of year, but with Valentine's Day vast approaching, these items in particular would make a nice change from chocolates and flowers.

Instead of a dozen red roses that will wilt and die within a few weeks, why not try our One Dozen Roses, a set of twelve vials each containing the essence of a different rose. These are all single notes, at 20% strength in clear jojoba. The rose essences come from around the world (South America, Europe, Asia, Africa), cover a few species, and various extraction methods. Some of the rose essences are incredibly rare, such as the enfleurage from South America. The roses lined up together make a colorful set, with the different roses and extraction methods creating a range of colors- some are clear, others more yellow, a few are green, and some are orange. The vials are packaged in a tin, nestled in a ring of paper roses. The set will come with information on each type of rose, and would make a great gift for any rose lover.

For a gift that's better shared, we also have our Rose & Vetiver Massage Oil. A woodsy rose, this is a scent that can be easily enjoyed by both men and women. Made with apricot kernel oil, the massage oil will absorb into the skin, leaving your skin soft afterwards, not greasy. This can also be used as a moisturizing body after you get out of the shower.

We have also marked down all of our Massage & Lotion Bars, including sets, now through February 14. More moisturizing than our massage oil, these are warmed in your hands with the resulting oil massaged into the skin. They also come in a wide variety of scents.

Our Perfume Balms would also make great gifts- they come in six different floral scents- Jasmine, Mimosa, Neroli/Orange Blossom, Plumeria/Frangipani, Rose, and Tuberose. All are available in .25 ounce jars, and all of them except for Plumeria are available in 1 ounce jars.

The perfume balms and the Rose & Vetiver Massage Oil are also available as options in our 3 item and 5 item sample sets. These sets give you many options for trying out new things, and would be greater for a smaller gift.

Product Spotlight: Floral Perfume Balms

Neroli Balm, 1 ounce Size, available in all but Plumeria.

The floral balms I make are probably my most unique product. Both highly fragrant and moisturizing, they can work like a solid perfume, or as a balm for cuticles or other rough skin. My Etsy shop has all sizes of the floral balms available. You can also purchase the quarter ounce jars directly from the Ivre de Fleurs website, where I offer free shipping on all orders.

Floral Balms from Etsy

Quarter Ounce Jars from Ivre de Fleurs Website

The balms are centered around the floral waxes. These are made when the respective flower is washed with a solvent,creating the concrete- the fragrant materials and waxes of the flowers. The concrete is washed with alcohol to make the absolute, leaving behind behind the wax. 

The floral balms combine the wax of the flower, shorea butter, various oils, and a little bit of extra scent from the  to match complete the scent of the wax- for example, the Neroli Balm pictured above uses orange flower wax, and has a little bit of neroli (orange flower) essential oil for a more rounded scent.

.25 ounce jars of all varieties.

I've tracked down as many floral waxes as I can- I've seen lotus and champaca before, but not in stock. I have rose, tuberose, orange blossom (neroli), mimosa, plumeria (frangipani), and jasmine. The jasmine uses two varieties for both the wax and absolute- Jasmine Sambac and Jasmine Grandiflorum. 

All six are available as a set on Etsy for a reduced price.

Minis! Each lasts for awhile. Available in all but rose. 

Try three minis!

Try five minis!

So how to use these unusual beauties? I use them mostly as cuticle balms- a little goes a long way, and I get to enjoy the scent while doing something I find tedious. While it probably wouldn't work as an all over body moisturizer, rub some into particularly rough spots, like elbows. 

They would also work as a moisturizing solid perfume, either using one or layering a few to create a custom fragrance. Please note that since they are natural, the scents won't last as long as commercial perfumes. You can also apply it before putting on your favorite fragrance, giving it a scent unique to you.

Favorite Essential Oils

While I love buying a wide variety of crazy essential oils, there are some I really love, and wish to add to everything. Below are a few of the ones I turn to the most.

Top Notes:
Yellow Mandarin: This is a softer, slightly floral citrus. It blends beautifully with many other essential oils. A lot of citrus oils have scents that are kind of obvious- orange, lemon, and lime, for example. There are many varieties of orange, and I love playing with those, too. But yellow mandarin is my go to for a citrus top note.

Cinnamon CO2: I keep wanting to add this to a lip balm. It smells so fresh and sweet- exactly the kind of cinnamon I want. A lot of cinnamon essential oils don't smell that great to me, but this one I could sniff all day. Unfortunately, it's very strong, so adding even a little to lip balms might result in stinging lips. I'm still experimenting though, and hoping to find a level that will give a nice cinnamon scent without the ouch factor.

Cardamom CO2: I added a little of this to my Wild Orange & Lavender Lip Balm, which adds a subtle twist to the flavor. I love cardamom, and it's one of my favorite spices for cooking and baking. I also have some rare cardamom absolute, but that's a little pricy to be throwing around everywhere. Cardamom essential oil is nice as well, but the CO2 has a cleaner scent.

Pink Peppercorn: My favorite pepper. I also have white and black pepper, but use them less. The white pepper isn't exciting enough, and the black pepper can be a little harsh. It adds a little excitement to blends without overwhelming them.

Middle Notes:
Orange Blossom Organic Extract: Different than orange blossom absolute, which can be heavy and sometimes a little too dirty. It's not the same as neroli either, though probably closer to a neroli scent than an orange blossom absolute scent. The scent is light but not weak, and is a great addition to any orange blossom collection.

Moroccan Rose Absolute: There are so many roses, and so many extractions for them. While I don't have the money to try them all, Moroccan rose is so far my favorite absolute. I use a Turkish rose otto for lip balms and skin care. It has a nice odor profile, and while still expensive, it is cheaper than Bulgarian rose otto. I have also tried a rose otto from Moldova.While significantly cheaper than even the Turkish otto,  I was not impressed with that one.

Jasmine Sambac Absolute: I prefer this to jasmine grandiflorum, though I use both. While jasmine isn't necessarily a filler, it blends in nicely with a wide variety of fragrances. I need to be careful though, since I tend to use it with too many other white flowers, ending up with an overly indolic fragrance.

Ylang Ylang: A sweet floral scent, and it's cheaper than many other floral essential oils. I like "complete" and "extra" best, though the other grades might work well for soaping.

Base Notes:
Vetiver: I didn't like it much at first, but I love it now. While it doesn't work with everything, it's become one of my go to base notes.

Sandalwood Absolute, New Caledonia: I love Mysore and East Indian sandalwood, but it's becoming rare and I worry about the ecological impacts of buying them. I've tried a few other sandalwoods, but the absolute is my favorite.

Opoponax: I love the absolute, but I do like the essential oil as well. The absolute is a nice sweet base note, with an interesting warm balsamic fragrance.

Coming Soon! The Ivre de Fleurs Etsy shop is opening this weekend!

Easy to apply and easy to love. Pamper your feet with a blend of lavender, tea tree, and peppermint essential oils. This balm in a tube glides over your feet, softening them with natural butters and oils.

Dreamy lip balms, currently available in sweet Lemon Cream (pictured) and tasty Mocha. Other flavors to follow!

Floral body balms, available in Neroli (pictured), Jasmine, Rose, Tuberose, and Mimosa. Use for cuticles, rough skin, or even as a light perfume.

Jasmine Lip Balm

I love jasmine, both the flower and the fragrance. It works so wonderfully in perfumes, and I really want it to work in lip balms. But the indolic quality of jasmine that makes it sexy in a perfume makes it kind of gross as a lip balm. I've tried two combinations, and they weren't bad to me, but my tester did not like them. I'd like to track down a jasmine that's less dirty and try it out, but that might take awhile. So in the meantime, no jasmine lip balms.

Fortunately, other flowers work fine in lip balms. They might not be to everyone's liking, but as someone who loves floral teas and candies, I think they can make nice flavors.