The sweet, spicy-woody, warm, tenacious, fresh, and sharp middle-note scent of ginger root oil has an odor intensity of about four out of five. Blending companions include florals, woods, and spices. For physical ailments, ginger is ideal as a digestive tonic or antispasmodic agent; it is used for muscle pain, and as a warming stimulant for cold and damp . For emotional uses, it is helpful to alleviate feelings of underconfidence, procrastination, or lack of vitality or initiative. Known the world over for its culinary and medicinal qualities, ginger grows in tropical climates and is extracted by distillation or carbon dioxide extraction.

Ginger
(Zingiber officinale)

Plant Family

Zingiberaceae.

Synonym

Jamaican ginger.

Description and Distribution

A perennial plant growing to a height of about 2 feet (1 m), with long narrow reed-like leaves stemming from tuberous rhizomes. Ginger is a native of southern Asia and is cultivated commercially in the West Indies and Africa. Most of the oil is distilled in Britain, China and India.

Extraction Method

Steam distillation of the dried, ground rhizomes.

Nature of the Oil

A pale amber liquid The aroma is pungent, warm and spicy. However, it lacks the fruity odour nuance found in the raw plant material because the process of steam distillation distorts the aroma. The odour effect is warming and stimulating; a reputed aphrodisiac.

Main Constituents

Gingerin, linalol, camphene, phellandrene, citral, cineol, borneol.

Properties

Analgesic, antioxidant, antiseptic, antispasmodic, aperitif; bechic, bactericidal, carminative, cephalic, expectorant, febrifugal, rubefacient, sudorific, stimulant.

Aromatherapeutic Support

Joint pain, muscular aches and pains, poor circulation, catarrh, coughs, sore throats, diarrhoea, colic, indigestion, loss of appetite, nausea, travel sickness, coughs and colds, infectious illness, mental fatigue, nervous exhaustion.

Blends Well With

Cedarwood, coriander, cinnamon, citrus essences, neroli, patchouli, petitgrain, rose, sandalwood, vetiver, ylang ylang. The oil is highly odoriferous, so use sparingly.

Botanical Name: Zingiber officinale

Extraction Method: Steam Distilled

Color: Light Yellow

Consistency: Thin

Perfumery Note: Middle/Base

Aroma Strength: Medium - Strong

Aroma: Warm, spicy, earthy, woody.

Use: Aching muscles, joint pain, nausea, poor circulation. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 60-64.]

Constituents: a-pinene, camphene, B-pinene, 1,8-cineole, linalool, borneol, y-terpineol, nerol, neral, geraniol, geranial, geranyl acetate, B-bisabolene, zingiberene. [B. Lawrence, "Ginger Oil," Perfumer & Flavorist, February/March 1982, 30, cited in Salvatore Battaglia, The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy (Australia: The Perfect Potion, 1997), 167.]

Cautions: Slightly phototoxic. Phototoxic. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 236.] Do not use if the area of application will be exposed to sunlight for 24 hours due to its phototoxicity. Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand does not indicate any special precautions when using this oil. [Robert Tisserand, Essential Oil Safety (United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone, 1995), 206.]