Vanilla Essential Oil
(10 Fold)

The familiar base-note scent of vanilla is sweet, balsamic, heavy, and warm, and has an odor intensity of about four out of five. Blending companions for vanilla include florals, woods, citrus, and spices. Vanilla exhibits sedative and anti-melancholy actions. Emotionally, the scent can convey comfort, nurturing, and security; it fosters maternal instinct, builds confidence, and softens frustration and anger. Vanilla is the only edible orchid in the world. It is native to Central America where its only natural pollinator, the melipone bee, is found. It is now grown in Tahiti, Madagascar, and Indonesia, where its cultivators rely on hand pollination. It is undeniably a comforting scent for children. Vanilla
(Vanilla plantifolia)

Plant Family

Orchidaceae.

Description and Distribution

An exotic climbing orchid with greenish-yellow or white flowers. The green vanilla pod or bean grows to 10 inches (25 cm) and contains a mass of tiny seeds. The plant contains no essential oil: its taste and aroma come from the vanillin crystals which form on the surface of the pod after fermentation. This consists of alternate sweating and drying which can take anything up to five or six months, by which time the pods are soft and very dark brown. Vanilla is native to Central America and Mexico; it is also grown in other tropical areas such as East Africa and Indonesia.

Extraction Method

Solvent extraction of the 'cured' pods or beans. Unlike most other solvent-extracted aromatics, the alcohol used in the process is not evaporated. The final product contains about 30 per cent alcohol and is known as a resinoid rather than an absolute.

Nature of the Oil

A dark brown viscous liquid with a sweet, smooth balsamic aroma, characteristically vanilla. Its odour effect is warming, comforting and gently stimulating; a reputed aphrodisiac.

Main Constituents

Vanillin, acetic acid, ethyl alcohol, cinnamate, eugenol, vanillyl ethyl acid, eugenol, furfural.

Properties

The medicinal value of vanilla is rarely acknowledged today, but it was at one time considered to be a stimulant, an aid to digestion and to arouse desire, especially in women.

Aromatherapeutic Support

Not usually used in aromatherapy, mainly because it is extremely expensive and also because it is not a true essential oil. However, it can be vaporised as a mood-enhancing room scent. Alternatively, you may wish to make your own infused oil of vanilla which can be used as a base oil for massage.

Blends Well With

Citrus essences, cedarwood, coriander, frankincense, jasmine, rose, sandalwood, vetiver, ylang ylang. The substance is highly odoriferous, so use sparingly. Although concentrated vanilla extract is not entirely soluble in vegetable oil, it can be used in oil-based perfumes and massage oils as long as the mixture is shaken each time before use. For professional perfumery work, the substance is usually diluted in pure alcohol.

Botanical Name: Vanilla planifolia

Extraction Method: Solvent Extracted

Color: Deep Brown

Consistency: Thick

Perfumery Note: Base

Aroma Strength: Strong

Aroma: Rich, warm, sweet vanilla aroma.

Use: Perfumery

Constituents: Vanillin, hydroxybenzaldehyde, acetic acid, isobutyric acid, caproic acid, eugenol, furfural. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 233.]

Cautions: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils by Julia Lawless does not indicate any special precautions when using this oil.[Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 233.]

Essential Oils by Bianca Rosa are 100% Pure Natural Essences derived from the highest quality fruits, flowers, leaves, spices, herbs and roots. Our essential oil distillers and growers are located around the world, operating ethically, organically and chemical-free.

Bianca Rosa Essential Oils Are Not Tested On Animals.