Okay, I will start with a confession first. I used to not like Patchouli, AT ALL. It smelled like dirt. It still smells earthy, but I actually really like it now. I like it so much, that it’s the one oil I use every day without fail. Really, you say. What on earth would you do with Patchouli everyday? Ladies and Gentlemen, it is the best oil to take years off your face. And who doesn’t love years being taken off their face.  But we’ll talk about that in a minute.

Patchouli is an enhancer. When blending, you’d want to add this in your mixture second. It works to amplify the benefits of the first oil you put in your mixture. Other oils that are enhancers are bergamot(made famous by Earl Grey Tea), cedarwood, and Frankincense. Just to name a few that we’ve talked about in the past. Patchouli is also anti-infectious, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-toxic, and an astringent. And that’s only half of it’s helpful properties.

So the first thing I want to recommend you do with Patchouli is what I do everyday with it. I do an oil cleanse on my face. If you remember, we talked about oil cleansing in this post about Carrier Oils. At the time that I wrote that post, I was new to the concept of oil cleansing for your face and I thought I’d give it a whirl. I have not had one soap bubble touch my face ever since. I could not believe the huge difference it made in my complexion. It had also been recommended to me to use Geranium for the essential oil base to use, but alas, I had none and had to find a suitable substitute. Hence my love for Patchouli was born. One drop in a nickel sized pool of Sweet Almond oil is all I use everyday. You would think that using oil to cleanse your face would be counterproductive, and leave you feeling greasy, but with the astringent properties of Patchouli it is absolutely perfect. My skin never feels dry and tight afterward. It feels clean, refreshed, and radiant. The astringent properties cause it to tighten and tone your skin, reducing the sagging and wrinkles. And it does draw the impurities out of your pores, so count on having a breakout or two when you begin using it because it will detoxify your pores.

That’s another really cool element to Patchouli. It’s anti-toxic. It is said that it is a digester of toxins in your body. You can utilize this benefit by either topical or internal use. A nice hot bath with a few tablespoons of Epsom salts and a couple drops of Patchouli will help draw toxins out externally. And two or three drops of Patchouli in a gel cap taken each day, will aid in cleansing/clearing your body systems of any harmful build-up of toxins. An excellent time to utilize this EO for this purpose would be if you’re going to do an overall body cleanse/diet change. And as I also always recommend, make sure it is a 100% therapeutic grade oil.

Anti-fungal wise, Patchouli is great for treating Athlete’s foot and toenail fungus. Topically, it can be used for these issues in either a spray form or mixture with a carrier oil of your choice. If you’re more of an athletic type that is always wearing sneakers and sweating, you’ll want to use it in spray form. A simple mixture of 10 drops patchouli and witch hazel in a 2 ounce spray bottle. A drop of patchouli with two drops of a carrier oil is good for you beach loving flip flop wearers. One thing I have noticed when treating this in others is your circulation level plays a definite role in your immune response to your extremities. Chronic stress and health problems will cause your body to draw your blood supply predominately to your torso area, causing a weakened immune response and lengthened healing time to any injuries and issues you have with your hands, fingers, feet and toes. Cypress is excellent for supporting your circulation. A drop mixed with a dime size of carrier oil rubbed across your heart on a regular basis, aids in your overall circulation health.

Patchouli is also excellent for reducing inflammation topically and internally. Again, a salve of patchouli and either a carrier oil or lotion will help to soothe and reduce the inflammation from eczema. And taken internally, 3 to 4 drops will help to support reduction of internal inflammation from Gout and Arthritis. It can be applied topically to those areas of your body that area prone to internal inflammation, as well. That’s what is so fantastic about Essential Oils. Their molecular structure allows them to deeply penetrate through your skin to enhance your health throughout your whole body.

Patchouli is also a powerful against infections. It is an immune booster, supporting your bodies response to disease and sickness, and topically in wound care. This is a good oil to have around if you’re out camping or on a trip, in case of injury. It will prevent the growth of any infectious pathogen in case you can’t get into see a Doctor right away.

And lastly, Patchouli is wonderful for emotional support. It’s a close relative of Lavender, mint and sage, which we know from previous shows are powerful mental stimulants and soothers. Patchouli, when inhaled through your nose, works as a sedative that helps to reduce anxiety, reduce the body’s stress response and lift depressive moods. An excellent Depression boosting mix would be equal parts Patchouli and Bergamot. Bergamot is a citrus EO and we know what a benefit citrus oils are to our moods.

Well, I know Patchouli has a bit of a stigma for smelling reminiscent of a dirt pile, but I promise you, it will be one of your top oils when you give it a chance. Until next time, Happy Oiling!