Basil

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BASIL - Ocimum Basilicum. (Odour intensity 7.)

The oil from this plant is taken from the leaves, and, according to my records, most of these plants are grown in France and Egypt. It is the same leaf we use for culinary purposes; delicious with tomatoes I think.

The odour of Basil is one which I love, but is very individual. It tends to be pungent and rich, and perhaps a little spicy. As with all oils, if you don't like the odour at all - then don't use it. This is very important as we are talking about Aromatherapy here, don't forget.

Its toxicity rating is B, which is quite high. One of its uses is to encourage menstruation, so this Basil oil should NEVER be used on pregnant ladies.

I've always found this oil to be especially useful in cases of nervous exhaustion. It seems to stimulate the brain; clarifies, if you like and helps you to make decisions.

Basil oil is also recommended as an anti-spasmodic, particularly for gastric and intestinal problems and for hiccups and whooping cough.

Whilst studying, and before taking exams in particular, I always took a bath beforehand, adding 6 drops of basil to the water and relaxing for 20 minutes. The funny thing was that, when I spoke to my friends on the course, we found we were all doing the same thing - and we all passed our exams with flying colours!

If you would like to use Basil oil for massage, take your base oil of 20ml of almond, or grapeseed oil and add 7 drops of basil. This will keep for up to two months, if you keep it in a cool place.

With each oil that I feature in this series there will be an odour intensity rating, and after a few reviews of different oils I will give you a recipe for mixing them together. I really do hope that you will enjoy your oils from now on.

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