Vetiver is a wonderful sedative that I recommend using when feeling nervous and/or agitated. It is one of the essential used in the blend for Madison + Green's "Feelin' Anxious" aromatherapy inhaler, which is specially designed to be used when anxiety kicks in.
Keywords:
- Calming, balancing, and grounding.
Therapeutic uses:
- Nervous tension
- Restlessness
- Irritability
- Depression
- Mental burnout
- Oversensitivity
Aromatic notes:
- very pungent
- earthy, woody
- sweet, deep
Chemistry:
- rich in sesquiterpenes
- extremely complex
About the plant:
- Native to India
- Tall and densely tufted perennial scented grass
- Essential oil is extracted from its roots
Key Scientific Researches:
- Volatile compounds emitted from the roots have helped the subjects to maintain performance, while maintaining high sympathetic nervous system activity. Matsubara et al (2012) Biomedical Research 32, 1, 19-28
- Anxiolytic dose of vetiver via the inhalation method is 2.5%, which is the equivalent of the diazepam. Both 2.5% vetiver and diazepam significantly increased c-fos expression in amygdala and suggested that the anxiolytic-like properties of vetiver might be associated with altering neuronal activation. Saiyudthong et al. (2015) Natural Product Research 29, 22, 2131-2144
Fun facts:
- In India, the roots are woven into door and window screens.
- The British occupation of India made vetiver popular in 19th century England and North America
- In India and Sri Lanka, vetiver oil is known as 'the oil of tranquility'
Caution:
- Vetiver essential oil is often adulterated, because the vetiver roots yield very little oil, making the oil expensive. When purchasing the essential oil, make sure that it's not a synthetic or adulterated.
