What is Patchouli?

Patchouli oil, with its recognizable musky, sweet, spicy aroma, is used widely used as a fragrance soap making. In fact, you'd be surprised that some of the well-known and much-loved Doss Man Soap bars of contain patchouli as a base note.

The oil is extracted by steam distillation from the dried leaves of the patchouli plant (Pogostemon cablin), an upright, bushy, evergreen perennial herb with lightly fragrant leaves, and white, violet-marked flowers. It grows wild and is harvested by hand and allowed to ferment before the oil is steam extracted and distilled.

Where Mother Nature Nurtures it

The patchouli plant is native to tropical Southeast Asian countries but is widely cultivated all over the tropics and subtropics.

The Sniff Test

Patchouli oil has a strong, slightly sweet, intoxicating scent. It can be described as having a dark, musky-earthy aroma profile, reminiscent of wet soil. Due to its intense smell, even when diluted, a little patchouli oil goes a long way. Patchouli oil mixes well with many other essential oils, including vetiver, sandalwood, frankincense, bergamot, cedarwood, Traditionally, patchouli has been used often as a medicinal ingredient to treat skin inflammations and scars, headaches, colic, muscle spasms, bacterial and viral infections, anxiety, and depression. The Chinese, Japanese and Arabs believe it to possess aphrodisiac properties. A selection of men's fragrances starring patchouli include, Prada Pour Homme, Tom Ford White Patchouli for Men, and Ralph Lauren Black.

Doss Man Soap

• Patchouli Sandalwood Goat Milk