What’s in an Udd? Have you heard of an Attar? How does one differentiate between a carrier oil, an attar and an Essential oil..
HOW DO YOU DISTILL SOMETHING THROUGH SANDALWOOD?Why, why and how come?
As a science geek these were common questions, as I began my journey of botanical products. I’d skip over words I didn’t know and hope to figure it out as I went along. Eventually I took classes and met up with some epic global wizards!
In 2016, I took a group of students to India on an educational tour. I had the opportunity to record a short explanation from a pioneer! Ramakant Harlaka, founder of Sugandhim Essential oils in India. You can see the 4 minute video here: https://youtu.be/GAfZ1kuh8T4
The Majmua “Udd” “attar” is a TWO-FER! I get to explain both processes for our featured oil this month. An UDD is a process that comes from distilling multiple plants together to form a specific scent. An attar is a process of distilling through another plant’s residue, most commonly Sandalwood or Vetiver. They both leave a heavy wax so it’s reusable. So an attar is when you must distill to preserve the delicate flower that would otherwise be damaged in the process. Kadam, Kewda, Mitta and Ruh Khus are the unusual flowers that make up this Udd blend. The petals were then placed in the wax of Sandalwood so upon distillation they give off a tri-doshic balance of woody, floral and musky scents. This gorgeous attar is known to blend with your body’s own chemistry and take on a unique fragrance to each that wears it. Brighten the bouquet by adding Mandarin or even Grapefruit!
How, where, when and WHY to use?
Add 5 drops to ½ oz of Almond oil and massage into skin It calms the nervous system and moisturizes the skin It add healthy fats to the skin and uplifts the senses
Add 5 drops to a 10 mL roller bottle of Jojoba oil and apply as a perfume Chemical free fragrance; on pulse point, in hair Soothing aroma that reminds one of inner strength
Add 3 drops to a diffuser, with 5 drops Mandarin oil and ignite a sparkle in your eye A known aphrodisiac, this blend will calm and stimulate at the same time Use other oils like Jasmine and kick it up another notch!
A carrier oil is just that~ it carries the Essential oil (or herbs infused) to be absorbed into the skin evenly. Essential oils evaporate when leaving the cap off the bottle. It will do much the same on your skin without the aid of the carrier. Almond oil and Majmua UDD are heavenly together. Not a fan of the sweet aroma or have an allergy to Almonds? Use Jojoba or even Apricot seed oil! Coconut oil can be drying, so only reach for that if that would benefit your skin.
Enjoy blending your own concoction and tell me about it!
Two oils that nourish and invoke a sweet disposition. Almond oil is very soft and and welcoming. A terrific carrier to use alone, or spice up a little with one of your favorite scents. Majmua Udd Attar could quite possibly become one of your new favorites. Its decadent, rich, floral and woody scents are never the same for two people. Its internal workings, combine with yours to reveal your own unique aroma. Learn about about these oils by selecting the buttons above, and add them to your cart this month and receive 15% savings!
Duos~ They go together like: Fred & Ginger… Peanut Butter & Jelly… Leather & Lace
Solo features~ Spotlight performances like: Sir Anthony Hopkins.. Judy Garland, Tony Bennett.. Audrey Hepburn; known best on their own.
BOTH Grapefruit and Indian Basil are a fantastic duo and splendid as a solo act. AWESOME either way.
GRAPEFRUIT~ out of the bottle is a straight up giggle. A strong whiff and the smile comes across your cheeks. The tangy fresh citrus aroma is packed with D-limonene, which I find interesting as the ultimate germ killer. How about emotional germs, they too are ‘infecting’ our thoughts and can act like a mental virus. There are notable ‘feelings of goodness along with pain relieving’ attributes that create this happy ambiance. The physical response is an example of how it soothes overworked muscles that are cramped or strained. Add it to your cleaning products and your massage blends. BE AWARE Grapefruit oil is phototoxic. This means there can be a reaction to sunlight which can cause blistering and burning with direct application. Keep the ratio to less than 24 drops per 1 oz. of carrier (lotion, oil or hydrosol). A perfect oil to add to mental balance or immune supporting inhalers. Grapefruit is cold pressed from the fruit rind.
BASIL~ is a fresh herbal aroma with a little earth spice. Indian Basil, featured, is different from Holy Basil aka Tulsi. Basil is used to keep things going.. This makes it helpful for digestion AND mental stimulation. We can get emotionally stuck and Basil can give us a sisterly nudge that it’ll get better as we get moving along. We hold emotional stress in the body; try using Basil in an inhaler or topical blend to unwind knots, relieve nausea, therefore releasing physical and emotional tension. It’s steam distilled from the flowering tops and leaves.
SOME USER TIPS:
Diffuse either oil in your home diffuser together OR..
EZ massage duo 1 oz Jojoba oil 4 drops Basil 10 drops Grapefruit massage onto tired or crampy muscles and/or an irritable belly
Grapefruit solo 1 oz Jojoba 20 drops Grapefruit Massage onto ankles to reduce swelling
BANK on increasing life! Shelf life that is.. What do heat, oxygen and light have in common? They each ‘oxidize’ Essential oils. When an oil is oxidized it spoils and becomes less effective or can even become an irritant.. The initial shelf life of an oil is based on the individual chemistry of the botanical. How it’s stored will increase the shelf life or decrease it, for that matter. To maximize its life, store in a dark, airtight container in a cool place. Airtight really means to keep the oil in the smallest bottle possible, allowing the least amount of air in.
Any light, not just sunlight will damage the oil. Essential oils that are cold pressed like Grapefruit or Bergamot have a shelf life of only 18-24 months even when in a controlled environment. The life can be extended if in a cooler with a pressurized pump to express. An oil like a steam distilled Vetiver has a much longer shelf life, 4+ years but could be oxidized and ruined within 1 week if left directly in sunlight and in a hot car with the bottle ¾ empty. This is from the time of distillation, not from the date you or your alchemist purchased it.
This month Savitur is featuring cold pressed pink Grapefruit and steam distilled sweet Indian Basil. If you combine the two in a blend the shortest shelf life prevails. In this case? The Grapefruit is the indicator of how long it can stay on your shelf.
GREAT NEWS… we have FRESH sparkling Grapefruit that just arrived from distillation. So uplifting and a spectacular way to brighten your mood. Add a hint of Basil to balance it out. The two are outstanding in leaving a refreshing aroma after cleaning:
Easy Fresh Clean Spray~ a simple counter top cleaner
4 oz Spray bottle 20 drops Grapefruit 10 drops Basil ½ – 1 oz vodka or white vinegar Fill with water and swirl together
Are you in touch with ingredients for your food, setting just the right mood with aroma, maybe even custom crafting or customizing your own daily skincare routine. Do you ‘care’ about these things?
Why/Why not?
Sometimes learning can be overwhelming. The more we learn the less we know, it seems. It feels daunting to hear ‘you should do it differently’.. Then doubt drifts in. Fear of too much information is as relevant as fear of making a mistake.
I dare you to make a mistake!
These words from my teacher, Anand, ring through my ears with ‘irritation’ sometimes. I make mistakes frequently and ‘suffer’ the consequences… at least it feels that way at times. And then I look back at the lessons learned and remember, life is about exploring, expanding and moving on with newfound wisdom.
My passion for Savitur Botanicals really falls in the category of education. I love to guide large apothecaries with their purchases or teach a staff of people about blending ideas. And recently, if you’ve noticed, we’ve begun in person classes making items such as inhalers, room sprays and upcoming in March will be body butters. It is my desire to relate simple information to those that wish to Do It Yourself and add a personal touch to easy wellness tools at home. When you customize your daily skin care products, not only are you uplifting emotional receptors, but you are enhancing your body’s immune response with the powerful components in Essential oils. Even incense can improve mental focus or promote a calming mind before bed. Try burning opposite scents like Rose and Vetiver!
“As confusion sets in, clarity is on the horizon.” A quote from my Essential oil teacher. Nothing wrong with a bit of confusion.. It means we are learning!!!
When you attend a workshop/event with me, we clarify information so you can be your own alchemist. SIMPLY! And all classes are recorded on YouTube for lifetime access to streaming.
What would you like to learn?
Tell me and I’ll blog about it or teach a course! No reason for missing out on any info you want the easy facts on…
