Alpha-vetivone, Beta-vetivone and Beta-vetivenene: put them together and what have you got? Vetiver-bobbidee-boo!
Oh, wait ~ you’ll need to add in some Isovalencenol and Khusimol, too!
If these words are gobbledegook to you, it matters not when it comes to enjoying the essential oil these compose. These mouthfuls of letters are chemical constituents and every essential oil is made of highly complex combinations of these naturally-occurring compounds.
The words ‘chemical-free!’ are bandied around in descriptions of lots of natural products but nature is made up of chemicals.
‘Toxic-ingredient-free’ would be a better way to describe it and the reason I’m being pedantic about this is to help you understand that in no way is it bad for essential oils to contain chemical compounds.
When they are the naturally-occurring ones that are captured within the essential oil and not from any kind of outside additive, they are quite simply what gives essential oils their unique properties and benefits for us: body, mind and soul.
Vetiver has its own traits thanks to its unique combination of the constituents we’ve mentioned in our introduction, and whether you understand chemistry or not, you’ll love the benefits this combination brings if you’ll just open that bottle of authentic Young Living Vetiver essential oil and put it to use.
Each of the constituents in vetiver falls into a class or type of constituent, and it’s very high overall in sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenols.
It’s this very high composition of sesquiterpenes that makes it so very relaxing for the mind and grounding for our souls. It’s also the reason why it’s one of the key ingredients in Young Living’s divine blend Gathering™ which is so profoundly effective when it comes to gathering your thoughts and helping you build a little force field of sorts against the bombardment of chaotic energies. Inhale Gathering™ deeply and regularly if you’re feeling a bit scattered and all over the place or whenever you want to get into a study and focus mode.
DIRECT INHALATION TIP: You can inhale essential oils directly from the bottle, but you’ll get more pleasure and influence from the smell when you put a drop in your palms, smooth together and cup over your nose for inhalation. Of course diffusing is always wonderful, too, when you’re in a position to do so.
So how is vetiver essential oil obtained? It’s steam distilled from the root of the Vetiveria zizanioides grass, which can easily be mistaken for lemongrass.
Also known as khas-khas, khus, ushira, reshira, sugandhimula, vetiver has a long tradition of use in Indian Ayurvada where it’s considered to be a wonderful ‘cooling’ herb. It’s also known quite practically in a physical sense as a cooler. Khas mats made from vetiver were soaked in water and hung over doors and windows to catch the breeze and work as the simplest kind of evaporative cooler. No electricity required!
If you can grow vetiver in your yard (it loves tropical, hot and humid conditions), not only will it help to prevent erosion thanks to its very deep roots, but it can reduce insect damage when growing some plants and crops. Some bugs are attracted to it but their larvae can’t survive on its hairy surface. When you have a healthy thatch of vetiver growing, you can try your hand at weaving its roots into cooling mats for your home and really get that ‘back to nature’ vibe a-happening. You can use the grass for mulching and if you fancy your hand at thatching: vetiver is a plant made for you.
This will also connect you up with The Good Oil Team for our personal support and coaching. We'd love to help you on your journey to vibrant well-being the natural way!
Any questions? Please get in touch via our Contact page.
SUMMER VETIVER COOLER
If you feel like your system is running hot, put a few drops of Young Living Vetiver™ in a small bowl of cool water, soak a washcloth in it, lightly squeeze out and put it on your forehead and back of your neck for a relaxing refresher. For an extra treat, put the vetiver-soaked cloth in the freezer for a couple of minutes first: bliss!
DIY VETIVER FACE SCRUB
Ideal for oily complexions, also nurturing and cleansing for all types, this simple face scrub will have your skin softly glowing. Please do avoid your eye area throughout, including when you rinse the scrub from your face. Essential oils and eyes Do Not Mix.
- 2 tblesp organic sugar (use the fine granules, not course ones)
- 1 tblesp virgin coconut oil (hardened)
- 1 drop genuinely pure vetiver essential oil (we always choose Young Living for its impeccable quality from Seed to Seal®)
Mix the sugar and coconut oil together until combined then blend in the vetiver essential oil. Gently rub into your face in circular motions for a minute, well avoiding the eye area. Rinse off with warm water or gently wipe off with a warm, damp washcloth then rinse or use a gentle natural toner (we love the ART Toner from Young Living, of course!)
OTHER USES & BENEFITS OF YOUNG LIVING VETIVER ESSENTIAL OIL
With its relaxing yet uplifting nature and exotic woodsy scent, vetiver is very popular as an addition to skincare and fragrances. It’s extremely thick so when diffusing, try adding a drop of carrier oil such as Young Living V-6 Enhanced Vegetable Complex.
You’ll also love:
- unwinding with a massage or bath by adding it with Young Living V-6 Enhanced Vegetable Complex to make your own massage or bath oil
- creating your own 100% natural perfume (you’ll find recipes here to get you started)
- diffusing vetiver to drop your cranky pants or create a space where you can focus or chill (oddly enough it works for both); it also combines beautifully with lavender and ylang ylang; vetiver essential oils is very thick so when diffusing on its own, add a drop of carrier oil such as Young Living V-6 Enhanced Vegetable Complex
This will also connect you up with The Good Oil Team for our personal support and coaching. We'd love to help you on your journey to vibrant well-being the natural way!
Any questions? Please get in touch via our Contact page.
Essential oils are potent, so as always, please follow directions on the bottle and the usual guidelines for safe use of authentic essential oils.
Please ensure you are choosing a brand with complete transparency from seed to seal, such as Young Living. You can learn in this short video why we only ever recommend and choose Young Living oils and love them so much!
