This is one of my favourites. It is a very sexy and beautiful fragrance. The fragrance is overpowering. 1 drop of the pure essential oil is enough for 2 tablespoons of carrier oil. Too much of it can give a person a headache. Some people love it, yet others feel it reminds them of the medicinal oil used by the older generation of Indians. Jasmine oil that has been kept too long does have an unpleasant sickly sweet smell. Cleopatra is said to have used Jasmine as her personal perfume. In China, India and Indonesia, women perfume their hair by putting fresh jasmine flowers in their hair.

Jasmine blends very well with rose. Both rose and jasmine oils are reputed to be aphrodisiacs. Both are also very expensive oils. 5 ml of pure jasmine essential oil costs in the region of S$100. It is used commercially in perfumes. As such, it is often synthetisised. Synthetic oil, however, should not be used for aromatherapy. The properties of synthetic oils differ from real jasmine oil.

Jasmine oil is a uterine tonic. Some people use it in a massage oil during the early stages of labour. It should however be avoided during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters of pregnancy as it can trigger the onset of labour. It is also used in a massage oil for period cramps.

In a massage oil, it gives a 'warming' feeling. A person feels warmer after a massage with jasmine oil. It comforts a person and helps one feel more confident.

It may be used in skin care for dry skin. To use it, dilute 1 drop of jasmine oil in 2 tablespoons of a non-comedogenic carrier oil, like cold pressed safflower oil. Use it as a massage oil for your face. (But do a patch test first. Try a little on the inside of your wrist, leave overnight. If no irritation occurs, be cautious still. Try a little behind your ears. If no irritation occurs, then you may try some on your face). Some people do get nasty reactions to using essential oils on their faces, so do be careful.

Jasmine oil is often produced by picking the jasmine flowers at night. The perfume from the flowers is strongest at night. These flowers are then placed in trays of fat, or between layers of cloth soaked in olive oil. The fat or oil absorbs the jasmine oil from the flowers. Every day, the flowers are replaced with freshly picked flowers until the oil or fat is saturated with jasmine oil. This oil or fat is then processed to extract the jasmine oil. It is a very labour intensive process, and hence the high price.

The best Jasmine oils are from Grasse, Egypt and India.

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when diluted and applied in clockwise directions on the abdomen