Vetiver Essential Oil of the Month by Charene Beauty Services
Chrysopogon zizanioides, commonly known as vetiver (derived from the Tamil: வெட்டிவேர் věţţivēr) is a perennial bunchgrass of the Poaceae family, native to India. In western and northern India, it is popularly known as khus.
Vetiver is most closely related to Sorghum but shares many morphological characteristics with other fragrant grasses, such as lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), citronella (Cymbopogon nardus, C. winterianus), and palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii).
Farmers mainly cultivate vetiver for its fragrant essential oil, which they distill from the roots. In perfumery, professionals often use the older French spelling, vetyver. Experts estimate worldwide production at about 250 tons per year. Perfumers widely use vetiver for its excellent fixative properties, incorporating it into 90% of all Western perfumes. Vetiver is a more common ingredient in fragrances for men; some notable examples include Dior’s Eau Sauvage, Guerlain Vetiver, Mr. Vetiver by Une Nuit a Bali, Zizan by Ormonde Jayne and Vetiver by L’Occitane.
Indonesia, China, Haiti are major producers.[12] Vetiver processing was introduced to Haiti in the 1940s by Frenchman Lucien Ganot.[13] In 1958, Franck Léger established a plant on the grounds of his father Demetrius Léger’s alcohol distillery. The plant was taken over in 1984 by Franck’s son, Pierre Léger, who expanded the size of the plant to 44 atmospheric stills, each built to handle one metric ton of vetiver roots. Total production increased in ten years from 20 to 60 tonnes annually, making it the largest producer in the world.[14] The plant extracts vetiver oil by steam distillation. Another major operation in the field is the one owned by the Boucard family. Réunion is considered to produce the highest quality vetiver oil called “bourbon vetiver” with the next favorable being Haiti and then Java.[citation needed]
The United States, Europe, India, and Japan are the main consumers.
Vetiver Essential Oil
The oil is amber brown and rather thick.
People describe its odor as deep, sweet, woody, smoky, earthy, amber, and balsam. Producers obtain the best quality oil from roots that are 18 to 24 months old. They dig up the roots, clean them, and then dry them. Before distillation, they chop the roots and soak them in water. The distillation process can take up to 24 hours. After the distillate separates into essential oil and hydrosol, producers skim off the oil and allow it to age for a few months to let any undesirable notes formed during distillation dissipate. Like patchouli and sandalwood essential oils, the odor of vetiver develops and improves with aging.
The characteristics of the oil vary significantly based on where the grass grows and the surrounding climate and soil conditions. Distillers in Haiti and Réunion produce oil with a more floral quality, and many consider it higher in quality than the smokier-scented oil from Java. In northern India, producers distill oil from wild-growing vetiver, calling it khus or khas. People in India regard this oil as superior to that obtained from the cultivated variety. Since domestic demand consumes most of it, this oil rarely appears in international markets.[15]
Medicinal use
Vetiver has been used in traditional medicine in South Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka), Southeast Asia(Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand), and West Africa. [16]
Old Tamil literature mentions the use of vetiver for medical purposes.
