Cloves are the small reddish-brown, unripe flower buds from the tropical evergreen tree known as Syzygium aromaticum. The dried buds have been used since ancient times in many cultures for culinary, medicinal and even decorative purposes.

A necklace of cloves was discovered in a tomb alongside a mummy in Egypt, and during the Han-Dynasty (220-206 BC) in China, court officials were required to hold whole cloves in their mouths to sweeten their breath whilst addressing the Emperor.

Later in Europe, doctors breathed through clove-filled leather beaks believing it would ward off the plague, and German herbalists also used clove in a treatment for gout.
Read more…

I recently spoke to a new customer who had previously purchased her anonymous ‘cedarwood’ oil from a supplier that did not provide either the full common name or a botanical reference on the label. It was just called ‘cedarwood oil’.

When she purchased Quinessence Cedar Atlas oil she had presumed that it would be the same as the oil she was familiar with, and was understandably surprised at the different fragrance. ‘Why doesn’t it smell like pencils?’, she asked me.

Good question. ‘If only I had included this oil profile in a recent post’, I thought to myself, ‘It would have made this explanation so much easier!’ Oh well, at least our customer helped me to decide which essential oil I should cover next.
Read more…