Grape Seed Oil

Grape Seed Oil is a preferred cosmetic ingredient for control of skin moisturization.

A light, thin oil, grape seed oil leaves a glossy film over the skin when used as a carrier oil for essential oils in aromatherapy.

It contains more linoleic acid than many other carrier oils.

Grape seeds contain several antioxidants, including oligomeric proanthocyanidin complexes, which show some health benefits.

Cold-pressed grape seed oil itself does not contain significant amounts of antioxidants since proanthocyanidins are insoluble in lipids. They are present in much higher concentrations in other parts of the grape, such as grape seed extract, grape skins, and in particular red wine.

A University of Maryland Medical Center review summarises the health benefits of grape seed extract, and its potential use in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency, edema, high cholesterol, hypertension and cancer.

A 1993 study supports the claim that grape seed oil increases high-density lipoprotein (HDL-C or "good cholesterol") levels and reduces LDL levels.

Grape seed oil also contains 0.8 to 1.5% unsaponifiables rich in phenols (tocopherols) and steroids (campesterol, beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol).

Grapeseed oil contains small amounts of Vitamin E, but not as much as safflower oil, cottonseed oil or rice bran oil.

Osmanthus Absolute

Osmanthus Absolute, Osmanthus fragrans is a flower native to China that is valued for its delicate fruity-floral apricot aroma.

It is especially valued as an additive for tea and other beverages in the far east.

While the flowers of osmanthus range from silver-white to gold-orange to reddish, the extract (alcohol absolute) is usually prepared from the gold-orange flowers.

Osmanthus absolute is very expensive and accordingly is used in only the most expensive perfumes and flavors.

Tonka Absolute

Tonka Absolute (Dipteryx odorata) is commonly known as "cumaru" or "kumaru" is a species of flowering tree in the pea family, Fabaceae, that is native to the Orinoco region of northern South America and its seeds are known as Tonka Beans.

The beans are black and wrinkled and have a smooth brown interior.

The fragrance is reminiscent of vanilla, almonds, cinnamon, and cloves.

Tonka Beans have been used as a vanilla substitute, in french cuisine (however banned in US food), as a perfume, and in tobacco before being banned in some countries.

Todays main producers of the seeds are Venezuela and Nigeria.

Vetiver Oil

Vetiver Oil (Chrysopogon zizanioides) is a perennial grass of the Poaceae family, native to India although it is also widely cultivated in the tropical regions of the world and its major producers include Haiti, India, Java, and Réunion; however the United States, Europe, India, and Japan are its main consumers.

In western and northern India, it is popularly known as khus, giving the earlier English names cuscus, cuss cuss, kuss-kuss grass.

It can grow up to 1.5 meters high and form clumps as wide.

The stems are tall and the leaves are long, thin, and rather rigid; the flowers are brownish purple.

Unlike most grasses, which form horizontally spreading mat-like root systems, vetiver's roots grow downward, 2–4 meters in depth.

Vetiver is closely related to other fragrant grasses such as lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus), citronella (Cymbopogon nardus, C. winterianus), and Palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii).

It is mainly cultivated for the fragrant essential oil distilled from its roots and it has excellent fixative properties which are widely used in perfumes.

Réunion is considered to produce the highest quality vetiver oil called "bourbon vetiver" with the next favorable being Haiti and then Java.

In perfumery, the older French spelling, vetyver, is often used.

Old Tamil literature mentions the use of vetiver for medical purposes.

In the hot summer months in India, sometimes a muslin sachet of vetiver roots is tossed into the earthen pot that keeps the household's drinking water cool and like a bouquet garni, the bundle lends its distinctive flavor and aroma to the water.

Ambrette Seed Oil

Ambrette Seed Oil (Abelmoschus Moschatus) is an aromatic and medicinal plant in the Malvaceae family, which is native to India.

The seeds have a sweet, flowery, heavy fragrance similar to that of musk.

The musk was once frequently used as a substitute for animal musk; however this use is now mostly replaced by various synthetic musks due to costs.

Different parts of the plant have uses in traditional and complementary medicine, not all of which have been scientifically proven.

It is used externally to relieve spasms of the digestive tract, cramp, poor circulation and aching joints.

It is considered an insecticide and an aphrodisiac.

Tobacco is sometimes flavoured with its flowers.

Beeswax Absolute

Beeswax Absolute is a solid, waxy mass of pale yellow color and a very mild, sweet, oily odor, with a haylike or coumarinic bodynote and a soft waxy undertone.

The beeswax is cleaned of mechanical impurities by melting and subsequent straining.

It is a comparatively rare perfume material which is an alcohol-soluble extract from crude yellow beeswax.

The odor is remotely reminiscent of good (not harsh) linseed oil with a trace of honey notes and is strongly dependent upon the origin of the beeswax.

Useful in perfumes it blends well with jasmine, mimosa, cassie, violet, helichrysum, flouve, liatris and chamomile.

Citronellol

Citronellol or dihydrogeraniol, is a natural acyclic monoterpenoid and both enantiomers occur in nature.

(+)-Citronellol is found in citronella oils, including Cymbopogon nardus (50%), is the more common isomer.

(−)-Citronellol is found in the oils of rose (18-55%) and Pelargonium geraniums.

Citronellol is used in perfumes and insect repellents, and as a mite attractant.

It is also a raw material for the production of rose oxide.