|
|
Sunday, January 01, 2006
|
|
| |
Edits and Changes...Starting Out with Rue (Ruta Graveolens, leaf derived) Essential Oil
It immediately became apparent that my "immersion method" for learning the different odor components wasn't going to work out. For example, the *very first* thing I picked out of the box was Rue essential oil. Not something you want to be slathering onto your skin, even in extremely dilute doses. Phototoxic, neurotoxic, an abortive...no thanks. In addition, it occurs to me that skin chemistry isn't all that useful really. What something smells like on me and what something smells like on pretty much anyone else is completely unrelated. How these things smell on my own skin is only significant to me on a personal level then, it's not something I need to be considering in formulary.
So, the first thing I did with the Rue was to take the top off of the bottle and just let it float into the air a bit. Here are my first impressions, without reading anything written by a professional "nose":
- soapy, bubbly. to me, this is definition of a foamy odor. the color "milky blue translucent" goes through my mind.
- chocolate? something brown, roasted, dark. it stops short of being "creamy" though, and heads toward "woody" instead.
- there is something sharp and saplike.
- very quickly becomes overwhelming, starts to give me a slight queasy headache. It occurs to me that the odors are somehow "greasy" or "oily", like they are climbing into my nose and sticking there. I can taste it in the back of my throat, and it has a waxy feeling like gargling with hydrogen peroxide.
- the odor seems to be a cool one rather than a warm one. there is an impression of water, not a "damp" odor but a wet, flowing water sort of sense. it falls short of being an "airy" odor because of the chocolate/woody edge to it. the oiliness also makes it too heavy to be an airy odor.
Although Rue is a traditional plant for the medicinal garden or kitchen garden (and was also a common culinary ingredient in ancient times...the Romans liked to mix it with cheese and other herbs for a sort of bitter-cheesy condiment, and Italians used to pair it with acidic things, especially tomatoes, because apparently that takes the bitter edge off) it's not much in use now because bitter things are not really in favor these days. Older people tend to appreciate bitter things more, perhaps because they've burnt out too many of their sweet receptors on the tongue (Taste buds - we are born with all we'll ever have, and once they slough off, they're gone forever. Over the course of our lifetime, our tastebuds are continually diminishing. Things taste the most intense to babies, who even have some taste buds in their cheeks.) It's still used in bitter digestive liquors and somewhat in homeopathy, although it seems to have fallen out of favor with most aromatherapists because of the health risks of overdose. I find hints of it's use in perfumery, but I can't get anything too specific. I can imagine that it might go well with green things, perhaps also mossy things, to give a walking-along-a-cold-dark-stream-in-the-woods sort of feeling.
I've seen a few hints about Rue being useful for joint pain, rheumatism and warts, as well as bug repellant. It's used somewhat in pet products for the repellant qualities, but then so is Tea Tree despite the fact that it can kill cats and greatly damage dogs.
A few places suggest that Rue blends well with Frankincense, Myrrh, Benzoin, Chamomile, Thyme, Bay, Fennel, Pennyroyal, Wormwood and Vervain.
Okay... I have most of these on-hand, so let's see what happens. I'm getting some blotter paper and droppers, and we'll see what happens. Right now I have to go get the kids though, so I'll finish editing this later....
.....LATER:
1. Rue alone, aged 1 hour on blotter - Still soapy/bubbly, but has lost the chocolate/woody edge. Now has a significant fruity-sour note, perhaps even the primary note. This is more like the odor of the fresh-crushed leaves. It is still a decidedly "cool" smell, although I'm not so sure it still reminds me of water.
2. Rue + Frankincense (Boswellia Thurfera/carteri, originating in Kenya), aged 1 hour on blotter - The rue completely overwhelms the frankincense odor; I can barely detect the slightest hint of balsamy, resin note in the background. The rue fragrance on this has also morphed to an added fruity/sour note much more like the crushed fresh leaves. No chocolate/woody note detected.
3. Rue + Myrrh (Commiphora Myrrha), aged 1 hour on blotter - The myrrh stands up to the rue much more effectively than the frankincense. I barely smell the fruity/sour note of the aged rue essence, it is balanced by the sharp odor of the myrrh, which reminds me a little of quinine in odor. (Quinine as in seltzer water additive that gives it a bitter edge; quinine also as in the malaria remedy.) I could see this mixture working for a very sharp, non-sweet green note. It strikes me as rather masculine, and it gives me a dark green mental impression.
4. Rue + Benzoin Resinoid (Stryax Benzoin), aged 1 hour on blotter - There's the soapy/sour/fruity thing, but also a touch of a sweet/spice going on. I can see how benzoin in the right quantities would work well in an accord with rue...it's reminding me of another essential oil which I can't quite place at the moment. I'm getting a definite sense of deja-vu with this odor, though. My mind gives me a burnt orange/amber color when I smell this.
5. Rue + Morroccan Chamomile (Ormensis Multicaulis), aged 1 hour on blotter - This really brings out the fruity/sour thing, and there is also a definite menthol note. An unpleasant ammonia odor is also present, though. The bubby/soapy odor is taking more of a back seat now.
6. Rue + Red Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris), aged 1 hour on blotter - Effectively balances everything. The fruity/sour is balanced well with the soapy/bubbly, and also the definite herbal/oregano edge of the thyme. Develops almost a spicy clove-like hint, and it becomes a very "hot" odor, different from the "cool" impression of other odors so far.
I'm getting a headache. The kids *hate* the odor of the rue.
7. Rue + Thyme White (Thymus Zygis), aged 1 hour on blotter - Okay, here's a floral hint for the first time. Reminds me a little bit of crushed rosehips as well. The fruity/sour element is quite distinct here, and the soapy/bubbly odor is way in the background. Again it is a "cool" odor. My mind gives me a greenish-white shade with this one.
8. Rue + Bay Laurel (Laurus Nobilus), aged 1 hour blah blah blah - Spicy floral here, also. Clove and cinnamon leaf. The fruity/sour is almost equal to this spice, actually. The bubbly/soapy is quite secondary. My mind sees cinnabar red.
9. Rue + Pennyroyal (Mentha Pulegium)aged...etc. - Minty and sweet, but with a slight, unsettling Brown Bottle Lysol odor in there. The minty pennyroyal takes the soapy rue and changes it to a crushed petal odor, kind of flowery but with significant chlorophyll odor as well. My brain sees primary green.
10. Rue + Wormwood (Artemisia Annua), aged, etc. - *Very* woody and green, with a sour note and a tiny little burnt rubbery note. Not in an unpleasant way, though. Very oily and gets in the back of my throat strongly.
Other observations: the oils went through the tissue and ate a little of the finish on my desk. Live and learn. This whole experiment has made me feel pretty icky. The odor of rue is definitely something that needs to be used *extremely* sparingly, if at all. I can see it being potentially useful with green things, sappy odors. I'm going to go put this away and then look for what the experts say about it.
.....LATER:
Experts say: "Sharp Herbal Fruity Orange Acrid".
Um. Okay.
4:18:23 PM 
|
|
|
|
© Copyright
2006
Melanie Teegarden.
Last update:
2/2/2006; 10:24:10 AM.
|
|
