[Gyvaka Swamp] The Scents of Life

by **Haeli** on July 10th, 2010, 10:04 pm

Timestamp: Summer 509 AV
Task: Perfume & Aromatherapy Training
Location: Gyvaka Swamp

Ozantha smiled all but toothlessly. She’d been slowing down these past several months, even though traditionally winter was her worst season. At three hundered and twelve, she knew she didn’t have many years left. The problem was, she hadn’t told Haeli yet. Summer normally favored her old reptilian bones, but even in this heat things ached. Shapeshifts came harder now, and mostly she spent her time in her dhani form because it was easier to move around if half of you was still serpentine. The girl that trailed her was more of a woman now than the child she remembered raising. But she was getting better at morphing, and could pass as Ozantha’s double now almost without effort. In fact, that’s what she was doing currently.

It was odd having a twin around.

“Your scales are too big. Fine tune them, child.” The old Dhani said causing the mirror image of herself to glance down at the serpentine portion of her body and frown. Indeed, they were a bit too big. Another Dhani might not have even noticed or might have attributed the too-large scales for an old wound. The Gods knew that Ozantha had enough of them. But Haeli noticed. She nodded and concentrated, sending djed into the area to micromanage her morphing and correct the slight variable. “Thank you, Mother.” The girl said with a slight hiss to her voice. Even though she was fully human, her morphing was careful enough that her features no longer even resembled that of her race of birth.

“So today are you going to teach me about perfumes?” Haeli asked, excitement trickling into her tone. Ozantha truly didn’t want to touch the subject of perfumes with Haeli, but time was running out and shortly there’d be no one left to teach her anything. She’d be alone in the vastness of the swamp with no other contact but the traders that came to visit once a season and buy their medicines. Haeli thought, along with medicines, she might add perfumes to the mix after having read in one of the books that Carlvan the trader had loaned her about women in bit cities liking such a thing.

“Yes child. I’ll teach you. Today in fact, if you are ready.” There would be no time later, Ozantha knew. This season or maybe the very next would be her last in the swamp. Her bones told her it was time. Her connection to Caiyha reinforced it. Siku could lick her colorless old scales. She’d outlived the Zinrah zealot’s predictions of death on the outside because she wouldn’t bow to the snake goddess’s will.

“Come with me… lets go into the workroom. Before you can make perfumes, you need to learn something about the language of perfumes and what makes a good one.” The Dhani priestess said, turning to begin her careful aged slither from the front yard of their swamp cottage up through the half-round doorway and into the workroom that was something of an extension on their living quarters.

“Now… the art of creating perfumes is called perfumery. All perfume is, if you’d like to consider it this way, is a scent derived from either herbs, flowers, oils, or other substances designed to produce an emotion or specific state – even if its just the illusion of the state of cleanliness or the aroma of power.” The Dhani said. “Different people take on different scents differently, so the art of making perfume is not only knowing about your customer or ‘target’ but indeed understanding how different perfumes react to different types of people or even animals.” Ozantha said, slowly taking down a notebook and thumbing through it until she got to her notes.

Haeli, fascinated, took her customary stool near her workstation and uncorked her ink vial so she could dip her quill. She opened a fresh journal – one she’d traded a fortune in scar-erasing salve for – and began writing.

“What is perfume?” Haeli carefully wrote in her journal and then answered the question as she waited for Ozantha to continue. Ozantha often paused, letting Haeli take notes when she was teaching her.

“Perfumes not only can be added to a person to enhance or mask their natural scent, but they can be also incorporated into such things as lotions or soaps to improve those items as well. Everyone enjoys a scent that can invoke an emotion. So if you are trying to say create a lotion that sooths dry feet, you’d also want one that smells pleasant to mask any foot odor and yet invokes a sense of fatigue being eased. That’s why all my foot lotion has peppermint in it. So, my girl, in essence perfume is herbalism just taken into the realm of aromatherapy. Do you know what that means?” The dhani wise woman asked.

Haeli truthfully had no clue. “I have no idea but let me think a moment.” She answered. Her statement was direct and to the point just like the old Dhani had taught her, though the words ‘I do not know…’ where not allowed to be in her vocabulary . “I would suspect though…” she added after some thought… “that it is some sort of scent manipulation.” She said.

Ozantha nodded. “Very good. Its considered by some as a branch of medicine, though I consider it closer to herbalism. You take very concentrated oils from the flowers, leaves, bark, branches, rind, or roots of plants and then use them in external applications with the hopes that the scent will effect change in a person – either a mood, healthwise, or sometimes even magical in nature.” The Dhani hissed, moving about her workshop getting several things ready.

“Perfumes and Aromatherapy is closely related because they both use essential oils. In aromatherapy, you can play loose with the rules, though in perfumery there’s always a stickler of a formula.” The old woman said, coiling up her tail and stretching upwards to reach some glass vials of oil. Some of them, Haeli knew, she made for herself. Others were indeed traded for via Carlvan and his fellows.

“First.. lets discuss oils… namely the difference between carrier oils and essential oils. You ‘ll use both in these two skills.”

Haeli nodded, stretched, and began to take profuse notes. Her quill scratched against the paper of the journal as she copied down everything Ozantha said.

by **Haeli** on July 19th, 2010, 4:00 pm

Haeli's quill kept scratching as she used her precious paper store to take notes as Ozantha spoke. The stool she sat on creaked as she rocked gently, writing furiously. The ancient dhani was very slow in her speech, but the frequent pauses were followed by large chunks of information.

"An essential oil is a concentrated liquid containing the volatile aroma compounds distilled primarily from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile, ethereal oils and often called "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted. Ie. Oil of Rosemary. The name primarily comes from the fact that the oil is "essential" because it carries a distinctive scent of the plant its made from. Essential oils do not have any specific chemical properties in common, beyond conveying characteristic fragrances. They are used in perfumes, lotions, soap and numerous other things. They can also be used for flavoring (Oil of Almond) and for creating incense. The plants, in order to conserve their most volatile substances, should be picked at a specific hour of the day and in a specific season of the year. Each one differs. We'll learn those as we go." Ozantha said, pausing slightly and waiting for Haeli to catch up. She took a breath and then pulled several vials of oil off a shelf, leaving them for Haeli to pick up, uncap, and sniff.

The human girl did so quietly, thinking about what Ozantha said and nodding to herself as she smelled Oil of Woundease, Oil of Mint, and Oil of Greatmoss.

"You can use essential oils medicinally as well. Primarily, these oils are used in soothing rashes and augmenting other medications to aid in skin conditions or such treatments as massage via body oil." The Dhani said, before moving on to carrier oil. She dug around in her cupboard, withdrew a large vial of oil, and set it down. Haeli continued to write faster, intrigued.

"Now, this is a carrier oil. I always use an unscented or at least unaugmented oil such as jojoba or coconut which we use to make up the main body of a perfume oil or a solid perfume. The difference is the carrier oil is used to delute or augment aka 'carry' the essential oil or groups of essential oils to form the substance your using the essence for." Ozantha said, then carefully took down a notebook and opened it to a list. "Here, these are the carrier oils I use. " She added.

Sweet Almond Oil: Sweet Almond Oil is expressed from the seed of the sweet almond rather than the bitter almond, has a faint aroma, and is very close to the natural oils found in the skin. It was first used for chapped, irritated skin, eczema, cradlecap, and to soften wrinkles. Taken internally, it is twice as effective as olive oil in reducing heart problems.
Apricot Kernel Oil: Apricot Kernel Oil is expressed from the seed of the apricot. It is heavier than Sweet Almond Oil but more easily absorbed into the skin and, therefore, an excellent moisturizing oil for face, hands, and hair. It is good for mature, dry, or sensitive skin.
Avocado Oil: Avocado Oil is one of the most penetrating oils. Technically, the avocado is a fruit; and the oil is mechanically pressed out of the dehydrated, thinly sliced fruit. Avocado Oil, if unrefined, is a pale or olive green. Clear Avocado Oil has been bleached; pale yellow Avocado Oil has been refined by distillation. Unrefined Avocado Oil will have a strong, green aroma and is rich in vitamins. It is a very moisturizing oil and especially beneficial for rash, eczema, mature skin, parched skin, and aging skin.
Borage Oil: This is a powerful oil obtained by pressing the seed of Borage plant. It is oily with a faint aroma and is best stored cool. It is used for all the same cures as Evening Primrose oil.
Coconut Oil: Coconut Oil is semi-solid but melts easily when put on the skin. It is prepared from the inner meat of the coconut fruit. This is an ingredient in many cosmetics, especially soaps, and some shampoos, as it lathers well. It can be used as an ointment base and is good for the scalp. Coconut oil is best stored in the cool cellar as it becomes rancid when exposed to air.
Corn Oil: Pressed from the inner kernel of maize, Corn Oil has a faint aroma and is a little lighter than Olive Oil. It is effective for all skin types.
Evening Primrose Oil: Evening Primrose Oil can be used interchangeably with Borage Oil and is also best stored in cool cellars. It takes a lot of plants to make the oil, so often we do not use this or borage oil. Internally, Evening Primrose Oil is effective for menstral cramps, breast lumps, heart problems, spine problems, aging, epilepsy, and hyperactivity. Externally, it may be used for dandruff, sun-damaged skin, eczema, problem skin, aging skin, rheumatoid arthritis, or wounds.
Grapeseed Oil: This oil is mildly astringent and especially suited for acne or oily skin. This oil does not keep unless it is in the cold season.
Jojoba Oil: Jojoba Oil is very similar to the natural oil our skin produces, though it is technically a liquid wax produced from the seed of the Jojoba shrub. Usually, it is pressed but can be solvent extracted. It is similar to sperm whale oil.
Macadamia Nut: This oil is expressed from the rich macadamia nut, has a rather medicinal aroma, and is oily on the skin. It softens skin and is used in shampoos, conditioners, creams, and massage oils. This oil is recommended for dry and mature skin.
Olive Oil: Fully ripe, hand picked olives make the best oil which is produced by crushing the pulp of the fruit and not the seed. Olive Oil is heavy and used in cosmetics and soaps. It can be used for massage and is best blended with a lighter vegetable oil. While it is filled with skin nutrients, its aroma will dominate a blend. It can be taken internally for heart disease and constipation.
Peanut Oil: This is a nutty smelling, heavy oil but quite good applied externally for arthritis and rheumatism.
Pomegranate Seed Oil: Improves elasticity, protects skin, deeply penetrating, strengthens the skin.
Rosehip Seed Oil: This oil is produced in Syliras and is popular for tissue regeneration for burns, scars after injury, stretch marks, and facial wrinkles, especially "crows" feet" around the eyes and mouth-probably.
Safflower Oil: Safflower Oil is produced from the seeds of the safflower plant and can be substituted for Peanut Oil and applied to bruises, sprains, and painful arthritis joints. It does not have a long shelf life when exposed to air. It belongs to the sunflower family.
Sea Buckthorn Oil: Damaged skin, scar tissue, wrinkles, beta-carotene, tocopherols, skin repair & conditioning
Sesame Seed Oil: It may be expressed or extracted and is also known as Gingelly or Teel Oil. If the oil is extracted from raw seeds, it is a rather light color compared to that extracted from roasted seeds. Sesame Seed Oil is a natural skin moisturizer, a good source of vitamins. It is also a good laxative. Other uses are for rheumatic conditions, eczema, psoriasis, or dry skin.
Sunflower Oil: Sunflower seeds are expressed to produce this light oil which is high in nutrients. Externally, it is used for bruises, dermatitis, and ulcers.
Tamanu Oil: Used on Scars, as an Anti-inflammatory, heals damaged skin, and can fade stretch marks.
Wheatgerm Oil: This oil has a nutty aroma and is extracted by pressing or solvent extraction from the wheat "germ." It helps relieve dermatitis symptoms, promotes skin formation, and improves blood circulation. Wheatgerm Oil is used to prevent and reduce scarring and speeds up healing of cuts and wounds.

With the list done, the first thing to do was to work on creating a carrier oil. Olive Oil was the easiest so thats where they started. Ozanth took a whole pot of ripe olives and began pressing them. "The best carrier oils are extracted adopting the “cold pressed method”. In this technique the seeds, fruits or nuts are expressed without external heat producing pure carrier oils rich in vitamins and minerals that conserve the therapeutic properties of their source." Ozantha said, then showed Haeli how to use the press to gently squeeze the pulp of the olive, extract the oil, and then catch it in a glass beaker beneath the press. Once all the olives were pressed, they sat the oil up in a dark place and let it rest so they could then go back and skim the oil layer off leaving the water and pulp layer that got pushed through and didn't stay within the press. "Carrier oils should be used according to each skin type. In most cases, the appropriate vegetable oils for normal skin are Jojoba, Apricot and Sesame oil. For dry skin, you should use Avocado, Castor, Rose Hip Seed and Olive base oil and finally for greasy skin the proper carrier oils are Grape Seed, Hazel nut, Almond and Apricot oil." Ozantha said. Once the Olive Oil was skimmed, strained, and placed in a dark glass jar, Ozantha was ready to move on in the lessons.

by **Haeli** on July 19th, 2010, 6:03 pm

"Now, we'd best create an essential oil. For that we'll need the distiller. The still is simple enough. It's just an apparatus that extracts the oil from the plant material. We'll use cinnamon, but first lets talk about stills and how to actually make an oil." Ozantha said, moving over to another part of her workshop where the apparatus rested. Ozantha then began to patiently explain the parts of the distiller to Haeli, of which the girl took careful note, including how to break it down and clean it up and put it back together. They spent several minutes taking it apart and putting it back together until Haeli was sure she had it right. The still was truthfully a simple thing. The heat source or furnace, which is used to boil the water. That was made with a little magecrafted item from Zinrah that equated to a hotplate. Direct fire, a fire built under the retort is the oldest method for heating the still, and they could use those on the bigger batches and on the bigger still. But today, they were simply working on the smaller one that was tableside. Next was the holding tank or retort, which held both the water and, just above the water on a grate or false bottom, the plant material to be distilled. Following that was the condenser, which collected the steam and cooled it, usually by piping it through a tube immersed in cold water or ice. And attached to that was the separator, which separated the essential oil from the water vapor. The separator, or Essencier, was one of the most important pieces of apparatus a distiller had. This enables the distiller to separate the essential oils from the distillate in a passive manner without any chemical ingredients. Ozantha was adamant about that. Passive was the best. When one used other chemicals, it tended to taint the essential oil. And indeed the steps in using it were rather simply as well.

How To Make An Essential Oils

Set up the Still
Harvest your raw material.
Dry the plant material.
Add water to the tank of your still.
Add your plant material and pack it tightly in the still.
Close the still and boil the water.
Keep an eye on the still.
Filter the collected oil.
Pour the oil into a container for storage.
Decide what to do with the hydrosol.
Clean the still.

They worked on the process for quite a while, carefully making the cinnamon oil from the dried bark of the cinnomon tree. Haeli followed all the steps closely and took notes while Ozantha talked about each step individually. "Harvesting... now thats important, child. The quantity of essential oils contained in a plant varies over the course of the plant's development, so it is essential to harvest at the right time. It varies depending on the type of plant so you need to learn your plants well. It is also critical to harvest the plants correctly - careless handling, harvesting the wrong parts, even harvesting at the wrong time of day can reduce the quantity and quality of the essential oils. Generally plants that are in whole form (not crushed or powdered) are best." The Dhani said, while Haeli took notes and then took out the cinnamon to begin packing the distiller. They'd already dried the bark, but that didn't stop Ozantha from talking about that as well.

"Drying reduces the amount of oil in each plant of course, because all dehydration does. But, that being said it can greatly increase your yield per batch because you will be able to fit more material into each batch and get a greater concentrate. Drying should be done slowly and not in direct sunlight. Syna can break down plant material, child." Ozantha said. It wasn't an easy process, but it smelled heavenly. Haeli really enjoyed it and took careful notes as they worked their way through the steps.

When it came time to fill up the water, Ozantha had comments about that too. "Make sure you have enough water in the still to complete the process! Each amount, quantity, and plant differs but distilling can take upwards of a half-bell to six bells or more after the water boils. Be sure that the water level is close to, but not touching, the false bottom that will hold the plant material. If you are performing a hydrodistillation on delicate flowers or powdered roots, bark or wood you will need to have your plant material free floating IN the water." She added. Haeli took notes and nodded, filling the water properly. Then she got the heat going and watched the pot. Cinnamon would take about two hours, so there was time for the copying of a list and more notes from Ozantha.

Essential Oils

Achillea oil: Anti-inflammatory and haemostatic. Against hypertension, insomnia and haemorrhoids. For gynecological diseases and neuralgia.
Angelica oil: Carminative and relaxing. For heart, respiratory and skin problems, anorexia, asthma, stomach ulcer, arthritis and psoriasis.
Aniseed oil: Emmenagogu, antispasmodic and tonic. For menstruation, menopause’s disease, dyspepsia, colitis, asthmatic bronchitis and tachycardia.
Bassilicum oil: Tonic, refreshing, memory boosting and insectifuge. For headaches, insomnia, depression and nervous tension.
Balsam oil: Antiseptic and relaxing. For asthma, bronchitis, dejection and sore throat.
Balsam oil: Anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, excretory and antitussive.
Benzoin oil: Excretory, calefacient, pulmonic and antiseptic. For acne, eczema, psoriasis, coughs and bad blood circulation.
Bergamot oil: Refreshing, tonic and calming. For stress, depression, insomnia, skin disorders and digestive conditions.
Bitter Almond oil: Aromatic. Can cause eruption of the skin.
Bitter Orange oil: Anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, styptic, antibacterial, fungicide, stomachic and laxative. For stomachic problems, enteric fermentation, constipation, acne, greasy skin and dyspepsia.
Cajeput oil: Antiseptic, calefacient. For respiratory infections, varicose veins and haemorrhoids.
Calendula oil: Anti-bleeding, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, styptic, cicatrizant and fungicide. For burns, wounds, eczema, greasy skin, skin inflammation and eruption and against bites of insects.
Cardamon oil: Antiseptic, diuretic emmenagogue and dilatant for blood vessels. For digestive system, bronchitis and enteric convulsion.
Carrot (seed) oil: Antiseptic, diuretic, dilatant for blood vessels and emmenagogue. For dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, rheumatisms, arthritis, anemia, dyspepsia, anorexia, colics, and menstruation’s problems. It refreshes mature skin and relieves menstruation’s pain.
Cedar oil: Insectifuge, antiseptic, calming, aphrodisiac, diuretic, styptic and fungicide. For acne, greasy skin, dandruff, hair loss, cough, bronchitis, cystitis, leucorrhoea, nervous tension and genitals’ itching. It helps hair regrowing and invigorates blood circulation.
Chamomile oil: Calming, refreshing, antiseptic and emollient. For skin infections and stomach derangement.
Clove oil: Anti-infectious, antispasmodic, insectifuge, anti-fungicide and tonic. For migraine, vertigo, stress, toothache, acne, wounds, burns, sprains, colic, sea sickness and dyspepsia.
Cinnamon oil: Antiseptic and antibacterial. For diarrhea, dyspepsia, bad blood circulation and rheumatisms.
Citronella oil: Cardiotonic, antispasmodic, calming, insectifuge and anti-louse. For rheumatisms, insomnia, stress, depression, otitis, arthritis, various colics and pelvis pain.
Cistus oil: Styptic, relaxing and calming. For elder skin and wrinkles.
Coriander oil: Calefacient, tonic and peptic. For stress and insomnia.
Cumin oil: Calefacient, tonic, and antiseptic. For dyspepsia, enteric convulsions and insomnia.
Cypress oil: Deodorant, styptic, diuretic, calming and refreshing. For asthma, bronchitis, cellulites, greasy skin, phlebitis, suppuration, gynecological and circulation problems.
Elecampane oil: Bactericidal, antifungal and antiparasitic. For mycosis, bronchitis and anemia.
Eucalyptus oil: Antiseptic, analgesic, pesticide. For flu, cold, sinusitis, laryngitis, cough, coxalgia, neuralgia, rheumatisms and mental lucidity.
Fennel seed oil: Alleviative, anti-parasitic, purge and against enteric fermentations. For all gynecological problems, water retention and cystitis.
Fir (Black) oil: Antimicrobial, ejaculatory and tonic. For rheumatisms, respiratory diseases, flu, cough and stress.
Fir (Kalean) oil: Antiseptic and refreshing. For acne and bronchitis.
Frankincense oil: Refreshing, anti-inflammatory and immunizer. For asthma and bronchitis.
Ginger oil: Calefacient and peptic. For sea sickness and various enteric diseases.
Grape – Fruit oil. Antioxidant and antispasmodic. For cellulites, obesity and urine retention.
Geranium oil: Circulation tonic, anti-ageing, styptic, anti-cellulite, haemostatic and insectifuge. For stress, nervousness, urine retention, cellulites, haemorrhoids, greasy skin, menopause’s and gynecological problems.
Helichrysum oil: For wounds, burns, thrombosis, cirrhosis and acne. It helps circulation and cholesterol problems.
Hypericum oil: Styptic, calming, cicatrizant and anti-inflammatory. For enteric inflammation, healing internal and external injuries, various pains (back, neck, muscle). Also for greasy hair and dandruff.
Hyssop oil: Antiseptic. For blood dialysis, tonsillitis and pneumonia.
Jasmine oil: Relaxing, calming and aphrodisiac. For headache, menstrual period, dejection and nervous fatigue.
Juniper oil: Anti-rheumatic, anti-toxic, emmenagogue and tonic. For nervous strain, stress, gynaecological diseases, arteriosclerosis, rheumatism, cellulites and obesity.
Laurel oil: Insectifuge, antiseptic, diuretic, bactericide, fungicide, tonic and refreshing. For rheumatisms, wounds and hematoma.
Lavender oil: Analgesic, diuretic, styptic, refreshing, relaxing, and calming. For rheumatisms, muscle’s pain, colics, dyspepsia, depression, headaches, hypertension, insomnia, stress and skin diseases.
Lemon oil: Refreshing, stimulating, antimicrobial, febrifuge, diuretic, antitoxic, haemostatic and antiseptic. For rheumatisms, digestive and hepatic problems, greasy skin, arthritis, varicose veins, cellulites, obesity, brittle nails, flu, fever, sniffles and dyspepsia.
Lemongrass oil: Analgesic, antidepressant, antiseptic and insecticidal. For digestive and hepatic problems.
Mandarin oil: Calming, antispasmodic and anti-wrinkle. For acne, greasy skin, urine retention, obesity, dyspepsia, enteric problems and insomnia.
Manuka oil: Antibacterial, fungicide and relaxant. For skin diseases, mycosis and psoriasis.
Marigold oil: For mycosis, respiratory infections and enteric parasites.
Marjoram oil: Calefacient, corroborant, antispasmodic and muscle booster. For arthritis, rheumatisms, lumbago, colics, strains, constipation, cellulites, dyspnoea, migraine, nervous tension, insomnia and dizziness.
Mastic oil: Anti-inflammatory and antibiotic. For skin problems, arthritis, coxalgia, bronchitis and urethritis.
Myrrh oil: Tonic and anti-ageing. For dysentery, hemorrhoids and hyperthyroidism.
Myrtle oil: For skin invigoration, greasy skin, hormone counterbalance, hemorrhoids and ovary and thyroid problems.
Neroli oil: Refreshing, calming and nervine. For parasites, hemorrhoids, exhaustion and depression.
Niaouli oil: Antiseptic, anti-allergic against viruses. For otitis, laryngitis and hormone problems.
Nutmeg oil: Peptic, calefacient, antioxidant and analgesic. For bloat, dyspepsia, sea sickness and muscle pain.
Orange oil: Calming, antispasmodic and anti-wrinkle. For skin care, obesity, fluid retention, obesity, constipation, nervous tension and stress.
Oregano oil: Antiseptic, deodorant, aphrodisiac, tonic, febrifuge, peptic and pesticide. For massage (especially to painful articulations), rheumatisms, cough, asthma, bronchitis and cellulites. Don not use undiluted oregano essential oil to skin.
Patchouli oil: Relaxing and refreshing. For dry skin, acne, eczema. It helps nervous invigoration.
Pefitgrain oil: Antiseptic, deodorant, peptic and tonic. For acne, sudation, greasy skin and hair, dyspepsia, insomnia and nervous exhaustion.
Pennyroyal oil: Tonic, insectifuge and emmenagogue.
Pepper (Black) oil: Tonic to digestive and respiratory system, waterworks, toothache, bronchitis, rheumatisms and sexual impotence.
Pepper (Red) oil: Antiseptic. It invigorates blood circulation and helps flu healing.
Peppermint Oil: Antiseptic, tonic and anti-inflammatory. For coxalgia, dyspepsia, sea sickness, fever, stress and migraine.
Ravensara oil: Anti-infectious, nervine and excretory. For insomnia and invigoration of chronic fatigue of the muscles.
Rose oil: Calming, relaxing, antidepressant and anti-wrinkle. For chronic bronchitis, asthma and sexual impotence.
Rosemary oil: Corroborant, emmenagogue, tonic and antiseptic. For memory, and energy boosting, muscle’s pain, rheumatisms, bad circulation. One of the best tonic massage oils. It helps hair growing.
Rosewood oil: Anti-ageing and tonic. For depression, fatigue and respiratory infections.
Sage oil: Antiseptic. For cold, fever, stomach’s and peptic problems, cellulites, obesity, herpes and menstruation’s problems. It is considered decongestant for blood circulation.
Salvia Sclarea oil: Calming and antidepressant. For mental euphoria, menstruation’s problems, hemorrhoids and nervous distress.
Sandalwood oil: Calming, anti-ageing and cardiotonic. Considered decongestant for vein and lymph.
Savory oil: Tonic, aphrodisiac, antibiotic and anti-parasitic. Don’t apply it undiluted to skin.
Tarragon oil: For peptic and equilibration of the nervous system.
Tea Tree oil: Antiseptic and local anaesthetic. For mycosis, enteric parasites and various infections.
Thuya oil: Antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and anti-bactericidal. It helps blood circulation.
Thyme oil: Antiseptic and antibiotic. For bronchitis and otitis.
Valerian oil: Soporific, hypotensive and calming. For insomnia, migraine, nervous dyspepsia and dandruff.
Vanilla oil: Aromatic, balsam and aphrodisiac.
Vetiver oil: Antiseptic, circulation tonic and antispasmodic. For acne, arthritis and rheumatism.
Vitex agnus castus oil: For gynecological and menopause problems, toothache and prostate.
Ylang Ylang oil: Calming, antiseptic, aphrodisiac. For hypertension and skin diseases.

Once it was done boiling and there was no more water or oil left to harvest, Ozantha showed Haeli how to filter the oil. "Use a glass funnel and cheesecloth or dry cotton fabric. Remember to trade for it, love, or else we will run out time and time again. Cheesecloth only survives so much washing, so we'll have to be careful. Ensure that the cloth is dry and clean because any dirt can contaminate the oil." The witch said, hissing slightly at the thought.

And finally, they talked about storage. "Most essential oils can be kept for at least two years, but some have extraordinary shelf lives. To maximize the useful life of your oil, keep it in a dark glass bottle. Keep them away from the sun and heat, and all will be good. Make sure the traders bring glass vials and bottles. If they do not, make sure you short them medicines and poisons so next time they will bring better quality stuff." The Dhani said, looking thoughtful.

Finally, and Haeli could tell it would be the last lesson for the day since Ozantha looked tired - the Dhani spoke of the hydrosol. "The distillation process produces the essential oil and a hydrosol which is the water that has been distilled and collects in the separator. Some of these hydrosols are usable themselves like rose water or lavender water. If you do not wish to save the hydrosol you can pour it into the still for the next batch (if you will be distilling another batch immediately) or you can discard it. But me personally, I'd keep the rose water to sell. The sailors love it for gifts for their shorebound ladies." Ozanth said. They didn't actually want to keep the cinnamon water, so they dosed some tea towels in it to scent up their kitchen and discarded the rest, calling a hault to the lessons for the day.

By that time, Haeli had a ton of stuff written in her notebook on Essential Oils, Perfumes, Carrier Oils, and an extensive list of some examples.

by **Haeli** on November 5th, 2010, 8:02 pm

Ozantha wasn't done with her yet. She had Haeli morph back into her human form, mainly because her hands were longer in that form than they were in her dhani persona and allowed her to work with the pipettes she'd be learning about in the course of perfume making. Haeli did so, having to adjust her hair color when she morphered back to her normal form and her hair color came out green. Ozantha frowned sternly, had her correct it, and Haeli spent another two minutes fine-tuning her ten minute transition until she had it just right. Then, she picked up the pipette and Ozantha showed her how to use one carefully.

"Now, this is a pipette. It is essentially a fancier version of a medicine dropper or eye dropper. They are used in philtering to transport and/or measure a specific volume of liquid. If they are clearly marked they can be used to measure a volume of liquid extremely accurately and then add it so something else." Ozanth demonstrated, using her mouth to gently suck a bit of liquid up into the pipette, covering the end with her thumb, she transferred it over to another glass vial, and released her thumb off the end. The liquid held neatly in the glass cylinder and then released equally as neatly when the Dhani wished it. Haeli then took the pipette, repeated the process, and transferred liquid back and forth until she had the hang of it. "You need to know all this, Haeli, because scents are important. You need to know the types of scents and then what different types of perfumes there are... categories, you understand?" Ozantha said, watching Haeli as she took copious notes and wrote down everything Ozantha said. "I understand. What are the types of scents?" Ozantha explained while Haeli made notes in her perfume journal.

Types of Scents

Citrus: This is a scent that is primarily composed of citrus fragrances.

Floral: Scents made from the essential oils of flowers.

Fruity: These are scents that feature the aromas of fruits other than citrus, such as peach, blackberry, strawberry, banana.

Gourmand: Scents with contain notes like vanilla as well as compounds that mimic food scents. These types are often called 'edible' or 'dessert' perfumes.

Green: This scent is made up of woodsy herbal smells.

Oceanic: This type of scent is used to mimic the smell of the ocean.

"Okay, now since we've talked about types of scents, lets talk about what scents are composed of." Ozantha said. " They have three parts. The essential oils, ethanol, and water. Lets talk about Ethanol. It's just the odorless alcohol used in perfumery. This is the same as grain alcohol, and I'll show you how to distill grain alcohol easily enough."

They used corn, let it sprout, and created a mash to mix it up. It was more philtering experience, so Haeli carefully kept track of what they did in terms of the steps. It was really no different than distilling other things, but the practice helped her understand how important it was that her ethanol was odorless and could act as a great solvent.

Making Ethanol aka Odorless Grain Alcohol

1. Gather ingredients and set up your outdoor still. The larger the better when it comes to creating ethanol.

2. If starting with whole corn, you need to convert the cornstarch into sugar by 'sprouting' the corn. Place the corn in a container, cover it with warm water, and drape a cloth over the container to prevent contamination and conserve heat. Ideally, the container will have a slowly draining hole at the bottom. Add warm water from time to time as the liquid level falls. Maintain the setup ~3 days or until the corn has sprouts about 2 inches long.

3. Allow the sprouted corn to dry. Then grind it into meal. Alternatively, start with cornmeal. Other things can be used - rye, rice, anything.

4. Mash or mush is made by adding boiling water to the corn meal. The mash is kept warm to start the fermentation process. Fermentation takes at least ten days, but can be faster if yeast is added. The mash is ready to 'run' once it stops bubbling and is called 'sour mash'.

5. The sour mash is placed into a cooker, which has a lid that is pasted shut, so that it has a seal which can be blown off should internal pressure become too great. At the top of the cooker, there is a copper pipe, or 'arm' that projects to one side and tapers down from a 4-5 inch diameter to the same diameter as the 'worm' (1 to 1-1/4 inch). The 'worm' could be made by taking a 20 ft length of copper tubing, filling it with sand and stopping the ends, and then coiling it around a fence post.

6. The sand prevents the tubing from kinking while being coiled. Once the worm is formed, the sand is flushed out of the tube. The worm is placed in a barrel and sealed to the end of the arm. The barrel is kept full of cold, running water, to condense the alcohol. Water runs in the top of the barrel and out an opening at the bottom. A fire is maintained under the cooker to vaporize the alcohol in the wash.

7. The spirit will rise to the top of the cooker, enter the arm, and will be cooled to the condensation point in the worm. The resulting liquid is collected at the end of the worm, traditionally into glass jars. This fluid will be translucent, and about the color of dark beer.

8. The very first liquid contains volatile oil contaminants in addition to alcohol. After that, liquid is collected. The containers of liquid collected from over the wash are called 'singlings'. Liquid collected toward the end of this run is called 'low wine'. Low wine can be collected and returned to the still to be cooked again. The initial collections are higher proof than those collected as the distillation progresses.

9. The singlings tend to have impurities and require double-distillation, so once the low wine has been run to the point where a tablespoon or so thrown on a flame won't burn (too low proof), the heat is removed from the still and the cooker is cleaned out. The liquid remaining in the still, the 'backings' or 'slop', can be recovered and poured over new grain (and sugar, water, and possibly malt) in a mash barrel for future distillations. Discard mash after no more than eight uses.

10. The singlings are poured into the cooker and the still is returned to operation. The initial collections can approach pure alcohol (200 proof), with the end collections, using the flash test on the flame, at about 10 proof.

Once they had their ethanol days later, Ozantha would be more than happy to continue the education.

by **Haeli** on November 5th, 2010, 8:47 pm

Ozantha smiled. "Now, you know how to make essential oils, ethanol, and the third ingredient is water. We have plenty of that. Lets look at what concentrations of what are in various types of perfume. You have to understand math to do this... but this is the basic formula for making any sort of scent. You can adjust the water and ethanol to get the right consistency, but remember the most important thing is the scent. If you make a bottle of cologne starting with 100 drops as your base, you need at least 3 to 8 drops as your aromatic. The rest is oil and water. You'll need to use a lot of trial and error to decide how much water and how much ethanol, but remember, a great deal more ethanol than water." Ozantha said, leaving the girl to contemplate the formula for a while. Haeli wrote down the percentages and carefully gave consideration to the different categories of perfumes. It seemed they just had differences in how potential the oil smell was. "You don't have to leave these perfumes oils either. You can make them into a solid by adding in twelve parts carrier oil, two parts beeswax and one part scented oil. You can add them into soaps as you make them, candles, and even into lotions and shampoos. Perfumers also make incense, which we can talk about later." Ozantha promised.

Type	Percent Aromatic Compounds
Perfume	15 - 40 %
Spirit	15 - 30 %
Cologne	3 - 8 %
Splash/Aftershave	1 - 3 %

"Now, understanding these formulas isn't enough to make good perfume. You need to also understand notes, Haeli." The girl nodded, listening to the Dhani speak. She knew the snake people had olfactory organs that were unsurpassed anywhere. Orzantha practically hunted by scent.

"Now, there are three types of 'notes'; top notes, middle notes, and base notes. Notes are a metaphor perfumers use to describe how scents interact with each other in perfumes. It's a lot like music notes, Haeli, which is why we use the terminology." The old Dhani said, letting hte girl catch up in her notebook where she was making notes. "Top notes are the first scents percieved once a product is opened or applied. These are light small scents that evaporate quickly. They give first impressions of scents and are important in inital impressions. Like a beer that foams when you pour it into a glass from the keg, these are also called 'head notes'." Ozantha said. Haeli wrote everything down.

"The second type of notes are called Middle Notes. These are the scents in a perfume that emerges just prior to when the top notes disssipate. These are the heart or core of the scent and are naturally called the 'heart notes'. The third kind of notes is a base note. These are the notes that bring quality, depth to the fragrance. Base notes never change and are often called solid notes because of it. Base notes can't be smelled initially usually, but become clear after the product has been applied for a few minutes." Ozantha said, pausing again to let Haeli finish her notes.

Now, finally, they were ready for perfume making... actual perfume making. Haeli couldn't wait as Ozantha outlined the steps. Haeli already had all the tools, all she needed was to pick a scent and begin. Lavender and vanilla was her choice, since she had both fresh plants (or seed pods in the case of vanilla and enough ethanol to begin. And so she did, carefully making her first bottle of perfume.

First, she carefully extracted her essential oil by distilling out the macerated lavender and vanilla (in separates batches) and creating the essential oils. Next, she got out clean water, ethanol, and decided on her mix. She'd do perfume... with a base of vanilla and the top and middle notes being lavender. She decided on a 30 percent lavender and a 10 percent vanilla mixture, added in the oil, then went ahead and added in the appropriate mixture of water and ethanol. When she was done, she stored the finished product in a dark glass eyedropper bottle and decided with enough practice she could eventually start selling perfumes to the sailor's ladies.... maybe even aftershave to the sailors themselves FOR their ladies. Anything to add extra tradegoods to their supplies. Anything.

by **Cayenne** on November 6th, 2010, 3:15 pm

Wow.

This was an incredibly informative thread, well-researched and very well written. I really enjoy seeing Haeli and Ozantha's relationship - it's very touching. Great job!

I hereby award the following:

Perfumery: 5 XP
Aromatherapy: 5 XP
Philtering: 5 XP
Morphing: 2 XP
Writing: 5 XP
Mathematics: 1 XP

Lores:
Lore: What Is Perfume
Lore: Uses of Perfume
Lore: What Is Aromatherapy
Lore: Aromatherapy and Medicine
Lore: What Are Essential Oils
Lore: What are Carrier Oils
Lore: Uses of Essential Oils
Lore: Oil Extraction Methods
Lore: Distilling Oils
Lore: The Distilling Process
Lore: Types of Scents
Lore: Ozantha's Scale Size
Lore: Making Scents of Notes