Origin: Jasmine is a white beautiful flower and is known for its beautiful fragrance. There are more than 200 species of jasmine available in the world. Jasmine is very popular across the globe, jasminium sambac is a species of jasmine and is the National flower of Indonesia as known as Melati and in Philipines, it’s called Sampaguita.
Its entry into European gardens was through the Arab-Norman culture of Sicily. In the mid-14th century, the Florentine Boccaccio in his Decameron describes a walled garden in which "the sides of the alleys were all, as it were, walled in with roses white and red and jasmine. In earlier centuries, Egyptians and Greeks used this flower as aromatherapy, an aphrodisiac as well as a stimulant. Our ancestors used flower paste for healing sores and scars. Chinese people used jasmine to flavor their teas.
Scientifically: Jasmine is scientifically called Jasminum. It is the genus of the shrubs and vines and belongs to the family Oleaceae. It is believed that the jasmine originated in the Himalayas of Western China. Jasmine is usually white in color but can also be found in yellow color. The flowers are usually in the cluster and have shining leaves. The buds of these flowers have more fragrance.
The flowers in Jasmine usually bloom in summer or the spring only after 6 months of the plantation.
The Jasmine flower releases its fragrance at night after the sun has set. The true jasmine is a non-poisonous flower and has a beautiful strong fragrance.
Jasmine reaches about a height of 10-15 feet, and are either deciduous or evergreen. A Jasmine leaf is arranged opposite in most species. The leaf shape is simple, trifoliate or pinnate with 5-9 leaflets, each up to two and a half inches long. The size of the flower is about 1 inch. Jasmines usually grow in well moist, well-drained, clay garden soil with a medium level of fertility.
Usage: Jasmine is used for making medicines, flavoring the beverages, bakery items, gelatins, deserts, and cosmetics.
Jasmine is known for treating liver diseases; abdominal pain due to diarrhea relieves stress and is a great aphrodisiac.
Jasmine flower oil is one of the best essential oils in the world and is also called kings of oil. The oil is extracted from the two species Jasminum Officinale and Grandiflorum. This oil is great for aromatherapies and is used is to make perfumes and cosmetics, creams, oils, soaps, and shampoos. This aromatic flower is known for its medicinal and ornamental uses. The antibacterial, antiseptic, and antiviral properties of jasmine make it a brilliant flower.
Below are some DIY to make skin and hair healthier:
-Take a teaspoon of jasmine oil and add it to two tablespoons of aloe vera pulp. Mix them together and apply this all over face and body. Leave it on for 15 minutes and then rinse. This works as a great skin moisturizer, leaving skin soft and supple.
-Take some dried or fresh jasmine and brew it in two cups of water for 15 minutes. Let it chill and then apply on the scratches, wounds or irritated skin. This helps in healing of the skin.
-Take some dried or fresh jasmine and brew it in two cups of water for 15 minutes. Let it chill and then apply on the scratches, wounds or irritated skin.
-Take some dried or fresh jasmine and brew it in two cups of water for 15 minutes. Let it chill and then apply on the hair as a hair rinse after shampoo. This helps in improving the texture of the hair and keeps hair frizz free.
-Take some fresh jasmine flowers and leaves and infuse them in hot coconut oil. Once lukewarm, apply them on the roots and the hair length. Leave it on 45 minutes and then shampoo it. This helps in making hair longer and fuller.