Plai Essential Oil
Zingiber cassumunar or Zingiber montanum
Description
Plai belongs to the same family as Ginger. As with Ginger, Plai Essential Oil is steam distilled from the rhizomes (roots). The distillation of fresh roots produces an essential oil that tends to be more aromatically pleasing than when the dried roots are distilled.
Plai Essential Oil is gaining increased recognition for its ability to assist in pain management, especially for chronic conditions. It is particularly abundant in Monoterpenes and Monoterpenols, and it can also be helpful when incorporated into blends and formulations intended for respiratory and antibacterial support. (See the Plai Essential Oil Uses section below for more details.)
Aromatically, Plai Essential Oil is reminiscent to Ginger Essential Oil. Its aroma is pleasantly spicy with woody and peppery characteristics. It tends to blend well aromatically with the same essential oils that Ginger does, including essential oils in the citrus, floral, mint, wood and spice families.
Emotionally, Plai Essential Oil is an energizing essential oil that is particularly nice to use when feeling lethargic or sluggish.
Plai Essential Oil Benefits and Uses
- Respiratory Concerns
- Colds
- Flu
- Digestive Complaints
- Gas
- Arthritis
- Joint And Muscular Pain
- Muscular Injury
- Torn Ligaments
- Muscular Spasm
- Tendonitis
- Swelling
- Menstrual Cramping
- Abdominal Spasm
- Colitis
- Diverticulosis
Sources: Neryls Purchon and Lora Cantele, Complete Aromatherapy & Essential Oils Handbook for Everyday Wellness (Toronto ON: Robert Rose, 2014), 99. Valerie Ann Worwood, The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, 25th Anniversary Edition (Novato, CA: New World Library, 2016, 615.
Botanical Name of Plai Essential Oil
Zingiber cassumunar or Zingiber montanum
Plant Family
Common Method of Extraction
Steam Distilled
Plant Part Typically Used
Color
Clear to Pale Yellow
Consistency
Thin
Perfumery Note
Top-Middle
Strength of Initial Aroma
Medium
Aromatic Description
Plai Essential Oil smells fresh, spicy, woody and peppery.
Major Constituents of Plai Essential Oil
- Terpinen-4-ol
- Sabinene
- Gamma-Terpinene
- (E)-1-(3,4-Dimethoxyphenyl)butadiene
- a-Terpinene
- B-Pinene
Source: Private Communication: Pappas, 2003. Source cited in Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 400.
Plai Essential Oil Safety Information
Tisserand and Young do not indicate any special precautions when using Plai Essential Oil. Reading Tisserand and Young's full profile is recommended. [Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014), 400.]
General Safety Information
Do not take any oils internally and do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin without advanced essential oil knowledge or consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. For general dilution information, read AromaWeb's Guide to Diluting Essential Oils. If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children and be sure to first read the recommended dilution ratios for children. Consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children, the elderly, if you have medical issues or are taking medications. Before using this or any essential oil, carefully read AromaWeb's Essential Oil Safety Information page. For in-depth information on oil safety issues, read Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young.
Shelf Life
Important Information About the Profiles
The essential oil information provided on AromaWeb is intended for basic educational purposes only. The references to safety information, test results, constituents and percentages is generalized information. Essential oils can vary greatly in composition. The data is not necessary complete and is not guaranteed to be accurate. The essential oil photos are intended to represent the typical and approximate color of each essential oil. However, essential oil composition and color can vary based on harvesting, distillation, age of the essential oil and other factors. Profiles for several CO2 Extracts and absolutes are included within the directory, and are denoted as such.
