Latin name: Pogostemon Cablin.Part of the plant used: Dried leaves.Source: Indonesia.Extraction method: Steam distillation.Patchouli oil is extracted from the Pogostemon cablin plant of the mint family and has a rich musky smell, sweet and spicy. The plant is native to Malaysia and India, where it is known as "puchaput". The word patchouli is derived from the Tamil "pachchai ilai" which simply means "green leaf". Patchouli oil is extracted from the young leaves, which are dried and fermented before being steam distilled. This oil improves its fragrance and potency with age. In Eastern countries, patchouli oil is used in potpourri and sachets between laundry and clothing for its fragrance and to ward off bedbugs and insects. This oil is said to have a balancing effect on the emotions and to create a loving atmosphere. Used in an oil burner, it relieves anxiety and depression. Used in bath water, it is said to help skin and scalp problems, fungal infections, fluid retention, cellulitis and constipation. It has excellent tissue regeneration properties, accelerates wound healing and fights infections. It seems that the patchouli was placed between Indian cashmere shawls before being sent to Victorian England, to protect the goods from moths. Without that characteristic smell of dried patchouli leaves, the shawls could not be sold in England. In Europe and America, patchouli oil and incense was immensely popular in the 1960s and 1970s among hippies, as the smell of patchouli drowned out body odors and the smell of burnt cannabis. Patchouli was used as a hair conditioner for dreadlocks. In many Asian countries, patchouli is also used as a snakebite antidote.