In the 1970s there was a television commercial for Dr. Pepper with a very catchy jingle, one that I can still remember clearly. How I can remember it so well is a mystery, because I surely must have been just an infant when it came out (!) I guess it is a tribute to the writers, who obviously did their jobs very well, that the song is still in my head thirty-some years later. The catchy part (I can still see the dance steps) goes, "I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper, she's a Pepper, we're a Pepper, wouldn't you like to be a Pepper too?" The commercial made it seem like to "be a Pepper" was to be a member of an exclusive club. The singer claimed he was "part of an original crowd" which he rhymed with how "proud" he was of his exotic taste in soft drinks. Suddenly, the beverage that had previously seemed unpopular and out of the loop was now hip and offbeat. It would be nice to "be a Pepper, too", to be part of that original crowd.
The problem was--I didn't like the taste of Dr. Pepper. Not even a little bit. Not even enough to fake it. It seemed to be a weird combination of sweet and spicy ( to me, that is! Forgive me, Dr. Pepper fans, I guess my tastes were too mainstream). Most of the people I knew didn't like Dr. Pepper either, even a little bit. But the ones who did--boy, did they love it. In a way that was far beyond the casual affection that the Coke and Pepsi drinkers had for their soft drink of choice. Dr. Pepper people truly loved their Pepper. And the catchy commercial made it cool to proclaim it. "I drink Dr. Pepper and I'm proud," sang the cute man in the vest.
Patchouli is the Dr.Pepper of herbs. Very few people are indifferent to the scent of patchouli. Generally speaking, you love it or you hate it--and most people don't like it very much, at all. But the ones who love it, really love it. They come to my booth at craft shows looking for all things patchouli, and they leave clutching a bar of soap to their noses and smiling. What does patchouli smell like? If you've never smelled it, you just need to come see me and ask for a sniff, I can't describe it. The patchouli lovers would say it is exotic...earthy...spicy...even sensual. The other folks would say...it is musty...or it just stinks.
Patchouli (Pogostemon Patchouli) is a bushy plant with large soft leaves. A native of Malaysia, it is now grown in many Southeast Asian countries, and has a long history of use in the traditional medicine of the region. For skin care, I use it in my popular Eczema Cream because of its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. It is good for all skin types, and in aromatherapy is known as both an appetite suppressant and an aphrodisiac (though this would seem to me to depend on whether or not your partner is also a member of the Patchouli Lover's Club!)
Personally, I am one of the rare "in-between" type of people. I don't love patchouli, but I definitely don't hate it either. I like patchouli well enough on its own, but I like it even more when it is mixed with another herb that lightens or freshens up its heaviness. That kind of mixture is always more interesting to me--more complicated, more unexpected, more appealing. That's why we make Lime Patchouli soap--I find the fresh sweet lime scent to be a wonderful counterpoint to the warm earthy patchouli. The same goes for my Spearmint Patch soap and lotion--the first thing you smell is the sweetly minty spearmint scent, which is then grounded and made more interesting by the patchouli. Patchouli is part of the blend of essential oils in my Green Forest soap and spray, in the Sweet Earth soap, spray, and lotion bars, and in the Summer of '69 spray. And of course, for the hard-core patchouli purists, who want their patchouli products unadulterated by sweetness, by citrus and mints, etc, there is the Patchouli soap and bath salts.
Are you part of the original crowd?
|
