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Helichrysum italicum essential oil is extracted mainly in the Southwestern
Balkan countries where the plant originates and thrives in the wild,
such as Bosnia-Herzegovina. The French island of Corsica also has
several small traditional producers who extract the oil from wild-occuring
stands. Also known as immortelle and everlasting, the plant has been
used in herbal medicine since ancient Greece. The oil is now also
an important remedy for clinical use. |
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 This
small still on Corsica is run by two sisters and produces a fair portion
of the Helichrysum oil actually used by European practitioners. The
yield is low: one kilo (2.2 lbs) is obtained from as much as 1,400
kgs of plant material. Hence the high price of this invaluable oil. |
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 The
spent helichrysum plants are recycled by providing fuel for the fire
that heats the water that creates the steam that distills more helichrysum
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 The
cooling chamber that cools the hot steam through cold water is on
the ground level. As the steam condenses back to water, the precious
essential oil is drawn off the top. Its ambra-sweet notes are unique:
rich, velvety, intense, heading straight for the Heart chakra. |
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