Comments on: Ravensara rant http://roberttisserand.com/2010/02/ravensara-rant/ essential information Sat, 04 Feb 2012 01:31:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: catherine http://roberttisserand.com/2010/02/ravensara-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-1607 catherine Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:13:03 +0000 http://roberttisserand.com/?p=1062#comment-1607 I wish, like the serious gardening world, we would avoid using common names for the oils and instead call them by their proper botanic names (genus/species). Wouldn't this avoid a lot of confusion? I wish, like the serious gardening world, we would avoid using common names for the oils and instead call them by their proper botanic names (genus/species). Wouldn’t this avoid a lot of confusion?

]]> By: lucy http://roberttisserand.com/2010/02/ravensara-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-1606 lucy Tue, 22 Feb 2011 08:06:53 +0000 http://roberttisserand.com/?p=1062#comment-1606 Sorry to dig up this old thread, it is just when I saw what Martin Watt wrote about being careful when coming across an oil sold as Ravensara but is clear and smells just like eucalyptus - which is exactly what I got - and with nothing else to compare it with, I thought I'd ask what a true Ravensara aromatica essential oil should smell like? The West Coast Institute of Aromatherapy mentions licorice to differentiate it from the ...um, Moonbuggy oil. Sorry to dig up this old thread, it is just when I saw what Martin Watt wrote about being careful when coming across an oil sold as Ravensara but is clear and smells just like eucalyptus – which is exactly what I got – and with nothing else to compare it with, I thought I’d ask what a true Ravensara aromatica essential oil should smell like? The West Coast Institute of Aromatherapy mentions licorice to differentiate it from the …um, Moonbuggy oil.

]]> By: robert http://roberttisserand.com/2010/02/ravensara-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-76 robert Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:03:13 +0000 http://roberttisserand.com/?p=1062#comment-76 Hi Stephanie, There are two ravensara oils - one from the leaves, and one from the bark. I would assume that only bark harvesting is destructive to the tree. Also, you should know that the bark oil is 90-95% estragole (methyl chavicol) a rodent carcinogen, which may be a further reason for avoiding it. In regard to your environmental concerns, I don't know of a better single source of information than Cropwatch, though there are always different opinions. Hi Stephanie,
There are two ravensara oils – one from the leaves, and one from the bark. I would assume that only bark harvesting is destructive to the tree. Also, you should know that the bark oil is 90-95% estragole (methyl chavicol) a rodent carcinogen, which may be a further reason for avoiding it. In regard to your environmental concerns, I don’t know of a better single source of information than Cropwatch, though there are always different opinions.

]]> By: Stephanie http://roberttisserand.com/2010/02/ravensara-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-75 Stephanie Thu, 04 Mar 2010 05:21:28 +0000 http://roberttisserand.com/?p=1062#comment-75 Ranting aside, whats your take on the Cropwatch status for Ravensara: "Destructive harvesting of bark (100 t/y) for production of essential oil from stem-bark threatens the species (Rasoanaivo 1997)" from their updated January report. Should we be avoiding the use of this oil to minimise threat to the species? I'm 2 years old to Aromatherapy and concerned with the environmental impact of our use of oils, resins etc. Are there other benchmarks (other than Cropwatch) that provide solid info to help us make informed decisions about our use of certain species and / or chemotypes? Ranting aside, whats your take on the Cropwatch status for Ravensara: “Destructive harvesting of bark (100 t/y) for production of essential oil from stem-bark threatens the species (Rasoanaivo 1997)” from their updated January report. Should we be avoiding the use of this oil to minimise threat to the species? I’m 2 years old to Aromatherapy and concerned with the environmental impact of our use of oils, resins etc. Are there other benchmarks (other than Cropwatch) that provide solid info to help us make informed decisions about our use of certain species and / or chemotypes?

]]> By: robert http://roberttisserand.com/2010/02/ravensara-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-40 robert Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:26:41 +0000 http://roberttisserand.com/?p=1062#comment-40 Yes, and I think it's a pretty name. James narrowly escaped being called "Resinoid Benzoin" - not one of my better ideas! Yes, and I think it’s a pretty name. James narrowly escaped being called “Resinoid Benzoin” – not one of my better ideas!

]]> By: Ann Tisserand http://roberttisserand.com/2010/02/ravensara-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-28 Ann Tisserand Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:48:40 +0000 http://roberttisserand.com/?p=1062#comment-28 Quite off topic I know, but do you remember that we thought about naming Jade "Ravensara?" Quite off topic I know, but do you remember that we thought about naming Jade “Ravensara?”

]]> By: Chaeya http://roberttisserand.com/2010/02/ravensara-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Chaeya Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:12:31 +0000 http://roberttisserand.com/?p=1062#comment-20 I second Moonbuggy! I second Moonbuggy!

]]> By: robert http://roberttisserand.com/2010/02/ravensara-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-14 robert Wed, 10 Feb 2010 23:56:23 +0000 http://roberttisserand.com/?p=1062#comment-14 Martin - maybe the greenish, murky oil was from genuine plant material, but not very well distilled. Or, maybe the oil gets rectified at some point. Marge - I read your article, great piece of detective work! I, and I'm sure others have all come to the same conclusion. Ravinsara is not materially different from the cineole chemotype of ho leaf. It is not a different species, it's the same species. Ho leaf (the Chinese name for "camphor leaf") comes in three flavors - linalool, cineole and camphor. The linalool chemotype is popular in aromatherapy as a replacement for rosewood oil, so maybe is seen as the only ho leaf oil. As for names, "camphor leaf" would create confusion with white camphor oil, and since "ho leaf" does not designate which flavor, Kayla's vote makes "Moonbuggy oil" the current favorite! Martin – maybe the greenish, murky oil was from genuine plant material, but not very well distilled. Or, maybe the oil gets rectified at some point.

Marge – I read your article, great piece of detective work! I, and I’m sure others have all come to the same conclusion. Ravinsara is not materially different from the cineole chemotype of ho leaf. It is not a different species, it’s the same species. Ho leaf (the Chinese name for “camphor leaf”) comes in three flavors – linalool, cineole and camphor. The linalool chemotype is popular in aromatherapy as a replacement for rosewood oil, so maybe is seen as the only ho leaf oil. As for names, “camphor leaf” would create confusion with white camphor oil, and since “ho leaf” does not designate which flavor, Kayla’s vote makes “Moonbuggy oil” the current favorite!

]]> By: Martin Watt http://roberttisserand.com/2010/02/ravensara-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Martin Watt Wed, 10 Feb 2010 11:20:26 +0000 http://roberttisserand.com/?p=1062#comment-11 Most people in aromatherapy do not know that the supposed home of Ravensara oil happens to also be the worlds biggest importer of 1,8-cineol. The analyst I used to work for refused to import the oil for many years as he had never seen a genuine one. When he did get a genuine sample is was greenish and a bit murky. Yet when I was in the USA all I saw was crystal clear oil smelling like Eucalyptus. Buyer beware! Most people in aromatherapy do not know that the supposed home of Ravensara oil happens to also be the worlds biggest importer of 1,8-cineol. The analyst I used to work for refused to import the oil for many years as he had never seen a genuine one. When he did get a genuine sample is was greenish and a bit murky. Yet when I was in the USA all I saw was crystal clear oil smelling like Eucalyptus. Buyer beware!

]]> By: Marge Clark http://roberttisserand.com/2010/02/ravensara-rant/comment-page-1/#comment-10 Marge Clark Wed, 10 Feb 2010 05:03:32 +0000 http://roberttisserand.com/?p=1062#comment-10 but but but... traditionally, Ho Leaf from China and most countries, is high in linalol. So caling it ho leaf will confuse people just as much, or more, as calling it RavINTsara. The real problem is that so many authors wrote, for years, about ravensara when they were really describing the characteristics and effects of ravINTsara... witness Kurt Schnaubelt's books, etc. We had offered only the RavENsara for years, when we finally broke down and offered both we had to try to explain why... the results are here: http://www.naturesgift.com/Ravensara-Ravintsara.htm I'd love it if you could add to, or clarify, what I came up with, Robert. And BRAVO on getting the page up. have already bookmarked! but but but… traditionally, Ho Leaf from China and most countries, is high in linalol. So caling it ho leaf will confuse people just as much, or more, as calling it RavINTsara. The real problem is that so many authors wrote, for years, about ravensara when they were really describing the characteristics and effects of ravINTsara… witness Kurt Schnaubelt’s books, etc. We had offered only the RavENsara for years, when we finally broke down and offered both we had to try to explain why… the results are here:
http://www.naturesgift.com/Ravensara-Ravintsara.htm

I’d love it if you could add to, or clarify, what I came up with, Robert.

And BRAVO on getting the page up. have already bookmarked!

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