Mace Oil

Technical Data Sheets :

Botanical Name: Myristica fragrans

Family Name: Cupressaceae

Common Method of Extraction: Steam distillation

Parts Used: Dried aril of the nutmeg seed

Note Classification: Middle

Aroma: Sharp, spicy and musky

Largest Producing Countries: Mace is a native of the tropical rainforests of Indonesia, the Maluku-Banda islands.

Traditional Use: Mace oil has analgesic, anti- rheumatic, anti-septic, anti-spasmodic, digestive, carminative, stimulant, laxative and tonic properties. It can boost the heart and blood circulation and can also activate the mind. It can revive people during spells of fainting and can stimulate appetite. The oil can give relief to constipation and is a good tonic to assist the reproductive system. The oil can be used undiluted in diffuser or can be inhaled directly. It can be added to a warm bath and it eases muscle pain and fatigue. Mace oil is mainly used for flavouring soft drink and the main components present in it are sabenene, terpineol, myristicin and pinenes. It was traditionally used by Arabians as effective carminative and aphrodisiac herbs helping in curing indigestion, impotence and premature ejaculation. Arabs traded Mace to Venetians and from there it spread to Europe in the medieval period. Mace has many nutrients like vitamin A, thiamine, vitamin C, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, potassium, zinc, iron, sodium, magnesium, manganese, copper, phosphorus and many more.

Blends Well With: Mace oil blends well with cedar wood, sandalwood, cypress and rosewood oils.

Of Interest: Mace is called Jatiphala or Jatisasyya in Ayurveda and is prescribed for healing many health conditions. In olden times, Mace was used for stomach disorders and other medical uses. It is now added to soaps and perfumes and is also used as an ingredient for cooking and it smells very much like nutmeg. Traditional Chinese medicine used mace and its oil for treating dysmennorhea or painful menstruation, abdominal pain and liver problems. The mace tree grows up to twenty meters in height and a normal tree can bear fruits of more than 50 years. Mace oil was used a folklore remedy for rheumatic problems, fever, mouth ulcer, insomnia, flatulence and diarrhoea. Nutmeg is the tree which produces nutmeg and mace. Nutmeg is the dried kernel of the seed and mace is the dried aril around it. Dried aril is steam distilled to produce mace oil. The oil pale yellow to reddish yellow in colour and it has a sweet, spicy and woody under note. The first harvest of the nutmeg trees usually happens 7 to 9 years after planting and the tree reach full production after 20 years. Apart from the oil extracted many other commercial products are also produced from the nutmeg trees, like extracted oleoresins and nutmeg butter.

Safety Data: It is not safe to use mace oil if you are pregnant. Always use the oil undiluted using a diffuser. Dilute the oil well before using on the skin. Do not use the oil on children without the guidance of an expert. Do not use the oil internally. It is not safe to consume mace in larger quantity and for longer periods of time.