Our certified organic Spikenard essential oil has a bitter-sweet, resinous, damp earth, mildly spicy aroma with woody green overtones. One of the oldest-known, rarest and most precious of oils, the roots and rhizomes for production of this oil are sustainably wild harvested in the mountains of Nepal by a conservation-oriented team specializing in endemic plants of the region.

Nardostachys jatamansi is a flowering plant from the same botanical family as Valerian, often found growing on north-facing rocky slopes at altitudes of about 3,000 to 5,000 m (9,800 to 16,400 ft) in the Eastern Himalayas of Nepal, Tibet, China and India.[1],[2]

Unfortunately, high demand combined with the difficulty in propagating slow-to-regenerate Spikenard rhizomes has led to overharvesting issues. Since 2017, restrictions on international trade have been enforced by CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora), including a ban on sales without proper permits. With CITES regulations in place to protect this vulnerable species and to limit potential damage to the surrounding ecosystem, restrictions on the harvest of Spikenard roots and rhizomes currently include: having defined collection areas that are alternated annually; prohibitions on hunting, over-collection, harvesting red-listed plants or those sourced near urban, industrial, agricultural or otherwise polluted areas.[1]

One of the most ancient of aromatics, Spikenard was considered precious to early Egyptian, Hebrew, and Hindu civilizations.[2] The Christian gospels describe Mary anointing Jesus’ feet with the (costly) ointment of Spikenard before the Last Supper, filling the house with its aroma.  It lends a deep and eloquent tone to natural perfumes, while its earthy, grounding aroma invokes an ambiance of calm, particularly in meditation and night time blends. With its sweeter and less pungent Valerian-like aroma, the heavy sesquiterpene molecules present in Spikenard make for excellent fixative properties. It is exquisite in anointing body oils and is also useful in targeted skincare preparations for mature and dry skin and scalp, foot lotions, and muscle and joint rubs.