Product Overview
Our Star Anise essential oil has an intensely spicy-sweet, pungent, warm, licorice-like aroma, with a deep balsamic-woody undertone.
Illicium verum - native to southeast China, Vietnam, India and Japan - is an evergreen tree that bears star-shaped fruits.[1] Aniseed or Anise Seed (Pimpinella anisum) is native to Greece and Egypt[2] and despite a similar spelling, is a completely different oil with different aromatherapy applications. This is one of the reasons why it is always a good idea to verify identity using the botanical name.
Trans-anethole is the predominant chemical constituent in Star Anise (approximately 70-95%[3]) and accounts for its licorice-like scent. This constituent is also present in high percentages in Sweet Fennel, another anisic essential oil that shares many of the same aromatherapy benefits as Star Anise, but has safety considerations due to the presence of fenchone, a monoterpene ketone.[4] The aroma of Star Anise refreshes the senses in diffuser blends and is suitable for chest rubs, belly rubs and muscle and joint massage blends.
1 Lawless, Julia. The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils, 2013, p. 38.
2 Ibid, p. 39.
3 Tisserand, Robert and Rodney Young. Essential Oil Safety, 2014, p. 197.
4 Ibid.
