Also known as: Garden violet, blue violet, English violet, purple violet, Violeta.
The violet has a long tradition in herbal folklore. Some of the traditional uses include: heart problems, skin conditions, bad circulation, etc. It has also been said to have very mild pain killing qualities. It has now been found that violets do contain a small amount of salicylic acid (aspirin). The violet is actually native to north Europe and parts of Asia it is now cultivated worldwide. There are over 200 spices and the main types for perfume being Victoria odorata and Parma odorata. Violets are also edible and were frequently candied in Victorian times. Today the flavoring is still used in fine confections.
Essential Oil of Violet:
The leaves and flowers produce the essential oil which is thick and dark green in color. If the flowers are only used, the resulting essential oil is yellow-green colored with a sweet floral fragrance. If you were to use it in perfume blending, it would blend well with oils such as tuberose, hyacinth and other floras such as rose. The leaves and petals of the violet containe bezyl alcohol, ionone and viola quercitin, hexyl alcohol, parmone and nonadienal. In the leaves alone over 100 volatile oils have been isolated. Today the essential of violet is mainly used in the perfume industry.
Here is asimple recipe for violet salve which can be applied to the skin to
help sooth it.
8 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon natural bees wax
1/2 Cup fresh violet flowers
2 drops Roman chamomile
1/2 teaspoon honey
In a sauce pan or small pot, heat oil. Add flowers, wax & honey. Mix until well incorporated. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Turn heat off. Let it stand for another 10 minutes. Strain off flowers & add essential oil. Pour into a clean container & let it cool in the refrigerator.
NOTE: do not use on broken skin. Leaves can also be used if flowers are not available. Adverse reactions may include sensitization and possible cathartic (purgative/laxative) effects.
NOTES: Charles W. Fetrow, PharmD, Juan R. Avila, PharmD, Professional's Handbook of Complementary & Alternative Medicine (Springhouse, PA 1999)pp. 627-628.
Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Element, MA 1995)pp. 235.