Immortelle EO

Latin name :

Helichrysum italicum

Botanical profile :

Immortelle is a herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family and the genus Helichrysum.

Geographic origin :

Immortelle is an endemic plant of the Mediterranean shoreline. It is possible to find it mainly on the cliffs and the scrubland of Corsica (France) or in Italy as well as, to a smaller extent, in Montenegro and in Greece.

Chemotypes :

Helichrysum gender, to which belongs Immortelle EO and Immortelle Absolute includes almost 500 cultivable species, mainly perennial and available all around the mediterranean area.
Major marketed species for perfumery are Helichrysum gymnocephalum, Helichrysum italicum, Helichrysum stœchas.

Please note also that the geographical origin has a large influence on the EO composition. Indeed, the immortelle from Corsica is rich in Neryl acetate, in Nerol and in D-limonene. Inversely, immortelle from the Balkans has a high rate of Aplha-pinene and a low rate of Neryl acetate.

Extraction process :

Once harvested and dried in June and July, immortelle gives an essential oil - Immortelle EO (yield inferior to 1%) or a concrete and an absolute (Immortelle Absolute) if treated by an organic solvent (yield of 1%, then 70% on the concrete).
The flower heads of the plant are cut with a sickle. The cut cannot be mechanized because this plant grows wild. Plants are hydrodistilled while they are still very fresh (a part of the production is usually put to dry for a few weeks in order to produce the Immortelle Absolute). The distillation process lasts about 3-4 hours.

Major Components :

For a Corsican Oil :
Neryl acetate (≈ 45%)
D-Limonene (≈7 - 10%)
Curcumene (≈7 - 10%)
Neryl propionate (≈ 5%)
Nerol (≈ 3%)
Alpha-pinene (≈2%)
Linalool (≈1%)
Beta-Caryophyllene (trace)

For a Balkan oil :
Alpha-pinene (≈25 - 30%)
Neryl acetate (≈ 20%)
Beta-Caryophyllene (≈7 - 10%)
Curcumene (≈7 - 10%)
D-Limonene (≈2 - 5%)
Linalool (≈3%)
Nerol (≈ 1%)
Neryl propionate (<1%)