I went down another rabbit hole. We all really do classify these fragrances differently. Today I pulled out Blue Gum Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) and immediately recognized it. I also was able to distinguish it from Eucalyptus radiata because to me the latter smells more herbaceous. But describing what I smelled was another thing...
The first fragrance that came to me was menthol. But is menthol really cool and medicinal, i.e. two distinct odors? The next was herbaceous, and then a couple hours later it was woody.
I was curious how other aromatherapists described Eucalyptus globulus, so out with the excel spreadsheet! In The Encyclopedia of Essential Oils: The Complete Guide to the Use of Aromatic Oils In Aromatherapy, Herbalism, Health, and Well Being, Julia Lawless described EG as camphoraceous, woody, and sweet. OK, for me, camphoraceous is medicinal. In Evidence-based Essential Oil Therapy: The Ultimate Guide to the Therapeutic and Clinical Application of Essential Oils, Dr. Scott A. Johnson describes EG as fresh, clean, medicinal, woody. Then, in The Essential Guide to Aromatherapy and Vibrational Healing, Margaret Ann Lembo describes EG as medicinal and peppery. If that wasn't enough, I needed to consult Wendy Robbins, Founder and Author of AromaWeb, who describes it as fresh, medicinal, woody and earthy. Finally, I checked my supplier and they describe it as camphorous, medicinal, fresh, and clean.
So what we all have in common: camphoraceous/medicinal and cool/fresh. How would you describe Blue Gum Eucalyptus?
