Essential Oils & Plants

Quick answer:Madagascar produces some of the purest essential oils in the world: lemon eucalyptus, ylang ylang, ravintsara, clove, cinnamon. Distilled in Madagascar, they concentrate the active compounds of endemic plants.

Our essential oils and plants from Madagascarcover everyday aromatherapy, body care and certain culinary uses (with caution).

Why oils from Madagascar

The Malagasy climate and unique biodiversity produce plants that are more concentrated in active compounds than average. These oils arrive undiluted, with clear traceability.

Lemon eucalyptus

Invigorating, fresh, a natural mosquito repellent. Ideal for diffusion in summer or to soothe muscles after exercise. See our lemon eucalyptus 5 mL.

Ylang ylang

Deeply floral, soothing. Used in high end perfumery, it is also known for its relaxing properties. See our ylang ylang 5 mL.

Ravintsara

Madagascar's flagship oil for immune support. Diffusion or diluted application during periods of seasonal vulnerability. See our ravintsara 5 mL.

Clove

An oral antiseptic that eases dental pain. Dilute heavily before any use on skin. See our clove essential oil.

Cinnamon

Warming, immune supporting. Very potent: use with caution and always diluted. See our cinnamon essential oil.

Vegetable oils: castor and flavored castor

Madagascar castor oil is prized for hair and skin care. Our castor oil 100 mLand ylang ylang castor oilare 100 % natural and cold pressed.

General precautions

Essential oils are active substances. Avoid use during pregnancy or breastfeeding, with young children, and for certain sensitive profiles (people with epilepsy or high blood pressure, depending on the oil). Always dilute before applying to the skin. If in doubt, ask a healthcare professional for advice.

Frequently asked questions

Diffusion or application?Diffusion for ambiance and wellbeing, diluted application for a targeted effect. Ingestion only under medical advice.

How long do they keep? 3 to 5 years in a closed amber bottle, away from light. Essential oils oxidize more slowly than vegetable oils.

Which oil to start with?Ravintsara is the most versatile and gentlest oil to begin with.

Buying our Madagascar oils

See our essential oils & natural oils collection.

See also: the Vanille Désiré wikiand the health benefits & usespage.

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Our terroirs

Where each spice comes from

Our map holds two points. Vanilla grows in the SAVA, in the north-east. Peppers, spices and combava come from Vangaindrano, in the south-east.

Madagascar · our terroirs SAVA Vangaindrano
Bourbon vanilla pods laid on marble Bourbon vanilla
Madagascar black peppercorns spread out Peppers and berries
Stacked cinnamon sticks, rolled bark Cinnamon
Whole dried cloves Clove
Turmeric powder and pieces of rhizome Turmeric
Ginger rhizome and fresh slices Ginger
Glass jar of Désiré combava powder Combava
Dried pili-pili chillies and a dish of crushed chilli Pili-pili chilli

Prepared Bourbon pods, standard grade.

Madagascar black pepper, whole peppercorns.

Dried bark, rolled into sticks.

Whole cloves.

Turmeric powder and cut rhizome.

Ginger rhizome and slices.

Our combava powder, in a glass jar.

Dried pili-pili, whole and crushed.

01
SAVANorth-east coast
02
VangaindranoSouth-east coast
03
VangaindranoSouth-east coast
04
VangaindranoSouth-east coast
05
VangaindranoSouth-east coast
06
VangaindranoSouth-east coast
07
VangaindranoSouth-east coast
08
VangaindranoSouth-east coast

Vanilla

Sambava, Antalaha, Vohémar, Andapa. Our vines climb there, on the north-east coast, and flowering runs from September to November.

Peppers and berries

Black pepper, white pepper, pink berries. Voatsiperifery is not planted: it is gathered from the vine, in the forest.

Cinnamon

Our cinnamon trees grow in agroforestry. The bark is taken from young branches in the rainy season, when the sap rises.

Clove

The clove is a flower bud, picked before it opens. It then dries until it hardens and turns deep brown.

Turmeric

The rhizome comes out of the ground, is washed then sliced. We dry it at low temperature: that is what preserves the colour and the curcuminoids.

Ginger

Same soil as turmeric, same botanical family. We offer it as a powder and in a grinder, depending on how you cook.

Combava

A small green citrus with a bumpy skin. Everything is in the zest, which we dry before grinding it into powder.

Pili-pili chilli

Picked bright red, with no green patch. It dries in the sun on racks, then is sorted by hand, fruit by fruit.

Two terroirs, one family. No broker between the plot and your jar.

Vanille Désiré · Madagascar

Photographs from our own catalogue. The outline of the island is a simplified drawing with no cartographic value. With us, vanilla comes only from the SAVA; peppers, spices and combava come from Vangaindrano.

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