Plai (Central) Essential Oil

Plai is steam distilled from the rhizomes of Zingiber cassumunar, a cooling cousin of ginger. Ours is wildcrafted in Thailand, and the aroma is fresh, herbaceous, and a little spicy.

The chemistry is monoterpene-forward. Sabinene leads by a wide margin, typically 41-60% in our batches, with γ-terpinene usually around 3-6%. Then comes terpinen-4-ol, a monoterpenol running about 13-23%, the same molecule that gives Tea Tree its antimicrobial reputation. Together they give Plai the cooling, comforting character it's known for, which is why so many people reach for it after exertion or to support digestion.

Every batch we bring in is independently GC-MS tested, and the full report for each one lives right here on this page. You can see exactly how the numbers shift from harvest to harvest.