Re: Olive oil as a perfume base in Antiquity--onphacium

[Guest guest]

Gail wrote:

>WE should like to make particular mention of " onphacium " and how it was

>possible to obtain it, since it was basic to all the extractions. It is the

>oil, according to the texts ..produced from unripe olives, more precisely

>olives harvested in August. We may pass over the difficulties of obtaining

>them and above all grinding them. (the olives in the lab) were allowed to

>soak for at least twenty four hours. They will still be ground further. The

>product we obtained in the laboratory is excellentl It is a slight greasy

>oil, which is very dark due to the abundance of mucilage, and is practically

>odorless and tasteless, apart from a faint herb-like odor. It had unexpected

>features, especially in its lack of fats. It has so little fat that when it

>is spread over the skin, rubbing it a little, it is easily absorbed. The

>next step was filtering, followed by blending.

WOW! Wonderful! Thank you so much Gail, for all your typing and

research. Doesn't this sound like marvelous stuff? Wonder if anybody does

it today?

Janine