​Multifunctional Finishing of Textiles using Microencapsulated Vetiver Essential Oil: A Review

Abstract

Consumers awareness toward usages of natural ingredient for finishing textiles has built an ever-growing demand. New textile technologies have empowered the application of new ingredient on the fabric to provide its functional benefits to the end product. Essential oil has gained popularity as they symbolize “green” alternative and have been used to add specific function to textile due to their eco-friendly and biodegradable nature. Some essential oils, which can be used to infuse textiles with aroma, are also known to attain antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, antiseptic and antioxidant properties that can be useful for different textile applications. Aromatherapy is a form of an alternative medicine in which essential oils are used to impart therapeutic effects. It is important to develop textile materials with added functional properties in order to promote healthy and eco-friendly life style. Vetiver is one of the multipurpose essential oil that is economically and ecologically important. The main action of vetiver esssential oil is on the nervous system and it is both sedative and strengthening in effect. It has been traditionally used in aromatherapy from a long period of time for relieving stress, anxiety, depression, tension and insomnia. Therefore, vetiver essential oil can be used to impart finishing onto the textiles to develop functionalized textiles with useful properties.