Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have wholesale pricing for retailers?
Yes, all prices are discounted up to 40% for retailers. Please contact Carol for retail discount code. You must provide your resale number and a copy of resale certificate.
Is there a limit on how long an essential oil should be used?
To maintain effectiveness and to give your body a break if using the same essential oils daily, stop use after 3 weeks of daily use for 1 week. Then recommence use. Reduce chances of acquiring sensitivity reaction from constant use of the same oil over the years by varying choices.
How many different ways can essential oils be administered?
There are three basic ways that the oils are administered. One, via the skin by applying the oil the skin or the soles of the feet in diluted form; two, through the respiratory system, where you inhale the vapors of the oils from your hands, through diffusion of the oils into the air, or via a nasal inhaler; and three, through the digestive tract, where you take the oils orally, in diluted form, as advised and monitored by a professional. And they can be introduced to the body in combination, such as in a bath where you get the benefit of the oils through skin absorption and by inhalation.
Are there any essential oils that are harmful?
Special care needs to be taken if you are pregnant, have epilepsy, hypertension or any medical condition as there could be adverse reactions to certain oils so seek advice from a trained professional aromatherapist. If you have any medical condition or symptoms, see your medical doctor for proper diagnoses and treatment. True toxic or poisonous essential oils are not sold to the general public.
What makes these oils different from prescription medicines?
The oils are complete or whole. The allopathic way is to extract the chemical constituent of the plant for specific use. For example, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, antiinfectious, immunostimulant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, properties may be contained in one plant and thus one essential oil, as in the case of tea tree oil. The clinical aromatherapy way is to keep all the chemical constituents of the essential oil complete as they are presented in nature. Components of essential oils work synergistically for best results. The allopathic way would be to separate out the chemical constituents to deal with one symptom or pathology.

There is the phenomena of quenching whereby the potential unwanted results of one component in an essential oil are cancelled out by the natural presence of other components. In other words, a “hazardous” component does not automatically render the whole essential oil unsafe. This shows the importance of using the natural synergistic composition of whole oils rather than isolates. The concept of quenching is also used in blending oils.

As presented in Aromatherapy for Health Professionals, Eucalyptus globulus and E. smithii (another type of eucalyptus) both contain approximately 65% of 1,8-cineole which although greatly effective for infection, is also a skin irritant. Yet because of the quenching aspects of components in E. smithii, it is not irritating to the skin and safe enough to be used on children whereas Eucalyptus globules is a skin irritant. An example using the quenching phenomena in blending would be to combine oil of oregano with lavender. Alone oregano oil is very hot and caustic. Combined with lavender, it can be used as a non-irritating highly effective fungicide that does not burn.

For the most part, you will find that essential oils do not cause as many side effects as prescriptions drugs.

Why use blends as opposed to single oils?
Just as there is synergy between single oil components that render the whole essential powerful, when 2 or more specially selected oils are combined the synergy between them provides a more powerful effect than the single oil alone.
What factors affect the quality or therapeutic effectiveness of an essential oil?
Where the plant is grown has a lot to do with the quality of its oil. For example, peppermint grown at sea level has more mentone, a harsh an undesirable component. When grown at high altitude, such as in the Pacific Northwest, peppermint becomes quite rich in menthol which is most desirable for its antiseptic properties. Additionally, different parts of a plant will yield oils for different primary uses. Harvesting at varying times of the year will also affect quality.

The alternate view of the quenching phenomenon is that of synergy whereby isolates alone could be deemed ineffective yet pack a punch as they exist in combination with other components in a whole oil. By example, components from Eucalytus citriodora showed that they were relatively inactive. However, a combination of the three major components in the same ratio found in the natural oil produced a fourfold increase in antimicrobial activity. In a nutshell, the effect of synergy takes place so that when two or more components are put together, the end result is of greater activity than the individual components. Both synergy and quenching principles apply to using whole oils together to create blends.

How are essential oils made?
Essential oils for clinical use must be pesticide and pollution free and steam distilled under low pressure in order to retain therapeutic value. Oils that are produced under high pressure will not present reliable, predictable results due to modification of chemical identity. Additionally, oils derived from inferior plants or adulterated by the addition of inferior oils or synthetics can cause unpredictable adverse reactions or fail to be as effective as well. Another method of extraction used for citrus oils is cold pressing whereby the zest of the fruit is removed and mechanically pressed until the oil is released.
What are essential oils?
Essential oils are volatile oily substances that are extracted by various ways from plants. The compounds contained in essential oils are fat soluble and are very compatible with body tissue. They can be used externally and in some cases internally as well. Although essential oils are mostly known for use in aromatherapy for affecting moods and alleviating tension and stress, they are also used to help the body heal itself for many conditions such as sinusitis, bronchitis, allergies, pain, hypertension, menopause symptoms, cancer, and more.