Aromatherapy Newsletter Archives

Level I: April 24-25, June 5-6, July 24-25 (tentative)*, Oct. 23-24 (tentative)*
Level II: Sept. 11-12, Nov. 20-21 (tentative)*
Level III: 2011
Level IV: 2012
*Note that tentative class dates are currently "penciled in". Firm dates will be set by mid 2010.

Register for April 24-25 Aromatherapy Workshop before March 24th and save $20. Joie Power, Ph.D., director of The Aromatherapy School presents The Science and Art of Aromatherapy (for Aromatherapists, Herbalists, Massage Therapists, Nurses, Doctors, and all with true interest and willingness to learn about the Science and Art of Aromatherapy). 13 hrs. CEUs approved for AHG (American Herbalist's Guild) and 13 hrs. CEUs available to RAs (Registered Aromatherapists). An Aromatherapy Certificate for each Level (I thru IV) is presented by The Aromatherapy School. To register, click on link below (Early Registration = $20 savings).

Aromatherapy Workshop Registration

As you may know from our last newsletter, here at The Aromatherapy School, we’ve decided to sell a limited selection of Artisan Aromatics and have been searching for small grower/harvesters that produce their own essential oils in an eco-conscious manner.

Definition: Artisan Aromatics are essential oils that are produced in an eco-ethical manner by small grower/harvesters who do their own production specifically for the aromatherapy and healing arts communities and not for the mass market and the fragrance or food industries.

Artisan Aromatics are produced on a small scale and not manufactured for the mass market. These precious oils are produced on small family farms and distilled on-site. These grassroots producers take advantage of the local climactic and soil conditions and grow plants that are appropriate for their regions, living and working with the plants daily. In these days of mass marketing, almost all essential oils are obtained from large distributors who purchase oils by the drum and ton. It is our goal to return to the roots of aromatherapy and move back to dealing direct with family businesses and supporting them in their efforts to make a sustainable living in their time honored ways. This eco-friendly method is based on fair trade.

The Aromatherapy School's collection of Artisan Aromatics represents the highest professional standards of excellence for essential oils and we believe that our decision to deal only in Artisan Aromatics is not only good for us, our customers and our students but is a necessary step towards an economy based on support of cultural and biological diversity.

Our initial Artisan Essential Oil offerings begins with just four oils: Gardenia Essential Oil, Palo Santo, Lavender, Bulgaria and Tuberose Essential Oil. The Gardenia and Tuberose Essential Oils are absolutely incredible and are produced by a small farm in South America by Enfleurage. Please see more about Enfleurage and Gardenia below.

More information on Artisan Aromatics is available on The Aromatherapy School website (Click on link below).

Artisan Aromatics

Enfleurage is a technique of extracting the aromatic oils from flowers that goes back thousands of years to the days of the pharaohs in Egypt. It works on the simple principle that fats dissolve essential oils and thereby absorb their aromas. Petals and other fragrant plant parts are soaked in fat or non-evaporating oil which absorbs the fragrance. In the 19th century and early parts of the 20th, pork lard and beef fat were used though now some producers use vegetable fats like palm oil. In the early days, the animal fat was smeared on glass plates in a wooden frame called a chassis and then the flowers were placed on the fat and left to release their oils for several days. The process was repeated several more times with fresh flowers being added to the plates until the fat on the plates was completely saturated with the aromatic oils of the flowers. The oil saturated fat, called a pomade, was then dissolved by alcohol. The aromatic oils migrate to the alcohol which is then separated from the fat and then the alcohol is evaporated to leave the pure essential oil of the flower.

Enfleurage is used on certain flowers because some fragrant compounds denature when heat is applied and almost all fragrance is lost if steam distillation is attempted. Today solvent (chemical) extraction is most often used for the production of absolutes because it is cheaper than the old method of enfleurage. But, of course, the resultant oil can no longer be considered organic and there is always a hint of "chemical" smell to the aroma of the oil. The flowers that cannot withstand steam distillation for the extraction of their oils but for which enfleurage is appropriate include: Gardenia (see next article below), tuberose, jasmine, narcissus (daffodil/jonquil), lily of the valley, mignonette (birthday flower), cassie, violet & carnation. Rose and neroli (orange blossom) are available both as fine distilled oils and as absolutes.

The Aromatherapy School is pleased to offer two exquisite Essential Oils using the modern version of Enfleurage which uses no animal fats: Gardenia and Tuberose (see article on Gardenia Essential Oil below).

Today only a few producers use the ancient technique of enfleurage because....(Enfleurage article continued on our website - click on link below).

Enfleurage

Our Gardenia Essential Oil (Botanical Name: Gardenia jasminoides) is pure undiluted Gardenia Oil extracted by enfleurage. Most Gardenia essential oil is extracted by chemical solvents and is therefore known as an "absolute". Our Gardenia Essential Oil is most rare and comes from a small grower/producer in South America who extracts the oil by enfleurage. The entire process of extracting the oil it done by hand using no heat and no chemical solvents. Pure local palm oil is used to absorb the aromatic oils from the flower petals and once the palm oil is completely saturated with the essence of the flower then it is separated from the Gardenia oil by cane sugar alcohol which is then evaporated to leave only the Gardenia oil. The process is quite labor intensive and requires many pounds of flower petals per ml of oil but the results are astounding. If you close your eyes and sniff the aroma of the oil, it cannot be differentiated from the actual flower.

To learn more about our Gardenia Essential Oil or to place an order, go our Gardenia Essential Oil webpage (click on link below).

Gardenia Essential Oil