Welcome to Eden Botanicals' Aromatherapy and Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils web page! Here you will find information on aromatherapy essential oils and the therapeutic action of 100% natural, pure and genuine essential oils.

Eden Botanicals stocks a full range of therapeutic grade essential oils to use in creating aromatherapy synergistic combinations of healing oils for the healing of body, mind and spirit. Single essential oils and synergies (combinations or blends of various pure, therapeutic grade essences) have been used for a wide variety of health conditions with good results. However, for complete healing we recommend that essential oils should be used in combination with other modalities (e.g., the complimentary medical approach). This would typically include lifestyle approaches – dietary changes, exercise routines, meditation, yoga, de-stressing, etc. – as well as other medical modalities such as acupuncture, herbal medicine, allopathic, chiropractic, massage, etc.

Many considerations are taken into account throughout the entire process of producing essentials oils that are to be used for therapeutic purposes. For this reason, these aromatherapeutic grade essential oils tend to be harder to source and more expensive than commercial grade essential oils. Eden Botanicals is proud to offer you these highest-quality therapeutic grade essential oils at wholesale prices. True therapeutic grade essential oils are substantially different from commercial grade essential oils. In general, essential oils for aromatherapy are specifically grown for a special (small) sector within the essential oil market (which is within the Flavors and Fragrance industry). They are more expensive to purchase than commercial oils because more care has gone into the production of the plants, the distillation process, and the after-care of the oil, and they are made in batches that are smaller than commercial grade essential oil batches.

Specifically the following holds true for authentic essential oils that have been legitimately produced for the aromatherapy market.

Growing

Aromatherapy (aroma therapy) grade essential oils come from crops grown from seeds or root stocks that are true to species, subspecies, cultivar or variety and chemotype. They may be cultivated on small, independently owned farms or from larger farms and plantations, and they may have, or may not have, been grown using organic methods. The most important part in the growing cycle is that they have been grown and tended with care on soils that are healthy enough to produce quality crops. Other sources for aromatherapeutic grade essential oils are from plants that grow in the wild, where selective harvesting should be performed to ensure that the plants are able to continue to propagate on their own.

Harvesting

The correct timing for the harvest of cultivated or wild harvested plants, even to the time of day (especially for delicate flowers such as Jasmine and Rose), ensures the quality of fresh plant material, optimal yield of oil, and the desired proportions of constituents within the oil. During the harvest, whether by hand or by machinery, it is important that only the desired plant material is collected to the exclusion of other plants or weeds that may be growing along side the desired plants. Optimally, distillation takes place on the premises or the plant material may be transported to another location with care. Some plants or plant parts need to be distilled quickly after harvesting, while other material can sit (or actually needs to dry, etc.) before it is ready to distill. Some plants need to be sorted, cleaned, etc. before being distilled. In any case, the process needs to be monitored by someone who is knowledgeable and performed correctly for that specific plant type.

Distillation

A knowledgeable and experienced distiller is necessary to carefully monitor the process of distillation in order to create the highest quality of essential oils. Typically small batches of plant material in relatively small distillation units are used to create true aroma therapy essential oils. In contrast, commercial essential oils are produced more quickly in larger units and with higher heat.

A crucial factor in the distillation of aromatherapeutic grade essential oils is the use of lower temperatures and pressures, resulting in essential oils that are more representative of the oil’s constituents as they naturally occur in the plant. Higher temperatures and pressures employed in large stills and with large batches of plant material are used for the purpose of saving time and energy, so the integrity of the resulting oils is compromised. Essential oils produced in this way are considered commercial grade and are suitable for mass-produced food and beverage flavorings, soap manufacture, and similar uses.

A knowledgeable and experienced distiller is necessary to carefully monitor the process of distillation in order to create the highest quality of essential oils. Typically small batches of plant material in relatively small distillation units are used to create true aroma therapy essential oils. In contrast, commercial essential oils are produced more quickly in larger units and with higher heat.

A crucial factor in the distillation of aromatherapeutic grade essential oils is the use of lower temperatures and pressures, resulting in essential oils that are more representative of the oil’s constituents as they naturally occur in the plant. Higher temperatures and pressures employed in large stills and with large batches of plant material are used for the purpose of saving time and energy, so the integrity of the resulting oils is compromised. Essential oils produced in this way are considered commercial grade and are suitable for mass-produced food and beverage flavorings, soap manufacture, and similar uses.

The actual distillation process is likely the most demanding job and requires the most experience of any of the procedures necessary to produce high quality essential oils. A good analogy is the wine maker who uses his knowledge of science, technique and equipment, combined with extensive experience, and just as importantly combines this with his/her inner sense or intuition to manipulate many factors in order to produce the best quality end product.

Post-Distillation/After Care

Great care is taken in handling the end product of the distillation. Some oils require more after care than others, such as aeration to bring out the best possible aroma. There can also be a "pot", "off", or "still" note following even a well-executed distillation for some oils. To remove the offending note and to bring out the true aroma of the oil, a period of airing out is required. Some oils, such as Patchouli and Sandalwood, require aging to improve the aroma. These post-distillation processes can take days, weeks or even months for some oils, which will increase the cost of the final product. It is also important that no water remains in the essential oil and that the storage containers are new, clean, and of the right material for that particular oil.

Essential oils produced for the aroma-therapy market should be true to species, variety, chemotype, etc., as has already been mentioned. In terms of after-care, this means that different distillations may be combined, as long as the distillations are from the properly verified plant materials and no improperly distilled batches are included in the combined oil. Commercial-quality essential oils, however, are handled quite differently. They are usually made in large batches from many different distillations and are combined with minimal concern and discernment in the blending process. This means that different varieties (even different but related species or subspecies) may be combined together, or that oils from a wide geographic range may also be combined together. Once this happens, the true and authentic oil is lost.

Finally, proper labeling, dating, storage, and analysis will be conducted prior to marketing and transporting of the essential oils. Adulteration is a potential (and serious) factor in the post-production of essential oils, but we will leave that rather problematic side of the business for a separate article. It is important to stress, however, that therapeutic grade essential oils produced for the aromatherapy market should never be adulterated in any way, shape or form!

Once the essential oils (as well as the absolutes, CO2 extracts, organic extracts, etc.) we order reach us here at Eden Botanicals, they are allowed to "rest", usually overnight, before being decanted into new dark glass bottles or jars, labeled, and stored at a temperature of 60-64 degrees in a "cool" room that is much like a wine cellar. It is from there that they are carefully and lovingly poured into containers, labeled and sent on their way to you.

Long before the last century, aromatic plant compounds had been in use for many thousands of years for healing, beautification, fragrance and other purposes in the form of ointments, sacraments, incense, unguents, cosmetics, and perfumes. Then, in the late 1920s, the term Aromatherapy was coined when a French chemist, René-Maurice Gatttefossé, rediscovered the healing properties of the complex volatile oils derived from plants. These plant oils became known as essential oils, each with a characteristic odor. It is because essential oils are by their very nature aromatic that the therapy involving their use was termed Aromatherapy (Aromatherapy – A Complete Guide to the Healing Art, by Kathi Keville and Mindy Green).

The fragrant pharmacy of the plant kingdom provides essential oils that are extracted from various plant parts - roots, barks, leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, etc. Each essential oil has many diverse purposes and all can operate effectively not only on the cellular, physical level, but within the emotional, intellectual, spiritual, and aesthetic aspects of our lives as well – in a truly holistic way (The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, by Valerie Ann Worwood). For example, essential oils can be used to lull one to sleep, alleviate anxieties, increase dreaming, help eliminate sorrow, assist in the treatment of asthma, act as a general antidote for toxins, affect moods and behaviors (e.g., stress and depression), slow the breath rate (for meditation), promote activity and alertness, assist in pain relief, control insect and vermin infestations, act to help heal wounds, stimulate appetite, and a multitude of other uses, even to help cancer patients tolerate the side effects of chemotherapy (Nursing Standard Journal, 1991, as quoted in The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils, by Julia Lawless).

The word Aromatherapy can be misleading in that it implies a healing modality that works only through inhalation (where the minute airborne molecules enter the body via the olfactory system and the lungs) and through ones emotional reaction to the aroma. In fact, essential oils that are properly diluted can be applied to the whole body or a specific area via massage, used in the bath, incorporated into personal care products, and diffused into the air in a variety of ways. So not only is the aroma of value, but also the chemical interaction between the essential oils and the mind/body for bringing about healthy and positive changes. Another term that is perhaps more descriptive and to the point is essential oil therapy. This term recognizes that the oils themselves (including specific constituents in the oils) are responsible for the essential oils’ therapeutic affect – rather than simply the aroma of the essences used.

It cannot be overstated, however, that it is important to become familiar with the properties of, and the precautions for using, essential oils and to realize that these highly concentrated oils should be properly diluted before use.

 

• 375 Essential Oils and Hydrosols, by Jeanne Rose, Frog, Ltd, 1999
• Advanced Aromatherapy - The Science of Essential Oil Therapy, by Kurt Schnaubelt, PhD, Healing Arts Press, 1998
• Aromatherapy - an A - Z, by Patricia Davis, C W Daniel Company Ltd, 1988, 1995
• Aromatherapy - Scent and Psyche, by Peter & Kate Damian, Healing Arts Press, 1995
• Aromatherapy & Subtle Energy Techniques: Compassionate Healing with Essential Oils, by Joni Loughran and Ruah Bull, Random House Inc, 2000
• Aromatherapy and the Mind, by Julia Lawless, Thorsons, 1994
• Aromatherapy For Healing The Spirit: Restoring Emotional And Mental Balance With Essential Oils, by Gabriel Mojay, Healing Arts Press, 1998
• Aromatherapy for Lovers and Dreamers, by Judith White, Karen Downes and Leon Nacson, Crown Trade Paperbacks, 1995
• Aromatherapy for Women: A Practical Guide to Essential Oils for Health and Beauty, by Maggie Tisserand, Healing Arts Press, 1996
• Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art, by Kathi Keville and Mindy Green, The Crossing Press, 1995
• Aromatherapy: A Lifetime Guide to Healing with Essential Oils, by Valerie Gennari Cooksley, Prentice Hall, 1996
• Aromatiques - A Sensualist' s Guide to Aromatic Oils, by Éva-Marie Lind, SOMA Books, 2002
• Ayurveda & Aromatherapy: The Earth Essential Guide to Ancient Wisdom and Modern Healing, by Dr. Light Miller, ND and Dr. Bryan Miller, DC, Lotus Press, 1995
• Clinical Aromatherapy - Essays and Essential Oil Profiles, by Peter Holmes, Snow Lotus Press, 2001
• Complete Aromatherapy Handbook - Essential Oils for Radiant Health, by Susanne Fischer-Rizzi, Sterling Publishing Co, Inc, 1990
• Creative Aromatherapy: Blending and Mixing Essential Oils and Flower Remedies for Health and Beauty, by Christine Wildwood, Thorsons, 1993
• Gattefossé' s Aromatherapy - The First Book on Aromatherapy, by René-Maurice Gattefossé (Robert B. Tisserand, Editor), C W Daniel Company Ltd, 1993
• Margarite Maury' s Guide to Aromatherapy - The Secret of Life and Youth: A Modern Alchemy, by Margarite Maury, C W Daniel Company Ltd, 1989
• Medical Aromatherapy - Healing with Essential Oils, by Kurt Schnaubelt, PhD, Frog, Ltd, 1999
• Natural Home Health Care Using Essential Oils, by Daniel Pénoël, MD and Rose-Marie Pénoël, Essential Science Publishing, 1998
• Plant Aromatics, by Martin Watt, Cert. Phyt., Appalachian Valley Natural Products, 2001
• Practical Aromatherapy - How to Use Essential Oils to Restore Health & Vitality (4th Edition), by Shirley Price, Thorsons, 1999
• Subtle Aromatherapy, by Patricia Davis, Random House UK Ltd, 2005
• The Aromatherapy Book, by Jeanne Rose, North Atlantic Books, 1992
• The Aromatherapy Book: Applications & Inhalations, by Jeanne Rose, Random House Inc, 1992
• The Aromatherapy Companion: Medicinal Uses, Ayurvedic Healing, Body Care Blends, Perfumes and Scents, Emotional Health and Well Being, by Victoria H. Edwards, Storey Books, 1999
• The Art of Aromatherapy: The Healing and Beautifying Properties of the Essential Oils of Flowers and Herbs, by Robert B. Tisserand, Healing Arts Press, 1977
• The Art of Sensual Aromatherapy - A Lover' s Guide to Using Aromatic Oils and Essences, by Nitya Lacroix, with Sakina Bowhay, Henry Holt & Company, 1995
• The Book of Massage and Aromatherapy, by Nitya Lacroix & Sharon Seager, Crescent Books, 1994
• The Chemistry of Aromatherapeutic Oils (3rd Edition), by E. Joy Bowles, Allen & Unwin, 2003
• The Complete Book Of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy, by Valerie Ann Worwood, New World Library , 1991
• The Complete Illustrated Guide to Aromatherapy: A Practical Approach to the Use of Essential Oils for Health and Well-Being, by Julia Lawless, Element Books Limited, 1997
• The Directory of Essential Oils, by Wanda Sellar, C W Daniel Company Ltd, 1992
• The Essential Oils - Vol. 1-6, by Ernest Guenther, PhD, D. Van Nostrand Co, 1948
• The Essential Oils Book: Creating Personal Blends for Mind & Body, by Colleen K. Dodt, Storey Communications, Inc, 1996
• The Fragrant Heavens: The Spiritual Dimension of Fragrance and Aromatherapy, by Valeria Ann Worwood, New World Library, 1999
• The Fragrant Mind: Aromatherapy For Personality, Mind, Mood and Emotion, by Valerie Ann Worwood, New World Library, 1996
• The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils, by Julia Lawless, Barnes & Noble Books (Element Books Limited), 1995
• The Practice of Aromatherapy: A Classic Compendium of Plant Medicines & Their Healing Properties, by Jean Valnet, Healing Arts Press, 1980, 1990

Disclaimer

It is not the intention of Eden Botanicals nor the Eden Botanicals website to provide specific information on disease processes or the healing of any disease or symptom. Rather, the information and statements about efficacy of products contained within this website are for informational and educational purposes only and have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The products mentioned within this website are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease; they are not to be used as a substitute for consulting a licensed medical practitioner regarding any medical advice or treatment.