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Notes:
Chemical constituents are approximations. The reason for this is that actual chemical content is affected by many factors. Climate, weather, altitude, soil quality, type of soil, time of harvest, amount of sunshine, etc. all affect the development of the plants and their chemical make-up. Energetics with essential oils are a bit different from herbal energetics. With essential oil, 'energetics' refers to more than just warming and cooling. It also refers to how it affects us psychologically -- mood, temper, mental energy, emotions, imagination, etc. Think about it -- smells have an impact on our memories and emotions. They can even spark imagination. Taking aroma a bit further, when you like the aroma of an essential oil, it's your body's way of saying "I need this." When you don't care for (or abhor) an aroma, it's because your body doesn't need it. I know that sounds weird, and I would have thought it was nonsense in my younger years, but I've seen it work -- many, many times! For example, lots of people love Jasmine essential oil -- not me! To me, the aroma feels heavy and too perfumy. These are signs that Jasmine is simply not the right oil for me. On the other hand, I LOVE the smell of Angelica and that of Thyme ct. thymol -- oils that have benefits for me. Shelf life can be affected by temperature. When oils are stored in warm temperatures (i.e. 78° F) for an extended period of time, they can oxidize, or go rancid. When that happens, they're no good. Storing oils in a refrigerator will help extend their shelf life. If you plan to stock many EOs, it's a good idea to get a dorm-size refrigerator dedicated to only EOs. Anything else stored in that fridge will smell and/or taste like the EO otherwise. If you only have a few bottles of EO, you can store them in a cool, dark room, or you can put them in a ziplock bag to store in your fridge. (I might even double bag it. Flash points are included on the datasheets because these temperatures affect USPS shipping. Flashpoints from 100º F (38º C) to 140º F (60º C) are allowed to ship domestically by surface transportation, and are not allowed to ship internationally. Flashpoints from 140º F (60º C) to 200º F (93º C) are allowed to ship domestically by air or ground with restrictions. Flashpoints above 200º F (93º C) are not regulated as hazardous material and can ship without restriction when properly packaged to prevent leakage. There are also special requirements for packaging and labeling. You can read the specifics here: https://pe.usps.com/text/pub52/pub52apxc_011.htm The take-away from this is that essential oils have special shipping requirements based on their flashpoints. If you plan to ship EOs, it's your responsibility to know what they are and to package and ship appropriately. (It's actually not that difficult. I ship my products with USPS Priority 2-day mail, and, in the summer, I use a special wrap and ice packs to keep the product cool.) Dilutions: When I first started creating EO blends (before any formal training), I thought more = better. Training and experience have taught me that that is not the case. Up to 3% dilution (18 drops per ounce of carrier oil) works very well when the blend has the right chemistry with EOs, carriers, and/or herbs. For temporary, acute situations, I'll go as high as 10% (60 drops/ounce carrier), but that is very rare and for only 1 - 3 days use. Example: If my back goes into extreme spasms and a 3% dilution doesn't calm it down, I'll increase the dilution to 5%, and if needed, to 10%. |