I think I made baked oatmeal

by Molly Sams

So lately my mom has been making these amazing muffins that are chock full of oatmeal, fruit, and plenty of healthy yummy goodness to start your day. I love having one of these when I stop by the hill (as well as the rest of her food) and I decided to try to make them myself.

So the first thing I realized was that I lacked a muffin tin. I thought, "well I could go out to the grocery store, spend money, and come home only to still need to bake or I could improvise!" So I did. I got my purple pyrex casserole dish out, plenty covered it in butter and got to mixing the ingredients.

My new A Team

First I mixed the dry stuff:

3 c oatmeal
1 c brown sugar, packed
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 T ground cinnamon
1/4 c dried cherries
1/4 c dried cranberries
1/2 c dried blueberries

Then the not-so-dry:

2 eggs
1/2 c olive oil
1 banana
1 1/2 c milk
2 T vanilla extract

Slimy yet satisfying.

After that I poured the soupy mix into the casserole dish. Preheated the oven to 350 Fahrenheit and let it bake for about 45 minutes (give or take time to sample.)

(Insert angel choir singing in the background here)

And holy shizsnacks, gang! I love it! I stress you properly mix the wet stuff separately and be sure to mash the banana to a pulp but seriously - it was so moist and delicious I had to try a bite right away. It was best mixed with a splash of milk and I cannot wait to try it with coffee on the side tomorrow.

Mini-magazines - Still have some to share...

We only have one more issue before we'll start working on the third 5 year compilation (!!!), and you know what that means?  That means we'll need space for about 100 cases of books, and we need to clear these mini magazines out in the next few months.

Did you know that we send out these 16 pg miniature magazines FREE to herb and garden gatherings, conferences, shops, and businesses willing to share them? It's true! You can even staple your business card, or affix a label with your info to it and make it a little gift. Just send us the quantity you need, when you need it, and your mailing address, and we'll get them on the way.  Due to shipping costs, this is offered in the U.S. only.

They are popular, and well-received.  Lots of good information.

Recipes, ideas, and how-tos, using medicinal, gardening, culinary, and crafting herbs, just like the full-sized magazine that we put out every 2 months. 
Just drop us a line at essentialherbal@gmail.com
Thanks!

The *real* reason RadioShack closed...

Before I begin, there were quirks about my mom that, while they drove me to distraction while she was alive, now make me smile and shake my head.  They are pure Mom.  We've tried for decades to figure out why, to no avail.  During all those episodes of "Get Smart" where we gathered around and laughed at the goofy gadgets, there was no way of knowing how enamored she was.
When Mom died, RadioShack wasn't far behind her.

Mom LOVED gadgets.  When Ma Bell no longer held the monopoly of telephones, and suddenly the market was flooded with all sorts of phones for the first time ever, Mom wanted them.  All of them.  For a while there, we were a little worried about her.  We were just about grown at that point, and after decades of poverty, she was seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  Apparently, a variety of telephones were a requirement for getting to that light.
Next on her quest were tiny televisions.  I kind of forget what the new technology was that introduced this aberration, but she adored them, and probably purchased 6 or 7 of them.  Each one a tiny bit closer to her dream.
 I'm the opposite.  The fewer gadgets, the better.  I see them as just another thing that can break or go wrong.  But let me share some of the gifts that Mom gave me over the years.  I was cleaning out a set of drawers last weekend.  None of these are less than 15 years old.

 This one is actually in use and not from the drawer.  This phone with the giant numbers (not to mention the emergency buttons!) hangs in the kitchen.  That way, anyone who visits and enters through that door knows right away that I am clearly older than I look!  It allows me to maintain my skill at untangling the curly cord.  Most of the people listed on the headset are dead, and if they are alive they have long ago gone with cell phones.  We don't mess with relics around here.  On the other hand, when the power goes out, this phone always works.  It is not dependent on electricity in any way.  Made by RadioShack.

 When Molly was little, Mom worried all the time about her being scooped up and stolen.  She found the perfect solution with these personal radios!  As you can see, they were never removed from the packaging.  I wasn't sure that a 4 year old would be responsible with such a tool, and gave serious consideration to my own panic should she leave it under the trees beside the creek and go visit her friend Jill next door - with me screaming like a mad woman, "Molly!  Where are you?  Over!!!"  We decided instead to go with the family yell that had and has worked for over 50 years.  WOOoooOOOOooooOOOOoooo!  Works every time.

 When we had our shop(s) I was going in a lot of different directions.  Mother to a pre-schooler, co-owning shops, TONS of public speaking, weekly classes, and a part-time job made it hard for me to keep things straight and sometimes I'd have great ideas that I couldn't remember longer than 15 minutes.  Mom got me this microcassette recorder so that it would be easier to stay on track.  Problem is, you have to remember to have it with you and USE it.  However, I do have a recording of a 3 year old Molly laughing her head off.  That's all, but it's worth a fortune.

This last one is the most amazing of all.  It's a vacuum cleaner!  I put the pen in the picture for scale.  I was shocked to find that it still runs.  Heaven only knows how old that battery is, and it started right up.  Unfortunately, although you can kind of feel air movement that might technically be referred to as suction, there is nothing that is lightweight enough for this thing to actually pick up.  Still, it's an amazing (if useless) object.

Now upstairs, there is a walk in closet that needs my attention.  Molly and I jokingly call this house the "Repository of Dead Relatives."  When Mom originally moved here, she brought along some of her own mother's belongings, since she had recently died. Then Mom's things were here.  Later, my brother lived here with me while terminally ill, so his belongings were here too.  Molly and I have chewed through many, many of the things that were everywhere, but there is still more to do.  Who knows?  Maybe I'll share the "best of" from the walk in closet.

Sept/Oct '16 issue - The Essential Herbal

If you've been hanging around with us for a while, you know that the new issues always go up on the 15th.  This year, we've had a few go up early as we run out of the previous issue.  We have about 3 of the Jul/Aug issue, and we need to keep a few here - so we're moving on to the next one!  We're pretty happy about that, because running out of an issue is GREAT!  If you're just finding out about us, come on over to www.EssentialHerbal.com and subscribe.  But you know... don't wait TOO long.

I expect the same thing to happen with the issue that's just mailed out on the 10th.  It's a beaut, and you are going to love it.  First, the cover is simply amazing.  Carey just continues to provide us with beautiful art, and these colors are like jewels.  The twinkling eyes ...

Then there is the content.  Just a whole lot of beautiful stuff.  A perfect blend of medicinal, culinary, and crafting, there is (as always) something for everyone.

Field Notes from the Editor

Life on the Hill

 

Elderberry, Dr. JoAnn Quattrone

How many ways can you love elderberries?

 

Seeds & Stars - A Healing Path, Susan Hess

The seasons and rhythms of herbs are part of us.

 

 

Pumpkin Spice Soap, Janet Gutierrez

Make this luscious fall soap!

 

 

How About Hops? Rebekah Bailey

You aren’t going to believe what she’s been doing with hops.

 

 

Make Ahead Holiday Libations, Rita Richardson

Mmmm… 5 deliciously different recipes to get started on right now.

 

Vive la Stinking Rose, Marci Tsohonis

How to select varieties, grow, harvest, and store garlic with a bonus recipe.

 

Redeeming Ragweed, Kristine Brown

Can ragweed find redemption? Is it looking? The answer lies within these pages.

 

 

Anti-Inflammatory Diet, Jackie Johnson

Foods can help or hurt. Learn how to eat for less inflammation.  Some inspiring recipes included.

 

Fall Memories of Country Pickles, Debra Sturdevant

Mom’s Icicle Pickles

 

Horsetail: Plants as Old as Time, Molly Sams

Why have we used this plant for so long, in so many ways?

 

Distilling Herbs, Tina Sams

Ever wonder how essential oils are made?

 

 

“Strange” Soups, Maryanne Schwartz

A couple delicious, warming soups to welcome the cold weather.

 

Compost Tea, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh

Nourish those plants with a drink.

 

Bay Leaf Wreath, Susanna Reppert-Brill

A fun project for holiday home decor.

Need to subscribe or renew? 
CLICK HERE

Fall '16 Classes at TEH Listed!

 We've gotten the class list pulled together and put up on the website for this coming fall.  There are a lot of different types of classes, but they all promise to be fun and full of information.
Each class will be held on a Saturday afternoon from 1 - 3 in the classroom around back at The Essential Herbal.
Pre-registration through the website is required.  If we don't have enough participation for a class on the Thursday prior to the class, we will cancel it.  Charges are not processed until the day of the class.

Enough of the business details!  Check out this list.  Between Maryanne, Molly and me, we've got a lot to share with you and it promises to be interesting and lively.  Come join us, and if you know someone who might also enjoy the classes - please share this post with them.

You can sign up here:  http://www.essentialherbal.com/category/CLASSES-45
 
Healing Vinegars - Aug 20, 2016
In this class, we'll make both Fire Cider and 4 Thieves Vinegar, and talk about the ingredients and why they do what they do! Attendees will take 4 ounces of each along home with them, and the recipes and know-how to make a lot more for the winter.
Price:       $25.00

Make Incense - Aug 27, 2016
Learn to make loose incense blends to burn on charcoal blocks, as well as incense cones, using resins, fragrant wood, and herbs. We haven't taught this one in a long time - so this will be fun. Attendees should bring along a shallow box (like a shoebox) to transport the cones they'll be making back home. Recipes and instructions to take home too.
Price:       $25.00

Preserving Herbs - Sept 3, 2016
There are many different ways to keep herbs in good condition and we'll talk about a lot of them in this class. Dried blends, frozen in oil, steeped in alcohol or vinegar - there are a LOT of ways! How long do they last? How can their actions be preserved to last longer? What plants don't dry well? We'll answer your questions. Hand-outs.
Price:       $20.00

Herbs for Stress - Sept 10, 2016
Learning to help our bodies handle stress positively is one of the best things we can do to remain happy and healthy. There are many herbs (and foods) that can make this easier and in many cases they can be a simple addition to meals or teas. We'll talk about them! Recipes and samples go home with attendees. If anyone wants a passionflower vine, you can dig one at this time.
Price:    $25.00

Herbs for Winter Health - Sept 17, 2016
We'll talk about 10 or 12 herbs that will help keep your household healthier over the winter. Additionally we'll demonstrate and taste/sample many different ways to add them to your foods and drinks to incorporate them seamlessly. Handouts, recipes, and samples go home with attendees.
Price:       $25.00

Balms and Salves - Sept 24, 2016
Wouldn't you love to be able to make your own salves from the plants in your garden? Lipbalm for the long winter ahead? We'll show you all the ropes and teach you ways to fearlessly journey into the world of making these fabulous skin soothing medicines. Samples and recipes go home with attendees.
Price:       $25.00

Herbal Scrubs for Smooth Winter Skin - Oct 8, 2016
Learn how to make high-end spa worthy scrubs for yourself and for gifts. We'll make several different styles so that you can see the difference and take home samples to try. Lots of recipes.
Price:       $20.00

Blending Herbal Teas - Oct 15, 2016
Both Tina and Molly took to blending teas like ducks to water. Once you start putting plant materials together, it just becomes more and more fun. Learn which plants add sweetness, tartness, and depth. Then we'll talk about blending for specific purposes - like immunity, stuffiness, allergies, or better rest. Everyone will make a tea blend of their own. Handouts and sample.
Price:       $25.00

Syrups, Drops, and Elixirs - Oct 29, 2016
Now is the time to prepare for the upcoming winter, although all of these things are useful year-round. We'll make elderberry syrup, cough drops, and an elixir to keep happy and healthy in the winter. Attendees will take along all recipes (as well as additional hand-outs) and samples of everything we make.
Price:       $30.00

Distillation - Nov 5, 2016
Have you ever wondered exactly how essential oils are made? We'll step outside and harvest Concolor fir, load up the still, and distill it. While that is happening, we'll discuss the safe and responsible use of essential oils, and a little standard information. We'll talk about the uses and benefits of hydrosols. Hand-outs will include "recipes" for aromatherapy blends, and each attendee will take along some of the hydrosol we distill that day, bringing the holiday scent indoors.
Price:       $20.00

Herbal Gifts for the Holidays - Nov 12, 2016
We'll work on a lot of different items - sachets, potpourris, and tub teas for starters - and you'll take away the know-how to make all kinds of hostess gifts, small keepsakes, and thoughtful, useful delights (as well as a bit of what we make). Great hand-out with recipes, instructions, and even more ideas.
Price:       $25.00

I hope we get to see you!

August '16 Specials

Every year, we feel like we are sprinting through our days, just trying to cover the basics and get everything done.  August hits and we get the Sept/Oct issue (you're going to LOVE it!) off to the printer, and ... suddenly there's a soft hush.  We have a little time to catch our breath.

We try to come up with some kind of special every year.  This is what we're offering until the end of August.

All of the downloadables at 40% off!
That's a great deal, and is some darn good reading until the next issue comes out.
For the books: 
http://www.essentialherbal.com/category/Books---downloadable-34
For the back issues:
 http://www.essentialherbal.com/category/Back-Issues---Downloadable-35

Enter the words dog days in the promo code upon check out and be sure to use a good email address so that you'll get the download codes.  Thanks!

Dried St John's Wort

Ever since the mid-90's when 60 Minutes did their report on St John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum), the way we use it has been scrutinized.  At the time it was easily available dried in teas and capsules.  There were also tinctures, but at least where we are, tinctures were not well known, understood, or used.   At the time, all the talk was about standardized capsules, and hypericin was the single component that was sought after.

Beautifully dried St John's wort.  It started blooming when we didn't have time to do anything other than gather it.  Now we have time to work with the fresh flowers, but we got to wondering about how it would work in different mediums - like oil and alcohol.

  Most of what we'd learned before (and after) that point was that plants are more than the sum of their parts.  The best way I've ever heard it explained comes from Daniel Gagnon of Herbs, Etc., who during a talk at a conference explained that - paraphrasing here - we should view plants as a symphony, and that all of the instruments play an important part to create the full sound.  We have barely scratched the surface in learning the components contained in plants and how they work together to buffer side effects or increase actions, for instance.
Somewhere along the line, dried SJW has become viewed as inferior to the point of almost useless by some herbalists.  I thought I'd do a little experiment.

We filled baby food jars loosely with dried botanicals.  It is mostly flowers and buds.

 We tend to view the sticky red resinous dye that the fresh plant leaves on our fingers as a sign of activity.  Here's what happens with dried SJW in alcohol and olive oil.

One jar was then filled with 150 proof vodka and the other filled with olive oil.

 I did not check with water as a menstruum, but may do that and add a picture tomorrow.

At the end of the day, this is how they looked.  3 days later, the alcohol jar looks like beet juice (not shown).

The second day I set the jar containing oil out in the sun.  It is very hot here.  90's, and the deck has no shade.  This is how the oil looks three days later.  I will continue to leave it outside to see if time makes a difference, but I don't expect it to.  NOTE:  A month later, it was deep red!

As with all things, a lot depends on the conditions.  For many, many years dried SJW has been used.  This shows me that the hypericin flavinoid that *I think* is represented by the red dye is not as oil soluble when the plant is dried.  It is soluble in alcohol, though.  It has been used in teas for years, so I will assume that there must have been some activity happening in order for people to continue using it for all these years.
This isn't scientific.  It was just a fun experiment that Molly and I did to see what would happen, and now we're sharing it with you.
Additionally, the dried SJW we used was only a few weeks old.

Molly's Latest Obsessions

So like everyone else I get a little “stuck” on certain herbs and certain herbal products from time to time. I wanted to share a few of my current favorites with you because, well, it’s fun and I’m hoping you all can help me find new favorites, too!

Ginger Tea

I swear this stuff has saved me from the brink of death about a million times. When I was younger I absolutely hated ginger tea. No matter how nauseous, feverish, or just plain sick I was I would always shy away when Mom begged me to drink a cup. I wasn’t a fan of the intensity and I was even less of a fan of the taste. It isn’t that I hate ginger, I just hate it when it is nothing but ginger. Then I began mixing it with hibiscus flowers and fruit and I was in love. Now I drink it over my period to stay hydrated and any time I’m feeling not quite right. I always have little packets with me but I really love to make it with just the root and some hibiscus flowers or lime slices for taste. I find that’s the perfect combo of zip and sweet. It tastes great hot or iced!

Homemade Febreeze

In college Frebreeze is a dorm-dweller’s best friend. I remember walking through the halls and literally being able to tell the difference in scents. In many college dorms you’re not allowed to have open flames or incense. So Febreeze was the best way to escape from the toxic fumes of the down the hall or your roommate’s socks. Luckily I had my aunt and Mom’s room spritz so I was able to keep the odors at bay without all the chemicals. Now that I live on my own I also get to experiment with scents. I began using lemon and lavender essential oil in a spritz and I think it may be my favorite yet. It is fresh, crisp, and I don’t end up depleting my aunt’s spritzes stock completely!

Lemon and Lavender Spritz

¼ C vodka

½ C distilled water

5-10 drops lemon essential oil

5-10 drops lavender essential oil

Orange Peel Vinegar

So I think I’ve talked about this stuff before in an earlier blog post. It is a really simple all-purpose cleaner and I absolutely love it. Lately I have actually been spraying it in my hair in the shower. And it is hands down the best conditioner I’ve ever had. It leaves my hair feeling clean and tangle free without weighing it down or filling it with all sorts of heaven-knows-what. I even get to use bar soap without my hair getting gunked up! I’ve also use it to clean the shower while I shower so it’s really a win-win all around.

Orange Peel Vinegar

1 part orange peel

3 parts white distilled vinegar

Our Violet Sugar Scrub

This stuff is crazy. I use it now once every two weeks on my face to exfoliate and moisturize. I think my Mom’s genius comes from her spontaneity. I remember coming into work one morning and Mom was already busy making some sort of something in the kitchen. It was bright purple, smelled amazing, and looked delicious. While I don’t suggest eating it our sugar scrub is wonderful on the face and I use it before we go to the beach on my bikini lines. It helps keep everything soft, smooth, and happy.

So there you have it. What are your current favorites? I could use some new obsessions!

An' May It Harm None!

An' May It Harm None!

Interest in essential oils and Aromatherapy has skyrocketed in recent years. Available in every natural foods store, online or through independent distributors, and seen as a readily-accessible form of Medicine for the People, the healing power of essential oils appeals to many. The DIY crowd makes use of essential oils in homemade beauty and home cleaning recipes. Homesteaders and preppers tout the powerful effects of essential oils in healing humans and their animals without Big Pharm. Natural soap makers scent their handmade bars with essential oils. New Age moms spray essential oil blends on their excitable children on national television. Suddenly, it seems, essential oils are everywhere, in vogue and in demand.

More than just an extension of herbalism, Aromatherapy is a branch of Botanical Medicine, with the focus on the "essence" of the plant expressed through its volatile oils secreted through special glands in one or several parts of aromatic plants. These essences bring defense and nourishment against climatic and pestilent factors. Miraculously, these same plant essences resonate for us, holistically supporting us in Body, Mind and Spirit.

Essential oils can be extracted from seeds, roots, leaves, bark, wood, fruit and blossoms, with blossoms offering the most complex and fragile scents. Great quantities of plant material are steam distilled, cold pressed or solvent extracted, capturing most, but not all, of the chemical elements of each plant's particular medicine. Different plants, and different parts of a plant, yield varying amounts of essential oil; while the leaves of peppermint or the rind of an orange offer up generous amounts of essential oils to the distiller, it can take 60,000 roses to produce just one ounce of essential oil! All of these essences are extremely concentrated, and can range in cost from just a few dollars an ounce to several hundred dollars for a vial the size of your thumbnail. Proper use of these precious, powerful essences requires education and a commitment to safe practices.

 

Rosemary needles with minuscule "dots" of essential oil visible.  Thanks to Cory Trusty for the photo.

I will tell you up front that, while I am a practicing certified aromatherapist with clients across the country, I have no affiliation with any company that sells essential oils. I became interested in aromatherapy as a healing modality back in 1986, when people in the United States were just starting to become aware of essential oils and how they could be used to powerfully benefit our health and well-being. Back then there were few essential oil suppliers; at the time, I was working for a major health and beauty company and my first half-dozen or so bottles of essential oils were sent to me by a contact at our fragrance supply house. Judith Jackson's book, Scentual Touch, had just been published, introducing Americans to the British tradition of aromatic massage using essential oils. An acquaintance from England sent me a copy of Robert Tisserand's The Art of Aromatherapy. I committed myself to learning all I could about essential oils, and in 2001, embarked on a rigorous year-long study of Aromatherapy from a Chinese Medical Perspective, taught at NYC's Ambrosia Foundation by the respected Dr. Jeffrey Yuen. For one weekend every month I sat in a classroom with medical doctors, acupuncturists, massage therapists and healers as we learned about the properties of a hundred or so essential oils, proper dilution rates, application protocol and the influence of essential oils on the processes of Body, Mind and Spirit. It was the best training I could have received.

Glass still at The Essential Herbal.

Eight years later, a notice about a weekend workshop caught my eye. Learn to safely apply undiluted essential oils for maximum, radical healing! What did these people know that I did not? I signed up, determined to go in with a beginner's mind.

What I witnessed there sent my head spinning. As bottle after bottle of pure, undiluted essential oils was passed around the circle of students, we were encouraged to smell each oil and apply liberally. One enthusiastic woman literally poured each of the oils freely up and down her arm, onto her chest, her legs, until there was not one patch of skin left unannointed. Neither of the workshop leaders said a word, nor did they make a move to stop her. This was anathema to the careful training I had received. My hand shot up, almost involuntarily. Isn't that a dangerous amount of essential oil for the body to process? No, I was assured, and was dismissed with some BS about an absorption ratio of drops applied vs how much actually gets into the body before a certain amount is lost to evaporation. OK, I thought, it's your show, and shut my mouth. Next day, twenty weekend workshop attendees were "certified" in Medicinal Aromatherapy (!) and released into the world to practice what little they had learned - but not before we had placed and paid for our orders of essential oils. Cost to become a distributor? $6,000 in product purchases annually or risk loss of certification. And we wouldn't even receive our certificate until we each wrote a monograph, a highly-researched paper, on the essential oil of our choice. I chose to do neither, cut my losses, and moved on.

Two things became apparent to me at that workshop. The first was that there are many, many of us hungry for knowledge concerning the powerful gifts of Aromatherapy. The second thing I learned first hand is that not every company that sells essential oils operates with integrity and has their client's best interests at heart.

The popularity of Aromatherapy and the lucrative potential for profit entices many companies to enter the marketplace to try and cash in, flooding the market with essential oils of sometimes questionable quality, marketing hype and misinformation. Neither Young Living nor doTerra, two of the most popular MLM (multi-level marketing) companies hosted that fated workshop; it was run by distributors for another MLM company that prides itself on the very expensive, single essence boutique oils it sells to upscale clients to "aid in their Ascension". Yet the approach of each of these companies is similar: offer exclusive "therapeutic quality" essential oils, spread misinformation promoting the ingestion and application of undiluted or barely diluted essential oils, and offer kits, "wholesale" pricing, and related health products to make it easy for overwhelmed beginners to jump right in and start treating themselves and their friends and families. Many customers buy into the hype so completely they will look no further, convinced the company propaganda is the last word on Aromatherapy. Information on safe practices found elsewhere may conflict with that promoted by irresponsible parties, and may well be ignored.

Agendas like that can open the door to disaster.

Neat, or undiluted, essential oils on the skin or in the body can produce several unwelcome consequences: phototoxicity, sensitization, chemical burns, acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute liver failure and central nervous system stimulation or depression, to name a few. Ingestion of essential oils can cause damage to mucous membranes, the esophagus and the stomach lining, as well as coma and even death. Essential oils are not water-soluble and will not disperse in water; drinking water that has had even one drop of essential oil added to it, or an essential oil-filled capsule that has been swallowed, can deliver a blob of undiluted oil to the stomach, potentially causing an internal chemical burn that can result in permanent damage. I'll never forget the cautionary demonstration of the potential for harm illustrated on the first day of Aromatherapy school. One drop of peppermint oil was added to a styrofoam cup that had been filled with water. In less than ten minutes, the cup itself had been completely eroded at the water line by the peppermint oil floating on top of the water!

Marge Clark is the owner of Nature's Gift, a company that sells a wide range of pure essential oils and related aromatherapy products and boasts one of the most informative websites on the Internet. She experienced firsthand what it is to become sensitized to an essential oil. In her case, it was to her beloved lavender. "Twenty years ago almost every authority said that Lavender essential oil could be used neat (undiluted.) I believed them, used undiluted lavender on broken skin. As a result of this unwise over use, I am sensitized to the components of lavender for, I suppose, the rest of my life.  If I use Lavender, or other high linalol oils, topically, even in very low dilution, my body will react to the "invader" with contact dermatitis that can take a long time to heal.  Those who suggest neat use of these powerful healing oils have no respect for their strength."

Children and the elderly are especially at risk to the adverse effects of improper use of essential oils and can easily fall victim to well-meaning caretakers who unwittingly administer these oils in an unsafe manner. Recently, the Tennessee Poison Center stated they have seen essential oil mishaps double in the past four years, with 80% of those cases involving children. The primary route of poisoning is by accidental ingestion, but poisoning may also occur through excessive or inappropriate application to the skin. All essential oils can produce oral and throat irritation, nausea, and vomiting when ingested or improperly used. The yearly Essential Oil Injury Report, maintained by the Atlantic Institute of Aromatherapy, is full of horrifying stories such as this: "Undiluted oils applied to small sore:  "blend/frankincense" was used and next day skin turned red, bubbled up and peeled. When concerns were voiced she was told it was "detox, that there's no way to be allergic or have a bad reaction to the oil since they are natural."

"Natural" does not always mean safe, and more is not always better. The Essential Oils Desk Reference, a product catalog cleverly disguised as an Aromatherapy textbook published by Young Living's Essential Science Publishing, recommends diluting essential oils 50/50 (essential oil to carrier oil) only if the oils are marked SI (skin irritant). Some oils are "so mild they can be used undiluted, even on infants"  (Third Edition, page 279). In the rigorous training I received, we discussed maximum dilution rates for every single essential oil we covered; this rate varied from oil to oil, but the maximum usage rate never exceeding 8%. Usage rates for children and the elderly are generally half that recommended for healthy adults, with some oils contraindicated for whole sections of the population! Proper education here is vital - no healer wants to inadvertently poison or cause harm to their loved ones.

Rosanne Tartaro-O'Donnell, owner of SunRose Aromatics, LLC, advocates for safe essential oil usage and provides these handy charts:

 In addition, Rosanne suggests the following safety tips:

- always read label cautions and warnings

- never ingest essential oils

- do NOT use directly on the skin .. ALWAYS DILUTE

- Keep away from the eyes and mucous membranes

store away from children and pets

In Europe and Australia, where Aromatherapy is recognized by the government and insurance agencies as a viable health practice, there are guidelines for safe sales and practice; not so here in the United States. I see this as a double-edged sword. While we are free to purchase essential oils and practice to the best of our abilities, there are no guidelines in place for purity and quality assurance, and no licensing for practitioners. Aromatherapy is a powerful healing modality that demands we approach with respect and caution. It is incumbent upon every would-be Aromatherapist to educate herself to the very best of her ability, to seek out and support suppliers who sell quality essential oils with integrity and humility, and to practice with joy, gratitude and restraint.

- Lisa Marie Layman is a Certified Aromatherapist, Beekeeper and ProductFormulator. She lives with her husband and son and a yard full of honeybees in New York's beautiful Hudson River Valley. You may reach her at LisaMarieLayman@gmail.com