OUR STANCE ON ESSENTIAL OILS

Being the distillation connoisseurs that we are, it was ironic for us to acknowledge the caveats and drawbacks of essential oils. Both of us having distilled our own essential oils for some time, we have learned to know that they do have their place— and those who disagree are welcome to. There is varying evidence going both ways.

Firstly, let’s break down some of the key points that surround this subject:

ESSENTIAL OILS ONLY CONTAIN THE SULFUR (SOUL) OF THE PLANT

1. And a very potent form of its Sulfur— leaving the Mercury (spirit essence) and the Salt (body essence) absent from the formulation. We would always opt to use a holistic approach when attempting to heal an individual— working with the spirit, soul, and body together in unison.

   EO’s should only be used seldomly (and diluted to the divine ratio) when the intention is to work specifically with the Soul of the plant.

   If this doesn’t make sense to you, read our article: What is a Spagyric? for information on the ancient practice of plant alchemy.

ESSENTIAL OILS USED IMPROPERLY IN THEIR UNDILUTED FORM CAN BE DISRUPTIVE TO THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM AND AFFECT THE MICROBIOME

1. EO’s have extremely potent aromatics and oils. When used undiluted to the proper ratio (which is often done), the kidneys simply cannot process them without the risk of doing damage.

2. EO’s contain powerful antimicrobial compounds that have the ability to wipe out the microbiome’s bacteria, including the good ones that need to stick around (similar to how antibiotics work).

The difference between poison and medicine is in the dose, and this is typically true for most things. However, we want to reiterate the importance of understanding proper dilution— as most people using EO’s do not.

When using essential oils to formulate aromatherapeutic scents within a product, if the proper dilution ratio is not considered, the chance of endocrine disruption increases.

We see this to be a problem quite frequently, as there is a large percentage of people using excessive amounts of EO’s in their products simply to “make something smell good.” Yes, these products may seem to be working, but they may also be sacrificing good bacteria and disrupting the microbiome subsequently.

WHAT IS THE PROPER RATIO OF DILUTION FOR AN ESSENTIAL OIL?

1. If EO’s are to be used, we recommend the water:oil ratio suggested within the hydrosol extraction of that particular plant (the ratio of which the Earth has divinely shown us through such an ancient and alchemical process).

   Even then, you don't want to go drinking hydrosols— as these diluted extractions are still potent and dilution does not always imply that it is safe for the kidneys to process, nor that it won’t negatively impact the microbiome.

   The desired water:oil ratio for “safe” (discretionary) consumption would of course have some variance, as distillation techniques vary and certain specimens can be more resinous than others (depending on when and where the plant was harvested). Additionally, the beginning liquids of a steam distillation always contain the most oils, so this proves to be a pretty loose program. However, think major dilution and always opt on the side of caution.

   For reasons stated above, the average essential oil user (who has not distilled the essential oil themselves), is simply unaware of the water:oil ratio that this plant needs to be diluted to in order to obtain a safe ratio.

   This remains true for external use as well, however we do believe that there is slightly more wiggle room when rationalizing for external use.
   e.g. a hydrosol used in topical application is always safer than internal application.

   Again, the golden dilution ratio for external use is dependent upon the distiller’s knowledge of the plant’s water:oil ratio during a hydrosol extraction. We would assume the ratio would remain the same for diluting carrier oils that were to be used for topical application— given the liquid volume remains the same.
   e.g. if 5ml of EO was extracted into 1 gallon of water during a distillation period of a specific plant, then 5ml of EO could be infused into 1 gallon of carrier oil.

Farming plants for their essential Oils IS VERY RARELY DONE SUSTAINABLY, BUT IT CAN BE DONE

1. Most plants grown commercially for EO’s are grown outside of the US strictly for cost reasons (plants costs a lot less to harvest in developing countries, and a lot of plant material is required). This is essentially the exploitation of using cheap labor in developing countries— all while self-proclaiming “sustainability.”

   After paying cheap labor costs to cultivate, harvest, and distill EO’s, import costs are extremely cheap— given the size of such a small and concentrated product. Most of the time, these companies will rebottle in the USA and further embrace the title “USA made.”

   EO’s should never be purchased from large scale commercial vendors. If intending to work with EO’s, we recommend distilling them yourself for several reasons:

1. It can be assured that you are not being exposed to distilled pesticides and other harmful chemicals.

2. One is able to develop a relationship with the whole plant prior to the extraction and concentration of such a powerful substance.

3. The ratio of which an EO should be diluted to can be witnessed through the distillation practice.

2. Farming plants locally and small-scale for EO production to be used in responsible (properly diluted) ways, using organic permaculture methods of cultivation, with intentions to regenerate and reenergize the soil, is the gold standard for EO production.

3. Wildcrafting large scale invasive plants from an ecosystem is a great way to contribute towards the removal of a non-native plants, and can be used for something like EO production. Granted, the EO is diluted properly and used within the directed safety parameters.

4. Wildcrafting large scale native plants is not always unsustainable. For example: one could easily and sustainably harvest Lodgepole pine needles in the middle of its growing range for EO production if they desired, and the removal of certain plants (even native) can be recognized as beneficial and tending to an ecosystem— circumstantially.

   In order to wildcraft at all (especially for harvesting enough herb to make EO’s), one must be extremely aware of the implications of harvesting. To understand what wildcrafting means to us, check out our article What it Means to Wildcraft Sustainably.”

WHY WE CHOOSE NOT TO infuse ESSENTIAL OILS INto OUR oil-based PRODUCTS

1. Any of our products that contain oils are infused with whole plants, and we do that to ensure several things:

1. We always run less risk of negatively affecting the endocrine system and microbiome when choosing to use whole plant extractions in our oils.

2. EO-free products will always be safer specifically for children, who are actively building up their microbiome.

3. We work directly with whole plants that we have deep-seeded relationships with, thus creating an energetically more potent medicine.

4. By not using EO’s in our products, and by spreading information such as this blog post, we hope to deter people away from buying into the commercialization of unsustainably sourced essential oils— allowing for a more sustainable farming practices, trade, and reverent usage of EO’s.