I know it is not really fair for me to write about the winter given that I live in Florida… but I’ll justify it because I lived in Ithaca, NY during the winters for many years! I know all about scraping car windows, black ice and freezing cold feet.

I had a few blends I used in the winter that really got me through. So if moving to a tropical climate is not on your list for this winter, here are a few recipes to support your health through the cold months.

Steam Now

(for the moment you feel even a hint of a cold)
Use a 5 ml bottle with an orifice reducer. Make a stock bottle with the following essential oils and then use 1 drop for your steam:

• 25 drops Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
• 25 drops Ravintsara (Cinnamomum camphora ct 1,8 cineole)
• 25 drops Black Spruce (Picea mariana)

Need to learn how to do a steam? Register for Aromahead Institute’s free online class.

The Best Inhaler

Add these oils to a blank inhaler and use 2-3 times daily for a few months:

• 3 drops Lemon (Citrus limon)
• 5 drops Black Spruce (Picea mariana)
• 2 drops Laurel Leaf (Laurus nobilis)
• 3 drops Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)

Video on how to make an inhaler

Awesome Aloe Wash for the Shower

Begin with 2 oz Aloe vera gel in flip top (pop up) PET plastic bottle and add:

• 10 drops Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
• 3 drops Neroli (Citrus aurantium var. amara)
• 7 drops orange (Citrus sinensis)

Use freely on your body at the end of your shower and then rinse off.

Keep Your Cold to Yourself Diffuser Blend

Add drops to an electric diffuser filled with water and run until the finished.

• 10 drops Siberian Fir (Abies siberica)
• 5 drops Orange (Citrus sinensis)

Right Before Bed

Add drops of the following oils to 1 oz of unscented lotion:

• 5 drops Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)
• 5 drop Sandalwood (Santalum album) Vetiver or Patchouli can be substituted for Sandalwood.

Apply gently to your legs, feet, neck and stomach.

During Your Morning Shower

3 drops of Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis ct camphor/ 1,8 cineole) on the shower floor in front of where you stand. Breathe deeply!

While we were on Crete, we had an extraordinary opportunity to visit Gill and Derek Pearce at their organic lavender and olive farm, The Lavender Way. The Lavender Way is the only organic lavender farm in Crete. They produce and sell essential oils, sachets, gels, spritzers, tea and hand-made wands and ship worldwide.

Lavender plants and olive trees clearly love each other! To see pictures of these two growing in harmony together I created a slideshow on Flickr (including all my pictures from Greece and Crete).

Within moments of meeting Gill and Derek I felt as if I was meeting old friends. Their philosophy, approach to the plants, love of beauty and essential oils left me feeling right at home. Gill showed us her remarkable journal tracking all the lavender plants and species, where they are planted and their progress. These lavender plants are well loved!

In the drying room were tables filled with lavender! Tucked away were infusions of St Johns wort and carrot seed. Gill showed us the different species of lavender flowers and explained the different oils and products being produced.

As we wandered through the lavender fields we were greeted by mounds of vibrant healthy lavender, olive trees, wild herbs and bamboo…  Oh and did I mention the view of the Aegean sea from their house? Beauty everywhere I looked.

The picture here is of the lunch we shared together at a local restaurant. We never even opened the menu, they just asked the chef what was fresh and platters of food arrived!

If you are tempted to treat yourself to some wonderful lavender oils, wands or tea from Crete, this is the place!

On my recent trip to Bulgaria I visited a wonderful Essential Oil Distillery called RKL, located in the village of Bial Briag. They are a small distillery with beautiful organic fields of herbs such as Lavender, Melissa, Yarrow and Saint John’s Wort.

One of the three owners of RKL graciously met us at the airport in Varna, Bulgaria and spent the next three days with us. Alex took us to his distillery in Bial Briag and another distillery he supports called Little Arcadia, owned by his friends Antonina and Ivan, in Kipilovo village. Both distilleries are located in extraordinary, old villages.

The first day we spent in Varna, a costal town along the Black sea that reminded me of all the wonderful villages I love so much in France. Outdoor cafes serving incredible local food, people out on the cobblestone streets late into the night, and street performers playing music.

The next day we drove for a few hours through huge fields of sunflowers in full bloom to his distillery. The distillery is located in an old stone building in a very charming, ancient village. We met Georgi, his distillery manager who lives in the village with his wife Milka. Georgi owns 30 horses, one (Mladenka) who was kind enough to pull us in a cart through the village to their Melissa fields! We were told that Mladenka, the horse, was so smart that he could be a president!

I have pictures of the distillery, the people and the herb fields on my flickr account (along with the rest of the Bulgaria trip).

What impressed me most about RKL was that the three owners, Alex, Alexander and Vili, all come to the business with different skills. Alexander is a landscaper designer and knows the plants well, Alex has a background in international trade, importing and exporting, and Vili is what Alex called “the idea guy”. For example, Vili came up with the idea to make their own pellets from sawdust to run the boiler for the distillery.

They are dedicated to organic growing and skillful distilling. Alex has also begun to work with other local Lavender distillers to combine their efforts to provide larger quantities of Lavender essential oils to companies around the world. Bulgarian Lavender is beautiful! I always think of Rose essential oil when I think of Bulgaria, but the Lavender is also amazing, along with the Yarrow, German Chamomile, St John’s Wort and the other local herbs.

RKL are also the co-founders of BEOG – Boutique Essential Oils Group. BEOG is a commercial union of Bulgarian producers of rare organic and top quality herbal essential oils, brought together by common ideals and goals. RKL has years of hands-on experience in cultivated herb growing and distillation of essential oils, as well as profound commercial experience in international trade. The main task of BEOG is to unite the various small farmers under a standardized and controlled production and distillation process so their special products meet the high standards of the world markets.

Currently BEOG owns and runs more than 160 hectares (1 hectare equals about 2.47 acres) of Melissa, Saint John’s Wort, Chamomile, Elecampane, Wild Oregano, Yarrow, Rue, Winter Savory, Lovage, Angelica, Lavender and Dill.

The essential oil production in Bulgaria is impressive. It was deeply inspiring and heartfelt to see such large areas of herbs being grown organically, and such skillful distillation at each of the distilleries we visited.

As with most distilleries, the Bulgarian distillers tend to sell their essential oils in larger quantities for essential oil companies that import. If you are wanting small sizes (1/2 oz-16 oz), Karen at Aromatics International sells a beautiful Bulgarian Rose absolute, and a deep blue Bulgarian Yarrow.

If these posts about distilleries interest you, my next post will be on the distilleries I visited in Crete, Greece.

Last week I flew to Bulgaria and met up with my friend Christina, owner of Essential Education International.  We visited several distilleries. The first was Ecomaat Distillery. The morning after we arrived in Bulgaria, we drove into the Balkin mountains to a small, beautiful village called Mirkovo. Fortunately we had a navigation system (and specifically a chip for Bulgaria) because trying to read street signs with names like “площад „Батенберг” made us laugh!

Ecomaat is located in a beautiful, ecologically pure region in the very heart of the Balkan Mountains. They distill wild-growing herbs and plants. Ecomaat is certified for organic production of essential oils.  The main activity of the company is the cultivation of essential oil crops and herbs, and the processing of these crops for the production of essential oils and CO2 extracts. Their essential oil production is based on a traditional Bulgarian approach combined with cutting-edge distillation equipment and methodology.

Ecomaat’s basic principles of organic agriculture preserve the fertility of the Earth. They refrain from polluting activities to preserve the environment. They don’t use synthetic pesticides or genetically modified organisms. Ecomaat’s principles are established in order to respect their consumers and future generations.

Upon arriving at Ecomaat (no small miracle) we were transported into a world of vibrant CO2 extracts, extraordinary essential oils and a beautiful distillery! Atanas, the distiller at Ecomaat, gave us a wonderful tour of the distillery and CO2 extraction equipment. The CO2 process is really interesting. It consists of pumping pressurized carbon dioxide into a chamber filled with plant matter (roses, chamomile, lilacs and so on). When carbon dioxide is subjected to pressure it becomes “supercritical” (meaning that it has liquid properties while remaining in a gaseous state). Because of the liquid properties of the gas, the CO2 functions as a solvent, pulling the oils, pigment and resin from the plant material. The temperature involved in the supercritical extraction process is low, around 95 to 100 degrees F, as opposed to 140 to 212 degrees F in steam distillation.

For some plants, a CO2 supercritical extract can retain the more genuine aroma of the plant. For example, I felt the aroma of the CO2 extracts of lavender and cardamom were more vibrant than the essential oil.

I asked Atanas to share his thoughts on CO2 extraction. Here is what he said: “As mentioned during our meeting and discussions, one of the major advantages of the supercritical extraction is that the process is selective. By changing the work parameters (temperature and pressure, thus influencing the density of the solvent) we have the possibility to extract different compounds. This way we are capable to make selective and total extraction resulting in ‘select’ and ‘total’ grade of the extract. In general the ‘select’ contains more essential oil, while the ‘total’ includes also the lipophilic compounds and plant waxes in addition to the essential oil”.

The “select” extraction results in a liquid that looks like an essential oil. The “totals” are always waxy, concrete like, and solid or semi solid. Personally, I loved the solids from the total extract. They are not fat soluble so they can be used to infuse a carrier oil like jojoba, much like the vanilla oleoresin infused jojoba that Karen makes at Aromatics International.

In between smelling essential oils, CO2 extracts and Bulgarian rose products, Atranas and his wife Yordanka (Dani for short) took us out to lunch in their village. We had the most wonderful meal of grilled vegetables, salads and meats with a frozen handmade yogurt for dessert, topped with walnuts and honey. Between the aromas of the oils and the aroma of the food, we were in Bulgarian heaven!

I was deeply inspired by the work of everyone at Ecomaat and highly recommend their essential oils and CO2 extracts. This is a link to the photos I took throughout the trip in Bulgaria. My next blog post will be on another wonderful distillery near the Black Sea in Bulgaria.

Aromatics International imports their Ylang Ylang (Canaga odorata) essential oil from a South African distiller who has been in the essential oil business since 1983. Clive works with rural communities and emerging farmers to establish crops specifically for essential oils. His daughter, Jessica, works with him in the business concentrating primarily on organic essential oils. They work directly with rural farmers supplying distillation units and teaching the skills of distilling. Clive and Jessica are also involved with farmers and distillers in Madagascar, Rwanda, and Zambia.

A very simple blend of Ylang Ylang and Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is wonderful for supporting sleep, especially for those with a busy mind! The rich aroma of Ylang Ylang adds a deep floral note to any blend. The oil is so penetrating that a few drops is all you need in your blend. There is nothing quite like the scent of this beautiful tropical flower to lift your spirits in the depth of winter!

Healing Burns

There are many wonderful carrier oils that can nourish the skin and speed the healing of a burn on your skin. Baobab oil, Shea butter and Tamanu oil are three of my current favorites.

Baobab: The oil is made from the fruit of the Baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) by cold pressing the seed of the fruit. Baobab oil is highly penetrating, deeply nourishing and softens dry skin. It is known to restore and remoisturize the epidermis. Baobab oil has a high content of essential fatty acids.

Shea: Shea butter is extracted from the the Karite tree (Butyrospermum parkii), most often found in the tropical regions of West Africa. Shea is known to be an excellent moisturizer.  It is used as a lip balm, salve base, in body butters and in many skin care preparations. Used for sun-damaged skin and for long-term health of the skin.


Tamanu : The oil is made from the Calophyllum inophyllum tree. The harvested fruits are crushed to extract the nuts. The nuts are then sun-dried for eight weeks. During this time, the nuts turn brown and lose a third of their original weight. Inside their oil content becomes very high. Tamanu Oil does not exist in the fruit when it falls from the tree but forms during the drying period. Once dried, the oil is extracted from the nuts by cold pressing. Tamanu oil’s ability to heal damaged skin is well researched. The oil is notable for treating scars, stretch marks (fades stretch marks with great results), minor wounds, skin irritations, rashes, bedsores and many other skin concerns.

Burn Soothing Salve Recipe: In a double boiler melt a 1/2 oz of beeswax and then add 2 oz of Shea butter on a low heat and take of the heat as soon as the two are fully melted.  Mix in 1 oz of Tamanu oil, 1 oz of Baobab oil, and 30 drops of Lavender  essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia). Stir, pour into three 2 oz glass jars, cover and allow to cool. Apply this butter to the burn.

Kimba is so happy we clean with natural products!

On Aromatics International we have a recipe section with successful  blends we have made over the years. I recently added several new recipes for cleaning products: a hand cleanser and a hand soap (the soap is listed under colds and flu).

I find that when I clean with natural products and essential oils, I feel much better than I would if I used chemical cleaners. Essential oils are well known for their anti-microbial effects, as they can possess antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties.

You can do a search on Aromatics International for these or any properties, and get a list of oil that possess those properties. When searching, use the search field on the top right of the website, and use the terms “bacterial” “fungal” and “viral” to produce the best results. There are long lists of essential oils that provide these results, so you can pick your favorite oils to use for cleaning and supporting your immunity at the same time!

I began cloth diapering my second son a few months ago. (It’s part of my Pale Shade of Green initiative for 2009.) I’ve settled on a great routine, found the diapers I like best, and am now enjoying line-drying my diapers in the warm, sunny weather.

My only complaint? Dirty diapers stink. There’s no way to sugarcoat it. They smell awful. Some kids have smellier urine than others and it appears that my five-month-old has urine that’s pretty high on the stink scale. When I dump my wet bag into the laundry I seriously consider wearing a facemask.

Recently, I formulated some natural ways to combat smelly cloth diapers with essential oils. I’d love to share them with you, and please feel free to share them with other cloth diapering moms!

Antibacterial Diaper Pail Spray

15 drops of Lemon Essential Oil
15 drops of Tea Tree Essential Oil
4 oz Water in Spray Bottle

This is a VERY concentrated spray. DO NOT use on skin or surfaces your baby will come in contact with. I just give a few good squirts into the pail every time I drop a dirty diaper in. I also spray the outside of the pail once in a while to help combat germs.

Laundry Boost

During your initial cold water soak, add 4 drops of Tea Tree and 4 drops of Lavender. Let it agitate for a minute or so to mix in it. I soak my diapers overnight in the washing machine in cold water, the essential oils, and once in a while with some oxygen bleach. If you dry your diapers in the sun, the aroma from the essential oils will fade, but the diapers won’t stink!

You can also add a few drops of Lemon, Tea Tree, Lavender, or an essential oil of your choosing to the tag on the inside of your Wet Bag to combat odor.

Congratulations to Mae for winning Aromatics International’s first blog giveaway.  Here’s her winning recipe:

I soak a cotton ball with about 10 drops of lavender oil and put it in a pocket on my vacuum to infuse the smell into the house. Mmm…

We’d like to share some more Lavender ideas with Mae and with our blog readers.

• Try three drops in the tub. Just be careful when adding your drops, sometimes they can come out pretty quickly.  Three drops are the perfect and safest amount.  The aroma will fill your whole bathroom, turning a simple bath into a spa experience. (And you’ll sleep beautifully!)
• For sunburned or wind-burned skin, add 15 drops in a spray bottle full of water, with a teaspoon of aloe vera gel (unscented) and 2 tabs of vitamin E. Keep it in the fridge for use on sunburns for an extra cooling effect.
• As a 100% organic and pure organic skin moisturizer, use a 3-4 drops in 1 oz of organic Jojoba oil.
• For effective calming action, use 5 drops Lavender and 5 drops Frankincense in an inhaler. Inhale during difficult or frightening situations.  (Keep it in your bag or in your car!)
• Make bath salts for your friends. Use 10 drops in 4 oz of unscented bath salts for a great gift!

Thanks to all our entrants—everyone had great ideas.  Look for an upcoming post regarding Aromahead’s stance on safe uses of essential oils.

Did you know that Aromatics International features over 100 aromatherapy recipes formulated personally by a clinical aromatherapist with over a decade of experience?  On our recipes page, you can browse by ailment or intention—making it easier than ever to start putting your essential oil collection to good use.  The recipes area features a broad selection of recipes treating everything from acne to sun burn.

Already familiar with the aromatherapy recipes on Aromatics International?  Try browsing through the individual essential oil pages.  Each page has a recipe!  From menstrual bloating to tension headaches, we’ve got a great blend you can make at home.  All the recipes featured are personal favorites that Andrea has blended for herself and her friends and family.

Cold and flu season is upon us.  Essential oils can help boost you and your family’s health without introducing harmful synthetic chemicals.  Check out the blend for early signs of a respiratory infection blend on the Ravintsara essential oil detail page.  Of if you just need a boost, check out the immune support blend on the Rosewood essential oil detail page.  One of the most popular treatments for cold and flu is a steam blend—and Aromatics International has several recipes including the decongestant steam blend on the Eucalyptus Globulus essential oil detail page.

Aromatherapy blends and recipes aren’t just about treating digestive, cold, or pain issues.  Essential oils can also support general well-being, relaxation, positive thinking, and sensuality.  The holidays are just hours away, but there’s still time to make last-minute gifts for your loved ones.   Bath salts, mother blends for steams and diffusing, and massage oils make wonderful gifts for the holidays, birthdays, or other special occasions.  Find recipes on Aromatics International or experiment with your own formula.

Have a favorite recipe? Submit it in the comments here by midnight EST on December 31st.  We’ll pick one lucky winner to receive a free ½ ounce of Lavender essential oil—and we’ll feature your recipe here on the Aromatics International blog in January!  (Don’t forget to include your email address in the form so we can contact you!)