Learn about Colleen’s favourite holiday aromatherapy traditions—and get some of her most treasured recipes. They make wonderful handmade gifts!

Each year, my five grandchildren and I gather to make aromatherapy gifts for their parents and other grandparents and family members. This tradition started many years ago, and as the children have grown, we added more complex blends to our repertoire. Th...

Are you an aromatherapist or an aromatherapy enthusiast who creates blends by the drop method? That was how we were taught, right? The problem is that not all essential oil drops are the same size and if we are not aware of this, it can skew the formula.

How big is a drop of essential oil?

The size of a drop is based upon the viscosity of the liquid. For example, a drop of water will be smaller ...

Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere are heading into summer. Summer usually involves more travel, whether this is day trips to the beach or more lengthy vacations, it is always a good idea to pack a first aid kit. If I am limited to what I can carry with me, I will always make sure to bring lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia). Both these essential oils are ve...

You have probably been inundated with advertisements from companies declaring their products to be chemical free. You may have even purchased products based upon these claims.

What if I were to tell you that nothing is chemical free? Our bodies are composed of approximately 60% oxygen (O), which is a chemical element. Other chemical elements that comprise the human body are carbon (CO2), nitrogen...

If you're a massage therapist, sound healer, yoga teacher, or Reiki practitioner, you may be looking for innovative ways to further enhance the well-being of your clients. Many holistic healing arts professionals find that adding aromatherapy to their toolkit expands their options, leading to happier, healthier clients — and new streams of income!

Meet Karagin Sheen, a recent graduate of Essence ...

“It is the most powerful creation to have life growing inside of you. There is no bigger gift.” — Beyoncé

The human body is a miraculous thing, and this is particularly evident during pregnancy. While for most women pregnancy can be filled with joy, the subtle and obvious changes that occur in the mother’s body can cause physical and emotional discomfort. Hormonal changes such as the increase...

If you’ve used essential oils, you most likely have come across the term chemotypes. But do you really know what they are, and why it is important information to know? Let’s dive into the topic of essential oil chemotypes.

What are chemotypes?

Chemotype (noun): Essential oils that are from the same plant species, but whose dominant constituents differ in their chemical composition.

To put i...

Professional aromatherapy training, as set forth by international professional aromatherapy associations, includes the completion of formal case studies that teach you how to apply what you have learned to real-world professional situations. This can also create many new opportunities for you!

Essence of Thyme student Lynn Thiry’s recent case study will be featured at the upcoming Alliance of Int...

There is a tremendous amount of misinformation circulating about essential oils—so much that it can make you question whether essential oils are even safe to use! In this post, we’ll share the most important considerations to help you determine the safe or unsafe use of essential oils.

There is no “one size fits all” approach to essential oils. 

Essential oils are obtained from specific parts of...

Aromatherapy and essential oils have a rich history of effectiveness, and thankfully due to the increased interest in the modality, there is now a growing body of evidence-based research into the field. Experimental scientific studies and research help us understand and advance our knowledge of essential oils, application and usage methods. But what does all the research, its methods and technique...