Essential U Blog

Not All Fruits Produce Essential Oils

We receive regular requests to create aromatherapy blends with scents like passion fruit, banana, coconut, kiwi and strawberry.  By definition, aromatherapy is the treatment with the scented liquid that comes naturally from essential oils, which are the highly concentrated extracts from plants, trees, seeds, shrubs, flowers, fruit peels and leaves. 

    

The only fruits that produce essential oils are citrus fruits, and the oil comes from the peel of the fruit.  All other fruit scents, such as those listed above and others, are made with fragrance chemicals and have no aromatherapy value at all.  Only natural plant materials have these therapeutic properties and effects of essential oils.  In fact, fragrance oils are under attack from all directions.  They contain a host of undisclosed preservatives and chemicals.  Fragrance oils are the number one cause of allergic reactions from cosmetics today. 

Check your products! If you are offering aromatherapy treatments, make sure you are not using any that contain any level of fragrance oils.  An aromatherapy treatment should only be done with essential oils.  Aromatherapy benefits cannot be achieved with fragrance chemicals.  Synthetic fragrance chemicals are not the same as natural made aromas.  If you have a fruity aromatherapy product make sure that the aroma is coming from orange, lemon, bergamot, lime, litsea, tangerine, mandarin, blood orange, pink grapefruit, white grapefruit, or another citrus that produces essential oils. 

Shipping Credit Promo Extended

The holiday season is upon us!  Essential Wholesale wants to help you optimize those shipping dollars back.  Essential Wholesale orders* starting at $100 worth of products placed online that ships via our chosen carrier to any 48 continental states will have the according percentage of the shipping cost applied back to your online customer account.  That means that you get a percentage of the cost of shipping back on any orders* over $100 applied toward your next online order.  How cool is that?

 
$100 - $249*   10% shipping credit
$250 - $499*   25% shipping credit
$500 - $999*   50% shipping credit
$1000 - $1999*   75% shipping credit
$2000+*   100% shipping credit

A Reminder to Never Be Truant From Your Own LIfe

It was a day a lot like today, the crispness of air is familiar.  The neighborhood kids and I stood outside, just to the right of my home, in front of the Loomis’ house and within view of the Tosti’s front door.  We stood on our gathering place, the place where any kid could stand and belong. You see there were no outsiders inside the gates of the military housing known as Perlacher Forest.  Once transferred to Munich, you belonged automatically.  It was a not-so-secret society where the password was, “hello, I just moved here from…” to join. 

    
I was standing at the gathering place when my mother called out to me.  It was unusual to be called back so early.  As I was heading towards her I could see something I didn’t recognize, something I had never seen on her face and in her continence.  Apprehension consumed me as I walked towards learning what she obviously knew and I still didn’t.  The words tumbled out to greet me, “Robin Tosti is dead.”  I glanced back towards Robin’s home where nothing was happening and so I just knew this couldn’t be true.  I answered back, “You’re joking” half knowing that I was wrong. 

A Closer Look at Meadowfoam Seed Oil

One of my favorite oils is meadowfoam seed oil, because it is probably the single most unique oil available on the market today.  Meadowfoam Seed Oil (Limnanthes alba) comes from a low growing herbaceous winter annual that gets its name from the fact that fields of meadowfoam in full bloom appear to look like a meadow of foam.  It is native to the Pacific Northwest.  Meadowfoam has a good stable shelf life because it contains over 98% long chain fatty acids.  Its unique chemical properties make it one of the most stable of all of the carrier oils.

    

Refined meadowfoam is virtually odorless which makes it a prime candidate for use in aromatherapy products.  It is rich in antioxidants and penetrates the skin easily.  The stability of meadowfoam seed oil actually works to extend the shelf life of less stable ingredients in a formula.  Meadowfoam is such an unique and valuable oil that it is currently being studied by scientists at Oregon State University and the US Department of Agriculture. 

Certified Organic Vanilla Flavor

Special buy!  16 ounce Certified Organic Bourbon Vanilla Flavor while it lasts. 

  

This Certified Organic Bourbon Vanilla Flavor is amazing.  This vanilla flavor is produced with a blend of 13.35 ounces of selected, choice organic Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans through a unique cold process method of extraction.  It has an 18% organic alcohol content in the finished product.  The difference between this organic vanilla flavor (18% alcohol) and an organic vanilla extract (35% alcohol) is the percentage of alcohol.  This product is water soluble. 

Wordless Wednesday :: Kona by Mel

International Fragrance Association Helpful Links

On October 1, 2009 the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) sent out a press release stating, “Of the 50 consumer products randomly tested from around the world as part of the IFRA Compliance Program’s third cycle one was identified as containing a recently banned fragrance material. IFRA contacted the consumer product manufacturer and the fragrance supplier to establish the circumstances surrounding the presence of the material and whether or not it constituted a case of non-compliance to the IFRA Code of Practice.

Both the consumer product manufacturer and the fragrance supplier cooperated fully with the enquiry. It was established that the fragrance containing the material in question was supplied before the material was banned under IFRA Standards, and discontinued thereafter. The fragrance supplier was, therefore, fully compliant with the IFRA Code of Practice.

Monday Motivational Moment :: Who Knew Hope Had Autism

This Halloween Read the Fine Print :: FDA Recall on Face Paint

This Halloween check the product packaging of any face paint you plan on using on your kids or yourself.  Face paints manufactured by Shanghai Color Art Stationery Company Limited, Shanghai, China, are being voluntarily recalled by Fun Express Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oriental Trading Co. A full list of product descriptions can be found here including item numbers and UPC codes.  The date on the recall is May 12, 2009 but some of the product could have been in storage during the recall.  Please check your products against the list provided by the FDA. 

   

If your product is not all the list you still need to make sure that you carefully read the directions of the face paint.  Even though the product packaging shows images of kids with their face fully covered in bright colors these products are not approved for use around the eye.  The directions specifically say that these colors are not for use around the eye.  That means that the colors do not match the certification required by the FDA for use around the eye.  

Seller Beware of Product Claims

Don’t be tempted to make OTC claims on your cosmetics.  My inbox has been full lately of miracle cures, blends, and products that will keep me safe from H1N1, colds and all the other flu bugs out there.  Even if your essential oil blend or herbal extract is the next great cure for all that ails us DO NOT make any claims, don’t imply it and don’t use product testimony to do so either. 

  

There is a clear distinction between cosmetics and over-the-counter drugs (OTC) that is not meant to be blurred.  The FDA and the FTC sent Dr. Weil a warning letter this week regarding his product claims for “Unapproved/Uncleared/Unauthorized Products Related to the H1N1 Flu Virus; and Notice of Potential Illegal Marketing of Products to Prevent, Treat or Cure the H1N1 Virus”