Essential Oils
Aromatherapy is an ancient art relating to pure essential oils. Oils enter the body through skin absorption, the sense of smell, and some through ingestion. The medicinal properties and scents of the plants are magnified as the oil contains the essence of thousands or millions of flowers. For example it takes around 8 million hand-picked jasmine blossoms to produce 1 kilo of essential oil. Respectfully enjoy the oil. A small amount goes a long way. Through proper application, essential oils are used therapeutically to support physical and emotional health; to shift mental awareness; to create spiritual ambience. From cleansing to nourishing, may the essential oils find their place in our daily lives. 

Jasmine, Jasminum officinale, includes around 300 varieties of delicate and strong, deciduous and evergreen shrubs and climbers. It is a creeper with mostly white, and some species being yellow. The Jasmine is believed to have originated in the Himalayas in western China.
Most of the flowers have the classic sweet, floral aroma fragrance. To maximize the uplifting fragrance, Jasmine, Queen of the Night, is picked during the night as the aroma becomes stronger after sunset.
Jasmine is often used (along with Rose) in the most expensive of perfumes. It is costly due to Jasmine oil being difficult to extract from the Jasmine flowers. Around 8 million hand-picked jasmine blossoms are needed to produce 1 kilo of essential oil. An experienced picker can pick up to 15,000 blossoms a night. Another one to express it ~ one pound of Jasmine oil = 1,000 pounds of Jasmine = 3.6 million unpacked blossoms.
Suggested Uses
• Put a few drops in a diffuser/burner. • Add a few drops to a warm bath. • Use in a carrier oil for an aromatherapy massage.

Lotus essential oil can be used in a variety of ways such as a room spray (1 ML per 100 ML of water); for massage; or as a bath oil.
Note: Due to the phytochemicals present in the Lotus plant, some suggest to check with your doctor if you are taking medications.

The most well-known sandalwood tree is the Santalum album, or Indian sandalwood. The majority of these trees grow in the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The slow growing Indian sandalwood has the highest oil content (6 to 7%). The essential oil found in the heartwood of the trees starts to form after 10 years old. The trees are harvested after 30 years. The current production of sandalwood trees is not enough to meet the current demand. The forestry departments in India are regulating the amount of Sandalwood used for oil. Our sandalwood is from a reputable source.
The sandalwood oil is distilled from the heartwood and roots of the sandalwood tree resulting in 60kg of oil per ton of heartwood. Both the wood and the oil produce a distinctive fragrance that has been valued since ancient times.
The amount of heartwood in a tree varies based on soil, climate, age and other factors. The heartwood ranges from yellowish to dark brown. The highest oil content is found in the root and in the center of the heartwood. The oil decreases moving up the tree and out from the center.
Sandalwood oil is a sweet, warm, woody essential oil with a deep, rich base. It is used in incense, body fragrances & soaps, and has been part of medicine for thousands of years. Sandalwood holds a sacred place in India. It is used in religious ceremonies. Sandalwood paste is integral to pujas. Malas and deities are carved of this great wood. The smell remains at the alter due to sandalwood deities and on the mala beads.
For Massage: mix sandalwood oil with almond: 1 part to 10. Once they are mixed, oil will only remain good for 2 – 3 years. If separated, sandalwood oil can stay good for many years.

The essential oil is derived from the leaves, bark, seed or flowers and some use a water extract of any of these parts. Blue Jacaranda is used as essential oils, in medicines, and in industry.

Hindus and Buddhists have long used this scent during religious ceremonies. It is known for its long lasting fragrance and calming effects for meditation.
Nag Champa is commonly used in incense, lotions, soaps. The Champa flower is considered as a sacred plant cultivated in India, and other areas.

In Hinduism, Tulsi is considered a sacred plant, the incarnation of the goddess Tulsi, consort of Vishnu, giving divine protection. Many Indian families keep a Tulsi plant in or near their home, caring for it with devotion. The plant’s woody stalks can be made into mala beads. Ayurveda credits Tulsi with medicinal values and has long been part of this medical system. Tulsi is also a popular herbal tea. There are endless benefits credited to Tulsi from medicinal to a spiritual.
Tulsi is a popular ingredient in perfumes and colognes as it a refreshing fragrance due to the plants strong aromatic leaves.
Tulsi is a bushy shrub that grows to about 18 inches in height. Its leaves are oval and serrated, with colors ranging from light green to dark purple, depending on the variety. In the wild, tulsi is an annual, but it can be kept as a perennial by trimming it before it forms seeds. The plant has delicate lavender-colored flowers, and its fruit consists of tiny rust-colored nuts.

Suggested uses
Vaporized or inhaled. Use in an oil burner or add a few drops to a bowl of hot water and breathe in the steam.
Add to a bowl of warm water to soak hands or feet; add to your bath to enhance relaxation.
Rub a drop over your pillow to aid with sleep.
Massage, diluted with a carrier oil, to relieve muscle and joint pain; to minimize scarring; apply to dry, chapped, or irritated skin; cleanse and soothe minor cuts, burns.
Use as a compress by soaking a towel in a bowl of water infused with a few drops of lavender oil.
Add lavender oil to baking soda to make an all-natural antibacterial scrub for bathroom and kitchen.
Note: May be toxic to our feline friends.

The expensive oil is a result of the difficulty in extracting the oil from the plant. ‘A rose blossom contains only about 0.02% essential oil. It takes about 60,000 roses to produce just 1 ounce of oil, and ten thousand pounds of rose blossoms to produce 1 pound of oil. Another way to look at it… it takes about 2 and 1/2 dozen roses to produce a single drop of oil.

The flowers sit on separate stalks, attached to the center of the leaf, with white petals (25 or more per flower) and yellow centers. The leaf is nearly-circular, up-to-11 inches in diameter. The underside of the leaf is often red or purple. The leaves each have a deep cleft to the stem.
The flowers are very fragrant. White Water Lily can spread from seeds or the rhizomes, creeping rootstalks. Each bloom lasts 3-4 days, and then is quickly replaced.
- Store in a safe place, free from direct sunlight.
- As with all Essential Oils, test for skin sensitivity prior to widespread use. Dilute as needed.
- Almond oil is great carrier for Essential Oils. It is great for the skin as it is rich in many nourishing vitamins. It is easily absorbed and won’t block pores.
- Check with your doctor or nurse before using Essential Oils if you are pregnant.
- Keep Essential Oils away from babies, children and animal friends.
- Insure oils do not enter the eyes. If oil does enter the eye, take a cloth with vegetable oil and place near corner of eye. This attracts the oil.
- Treat oils with respect. The oils support our over all well-being when used appropriately.
