Many aromatherapists and natural wellness folks are familiar with a certain notorious essential oil blend of ne're-do-wells past, a mysterious potion based on a recipe that originated in the 15th century. According to legend, the concoction was created by a group of four thieves and grave robbers to protect themselves from contracting the plague while robbing the bodies of the ill and deceased. When apprehended, the thieves admitted to using the formula and disclosed the recipe in order to receive a less severe punishment for their crimes.

The holidays are almost upon us, so we’ve curated some of our favorite culinary and natural body care recipes to inspire your homemade gift giving this year. From homemade decor, to natural body care formulas, to kitchen staples, most of these DIY projects can be done in a day, and none takes more than a week. Even if you’ve put off your holiday crafting a little longer than you intended, there’s still time to whip up some botanical bounty to surprise and delight everyone on your list!

Natural wax candles are delightful accessories and tools for creating radiant spaces, especially as fall and winter bring chilly darkness to our days. These warm, flickering lights add natural ambiance and a calm, cozy feeling to any room. And while they serve a lovely mood-setting purpose in their own right, they can also be used to heat essential oils in a diffuser to fill a room with your favorite grounding fragrance, creating the perfect space for relaxing self care rituals.

Essential oils seem to be everywhere these days! Little known in the mainstream just a decade or two ago, these potent oils are now being featured by celebrities, in magazines, and even in big box stores. Essential oils can be a wonderful way to support health and well-being. However, there is quite a bit of conflicting information out there about how to use them. As highly concentrated plant-based aromatics, it is important to use essential oils safely.

Let's face it, essential oils are not cheap! They require a lot of plant material to produce a small amount of oil, so it's important to get the most out of your little bottles of aromatic goodness.

I absolutely love our organic sage hydrosol! This delightful aromatic is water-steam distilled from fresh culinary sage. It is uplifting, energetic, and grounding — all at the same time! It smells a lot like fresh sage leaves and is primarily made up of 1,8-cineole and camphor.

Considered a balancing astringent, organic sage hydrosol makes an excellent base for deodorant sprays and facial toners. It can be used as a single ingredient spray or blended with citrus notes, other culinary spice notes, or herby green notes.

Sweet, sublime summer! After many long months of rain and cloudy skies, I am ecstatic to finally enjoy some warmth and sunshine. From making tea pops to camping, there are so many enjoyable activities to squeeze into the short number of sunny months here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Imagine taking the refreshing scent of a whole peppermint plant and putting it into a tiny bottle, or capturing the heart-warming fragrance of rose petals in a single drop. This is the power of pure essential oils, but what makes these plant potions so magical? 

If you’re anything like me, your schedule is often a little too crowded. And the struggle of trying to balance our always-on culture against some quality “me” time is real. While I haven’t been great at saying no to as many things I would like to this year, I have been better about finding those quiet moments of me time. One of the things that helps me to quickly find a moment of tranquility is to eliminate the distractions of technology and enjoy a little aromatherapy. These buckwheat and lavender eye pillows check both of those boxes, plus they’re easy to transport and they’re adorable! 

Organic Spanish marjoram is a bright and camphoraceous essential oil that is distilled from the blooming aerial portions of Thymus mastichina. With a 1,8-cineole content around 50%, this oil can be used in similar ways to other camphorish oils like eucalyptus and rosemary. In addition to 1,8-Cineole, Spanish marjoram also contains camphor, α- and β-pinene, camphene, and borneol.

In aromatherapy, we are constantly talking about diluting essential oils in a carrier. But what is a carrier, and which should you choose? Here we’re going to cover the organic carrier oils that are most commonly used for topical recipes and massage.