Frequently Asked Questions
About Essential Oils
Buyers sometimes do not understand why essential oils seem expensive for such little quantity. With education, they learn that in some instances it takes a pound of a plant to make a couple of drops, or in the case of neroli (orange blossom), 1000 kilos of blossoms yield 1 kilo of oil. When they comprehend the concentration of the product the price makes sense.
Rarely, if used properly. Essential oils are so concentrated they can be dangerous if people use them improperly. We do have labels on our tiny bottles that warn about the dangers- do not take internally, keep out of eyes, dilute before using on skin, keep away from children, do not use if pregnant and use with caution with epilepsy and asthma. So people have to pay attention to these warnings and keep them away from babies and children who do not read and are most at risk of inadvertently drinking the oils.
It is possible for some people to be sensitive or allergic to oils and should avoid the botanical family they are allergic to. The other families of plants should still be tolerable. This means if they are allergic to lavender, they should be cautious around rosemary, basil, and other oils in the Lamiaceae family. This is much rarer than people being allergic to perfumes and scented personal products, which are mainly synthetic these days. One study suggested that an individual’s right brain (our spatial and artistic side) becomes confused around synthetic perfumes, but not with essential oils. Many people who have been allergic to synthetics all of their lives are often happy to discover these natural scents, which smell like the plant they came from.
About Flower Essences
Individual flower essences have no scent and they rarely cause allergic reactions or sensitivities, as they do not contain a significant amount of plant material. They are preserved in alcohol and taken internally. People with alcohol sensitivity can take them in most cases if they dilute only about 4 drops in 50 mls of water and vegetable glycerine as a preservative, or up to 4 drops directly from the stock bottle into boiling hot water, so the alcohol boils off. The exceptions to this are a few blends, such as YES, and the Flourish line, which also contain a small number of herbs, which people can be allergic to.
FES, has done some qualitative research studies on the essences, which you can access from the flower essences society in California. When dealing with the mind and perception it is difficult to measure change, as every individual is quite different. While, double-blind, randomized testing is a gold standard when there are fewer variables that are simple to report on, it is not necessarily the best way to measure less concrete issues that have to do with soul patterns. So, sometimes softer, qualitative research has advantages.
With all healing, be it cultural, social or personal, there is a belief system and affinity involved, that makes every modality attractive to some and not to others. We have found it is best to let people who are drawn to this area experiment, and those who are skeptical can try the essences and learn, but can also acknowledge that if this is not for them, there are many other healing modalities available that can still apply to their needs. So each individual needs to find the path right for them.
Healing is not just about logic, although evidence can be useful, healing itself is not a linear process. In my opinion, there is individual variability and different modalities work differently for individuals. Timing is another variable. Sometimes we are open or drawn to experiences that at other times feel less compelling.
About Essential Oils and Flower Essences
Yes. With all plant-based healing we have found some individuals have a stronger affinity to some plants than others, and thus, get better results from some essences than others. I know when I first used homeopathic preparations I did not initially get results, but I kept trying, as it appealed to my belief system and I gradually found a few preparations that worked beautifully. My persistence paid off and they remain some of my chief personal healing tools, along with essential oils, flower essences and supplements.
Flower essences are very similar, as some people get immediate results, while others may need to experiment to find which essences work best for them. Other people may gravitate more toward the essential oils, which have a more tangible scent and stronger properties. Others find the oils too strong and prefer the gentle nature of flower essences.
Buyers sometimes do not understand why essential oils seem relatively expensive for such little amounts. With education, they learn that in some instances it takes a pound of a plant to make a couple of drops of the oil, or in the case of neroli (orange blossom) 1000 kilos of blossoms yield 1 kilo of oil. When they comprehend the concentration of the product the price makes sense.
One way to determine if you have an affinity to a plant is to remember which plants have been meaningful to you since childhood, or which ones stand out for you as being important. Notice also, which plants draw you in. Also, awaken to synchronicity. Is a particular plant showing up in your waking life repeatedly? Dr. Carl Jung believed coincidences had meaning and could point toward something significant. The same is true for dreams. If you dream of a plant or flower, seek out its meaning and see if this resonates with you.
For All Customers
We do not offer returns unless something is damaged. Therefore if someone does not like the scent of an oil, or they are not happy with sales, we do not take product back. We do not take returns- unless there is a defect. To ensure buyers understand the product they purchase we provide info. on our website that explains some properties and cautions for each oil, and encourage sellers to share this info. with consumers.
Our minimum order is $50.00 before shipping. All pricing is in Canadian dollars. Shipping within Canada; $18.99 flat rate. Shipping to the USA, $30.00 flat rate. We only ship mushroom essence kits to the U.S. There is no international shipping. No Refunds.
Mostly, we go away for February.
We try to buy pure, undiluted product, but we do not have each oil tested by a lab. We do sniff each oil and compare its scent and consistency to typical parameters of that oil. We buy what the market provides, but there could possibly be dilution or adulteration in some cases. For example, an unscrupulous producer could take properties from a less pricey essential oil, such as citronella and add it to a more expensive oil like lemon verbena. It smells, looks and acts similarly, as they are chemically very alike, but there would still be an adulteration. To ensure we get the best product possible and minimize potential problems we have dealt with some of the same distributors, producers and growers repeatedly over the years. These people are experienced in the business and have reliable contacts. Whenever possible we buy directly from the grower and have a preference for locally grown products.
With flower essences and mushroom essences, we know the product is exceptionally pure. But as mentioned above, although flower essences give great long-termed change for people committed to their own growth, there may be some discomfort that occurs as they change. It is not what people in our society have been trained to expect – rather we often self medicate to repress pain. Flower essences can cause our pain to become very obvious and make us aware of how our actions or attitudes contribute to it. This is a great insight that can make for huge change but is often not the road we are used to. That is why we also train guides at our college to help people get through the rough terrain to make those long-termed changes.