Distillation

From portugal alhambrics which can offer a simple or steam distillation or production of floral waters.  For example Melissa water is an excellent health promoting water which has been used for centuries.

Only the addition of a condensor and simple tube is necessary to achieve and efficient distillation apparatus.

I have fond memories of deals done over the farmhouse table and sealed with shots of flaming grappa distilled on the farm alhambric.
http://www.copper-alembic.com/index.php?lang=en

Essentia

The people behind Shirley Price

heres our busy general office today, george from the clean room lab working with rosie in sales, next to gill in customer service, next to kelly in operations. It doesnt get any better than this.

The Shirley Price staff are quite camera shy like our farmer/distillers but at least you know some of those to thank for all those Sp oils.

Essentia

Coca-Cola's 'secret ingredient revealed' - yes essential oils!

An American radio station has allegedly unveiled the recipe for one of Coca-Cola's key secret ingredients.…
173 Comments

Often duplicated but never replicated, the Coca-Cola recipe has been a well-kept secret for years.

Created by medicinal pharmacist John Pemberton in 1886, the exact measures of each ingredient that make up the world-famous soft drink have been closely guarded - until now.

American public radio show Thisamericanlife.org claims to have uncovered a list of ingredients and their exact quantities to mix the perfect Coca-Cola drink.

A photo from the 8th February 1979 editorion of American daily newspaper, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, shows a person holding open a book with a recipe, which is allegedly an exact copy of Pemberton’s.

The recipe is said to contain the precise amount of all the different oils needed to create Merchandise 7X, Coca-Cola’s secret ingredient.

Even though Merchandise 7X makes up only one percent of the drink’s formula, the key ingredient is believed to give one of the world’s most popular soft drink its unique taste.

The official recipe is allegedly guarded 24-hours a day in a vault in Atlanta, Georgia.

Here is the ‘secret recipe’:

* Fluid extract of Coca 3 drams USP
* Citric acid 3 oz
* Caffeine 1oz
* Sugar 30 (it is unclear from the markings what quantity is required)
* Water 2.5 gal
* Lime juice 2 pints 1 qrt
* Vanilla 1oz
* Caramel 1.5oz or more to colour
* 7X flavour (use 2oz of flavour to 5 gals syrup):
* Alcohol 8oz
* Orange oil 20 drops
* Lemon oil 30 drops
* Nutmeg oil 10 drops
* Coriander 5 drops
* Neroli 10 drops
* Cinnamon 10 drops

source: Yahoo

Essentia

Shirley Price Aromatherapy background

Shirley Price is a trusted name in the field of aromatherapy training and supply of professional aromatherapy oils for academic study and professional use.  Shirley Price herself authored many bestselling aromatherapy books and remains active in the field of aromatherapy.  Please note Shirley Price founded Shirley Price Aromatherapy in 1974 and retired and sold Shirley Price Aromatherapy in 1997.  Since then the business has had two former owners and three differant principal tutors as businesses do.

Both owners and tutors have been committed to the highest standards of aromatherapy training and aromatherapy products and substantial private equity investment has been made in the Company.  The Company's staff continue to set the highest standards in complementary therapies, beauty and sports therapies.  Shirley Price Aromatherapy is an excellent place to work and attracts first class staff, distributors and correspondents.

Today there are four tutors who are members of IFPA, IFA and FHT involved in the UK and more worldwide, several alumni tutors are authors and university lecturers in their own right with their own businesses and colleges,  providing the famous Shirley Price accredited aromatherapy diploma training.  Over 1000 students have been trained since 1997, some 6000 in all.  The college alumni form an important part of the Shirley Price family.

Shirley Price Aromatherapy continues to produce natural products to its distributors orders.  The acquisition of Lothian Herbs Aromatherapy a well known supplier of essential oils to Lloyds Pharmacy took the Aromatherapy Products for retailers to a differant level.  The company through the ECRM network remains in touch with the worlds leading retailers bringing innovative new products to the market.  All products are barcoded, boxed and tested.  Aloe Vera products, herbal creams and gels and Bach Flower remedies, organic natural skincare certified by the Soil Association are important product ranges.  The NHS is an important customer.

Training aromatherapists and buying essential oils is a complex and a very personal business.  The French wholesalers are well thought of however Italy is also an important producing country as is Argentina, Madagascor, Morocco and China.  Where we can we take the whole output direct from the farm rather than wholesalers.  On the training side the school and correspondent colleges worldwide remain highly active.  On www.ShirleyPriceAromatherapy.com can be found details of Shirley Price Aromatherapy training in 40 countries worldwide.  Our dream of an open network of Aromatherapy Schools devoted to training excellence in all the worlds major cities moves a little closer each quarter with correspondent schools in Beijing, Shanghai, Seoul, Tokyo, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Switzerland, Netherlands, UK, Eire, USA and Canada.

Our core oil the Lavender in our massage blends, creams and gels comes from our  farmer in the Tuscan hills in Italy.  We supply Italian citrus oils which are organic and fresh season and excellent value.  Asia is an important market for the company's products.  Shirley Price Aromatherapy is a leading aromatherapy retailer in Beijing and Shanghai and staff and tutors support a number of educational initiatives.

Shirley Price herself remains very active and can be contacted at www.Penny-Price.com or at www.Shirley-Price.com.  Shirley Price in her comments on this web page sometimes refers to the brief administration of the company in 2006.  The administrator made an adverse report of this affair as the manager of the company took the company into administration without informing the owners.  The owners had to buy back their own company from the administrator!  Naturally the company's staff and customers were upset. All long ago.

The Shirley Price staff have  built on the foundations that Shirley and Len Price laid particularly in the area of publishing, educuation and professional trade bodies in particular in the 1974-1997 period and are very grateful for them.

Aromatherapy remains one of the most useful of the complementary therapies with its blend of ancient wisdom and modern scientific development and understanding.  Above all it is fun.  Students experience a six month rush of aroma enthusiam which for some like us lasts a lifetime!  Training is quickly, inexpensively and readily acquired.  Aromatherapy remains a core discipline in the complimentary, beauty and sports therapists toolchests.

best wishes

Essentia

sorry

the blogs been a bit slow recently.  Jan and I both have trips and projects and deadlines on.  We'll be back on track in March

http://medicaltraditions.org/

Around 130 B.C., a ship, identified as the Relitto del Pozzino, sank off Tuscany, Italy. Among the artifacts found on board in 1989 were glass cups, a pitcher and ceramics, all of which suggested that the ship was sailing from the eastern Mediterranean area.

Its cargo included a chest that contained various items related to the medical profession: a copper bleeding cup and 136 boxwood vials and tin containers.  Inside one of the tin vessels, archaeologists found several circular tablets, many still completely dry.

"The tablets were less than an inch in diameter and about a third to a half inch thick," said Robert Fleischer, an evolutionary geneticist with the Smithsonian's Center for Conservation and Evolutionary Genetics in Washington, D.C.

Using DNA sequencing, Fleischer has identified some of the plant components in the tablets: carrot, radish, parsley, celery, wild onion, cabbage, alfalfa, oak and hibiscus.

This tradition is alive and well.  Shirley Price organic lavender is grown only 20 miles from the museum in Tuscany which preserves the remains of this naval medical chest.

find out more about Natural History in Tuscany
www.unifi.it/msn

Essentia

Preserving medical traditions in the UK

In 2011

The Secretary of State for Health has made an announcement about regulation of herbal medicine practitioners. The issue of whether or not practitioners of acupuncture, herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine should be statutorily regulated has been debated since the House of Lords Select Committee report on Complementary and Alternative Medicine in 2000.
The Health Professions Council (HPC) has now been asked to establish a statutory register for practitioners supplying unlicensed herbal medicines. The proposal is, following creation of this register, to make use of a derogation in European medicines legislation (Article 5 (1) of Directive 2001/83/EC) that allows national arrangements to permit those designated as “authorised healthcare professionals” to commission unlicensed medicines to meet the special needs of their patients.
Accordingly, a scheme would be created enabling registered practitioners to commission unlicensed herbal medicines to meet the special needs of their individual patients. Safeguards for the public would be provided by a combination of professional regulation and linked medicines regulation, for example, to safeguard manufacturing standards.
If practitioner regulation is in place for the purposes of creating an Article 5(1) scheme this also opens the way to reform Section 12 (1) of the Medicines Act 1968. Under Section 12 (1), practitioners may prepare unlicensed herbal medicines on their own premises for use following consultation with individual patients. It is intended to move to the position that only registered practitioners would be able to operate under Section 12 (1) after regulation of practitioners is in place.
A formal consultation exercise will take place on specific legislative proposals for establishing the register and proposed reforms of medicines legislation later in 2011.
Further information is published on the Department of Health's website:
Department of Health press release: Proportionate health and social care worker regulation to protect the public



Essentia

Lavender - whats in a name?

Sp run an aromatherapy college and supply oils to our students who have their own colleges and businesses.  Lavender is a key oil to study and use.

The community pages are on www.ShirleyPriceEssentia.com, theres a form to fill in then we mail a password, the oils are in good shape. we buy cooperatively from dedicated organic growers so the more folk join in the better deal we can do for the farmers. its always nice to see the field the oil comes from!

We choose the Shirley Price Lavender Organic to be the finest available. Much depends on the dedication of the farmer/distiller.

Pictured is Shirley Price's high altitude organic lavender in February 2011. You can see the stalks still on which will be trimmed in March. Distilling only the flowering heads produces a superior lavender in terms of fragrance and chemistry but of course this means working by hand in the traditional way. Sp takes the product of the whole farm which enables us to ensure stability of price and supply of this key oil.

 A good time to visit the area is in the spring. wild orchids grow on some slopes. this is a pollution free area surrounded by oak forest as far as the eye can see. You can see the footprints of wild boar from the forest around the farm.

A further bonus for us is the farmer's wife is a botanist and a gifted botanic artist.  We use line drawings on our oil boxes both to inform but also as a highly effective anti fake device for our authorised resellers use. Text and colour can be mimicked but a drawing never!

Conventionally farmed lavender.  The normal conventional lavender Code 1185 we have also supplied as an organic oil last year but this year 1185 will be a conventional oil.  For the last couple of years we have been able to secure this at a good price.  Sadly all good things must come to an end and the 'ordinary' lavender organic is now the same price as the Lavender Fine which we call Lavender Organic.

Lavender Fine France refers to a nice oil made from the flowers of lavender, Officinalis is an oil made from the flowers and stalks in the traditional way.  In a way officinalis is preferred as this is the traditional oil accorded therapeutic properties by the Aromatherapy Congress of Grasse. 

French lavender angustifolia unfortunately after recent pests and droughts is now mostly of the mailette clone chosen for its fragrance.  We stock the Lavender Angustifolia Miller grown for aromatherapy by the Golgemma cooperative.

Lavender Mailette can still give good chemical profiles.
Here is link to the Mailette from the Biolandes Cooperative. 
http://www.biolandes.com/en-production-aromatic-plants.php?id=3&lg=en

Confusingly Lavender Mailette is also called Lavender Fine and sold as High Altitude Lavender

To further confuse the matter given the problems with the French lavender (using cloned plants and drought) Ive chosen a italian altitude organic fine lavender oil to use in the blends and skincare with outstanding chemistry, holding qualities and aroma.

http://shirleyprice.blogspot.com/2010/10/organic-certification.html

heres a nice link to Lavender distillation in the UK

http://www.snowshill-lavender.co.uk/cm/snowshill/distillation
Again in the case of english lavenders the issue arises as to whether this is Lavender Angustifolia Miller or a happy mixture of clones more akin to Lavender Spike suited to resist the rigours of the english climates and mildew.  So Perfectly suited to cosmetics but some caution about the use in aromatherapy.  Always ask.

Latest lavender research

Lavender Oil Kills Off Fungal Infections

Lavendula species are important medicinal plants.
A recent study published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology shows that a Lavender Oil could be used to combat antifungal-resistant infections.
Portuguese scientists have tested oil distilled from the Lavandula viridis L'Hér shrub against a range of pathogenic fungi. They discovered that it killed a number of skin-pathogenic strains, known as dermatophytes, as well as various species of Candida.
They found that these oils work by destroying fungal cells by damaging the cell membrane. Lead researcher Professor Salgueiro said, "Lavandula oil shows wide-spectrum antifungal activity and is highly potent. This is a good starting point for developing this oil for clinical use to manage fungal infections. What is now required is clinical trials to evaluate how our in vitro work translates in vivo.”

http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-02-lavender-oil-potent-antifungal-effect.html

FIND OUT MORE

I am very happy for lavender experts to contribute to this note of the current state of play

Essentia

Packaging week continues.

You choose.

Is Sp going black or white with this box, theres a printer error on the mockup I know, can you spot it? no Soil Association organic logo on these as these artificial tears for patients recovering from ops and for dry eye are irradiated so as to be sterile. The chamomile combats infection which goes with dry eye. Some companies use withhazel extract but we find chamomile effective.

Essentia

Labdanum (cistus ladaniferus, Spain)(cistus creticus ladaniferus, Crete)

Labdanum (cistus oil) is obtained as a gum by boiling the leaves of Rock Rose (Cistus) and then distilling to obtain the oil. The gum is combined as an incense of frankincense, myrhh and galbanum.  Cistus is a very useful oil.  Labdanum is used as a fixative in perfumery with the aroma seen as an alternative to ambergis a natural product obtained from whales collection of which is now banned. Blended with sage and lavender it is an effective treatment for bedsores (Mailhebiau). 

This oil is produced mainly in Spain. Here is an excellent photo guide to Labdanum from leading producer/wholesaler Biolandes who supply a number of Shirley Price oils.

http://www.biolandes.com/en-cistus-labdanum.php?lg=en&voyage=o

There is a traditional area of production in Crete where the gum is collected by the traditional method of a hefty worker passing strips of material over the Cistus plants in the heat of the day when the gum exhudes naturally from the leaves. 



Goats again? Remember goats contribution to the production of Argan? Goats grazing on the Cistus plants get the gum on their beards. There was a trade at one time in these gummy goat beards.  Indeed the story goes that the artificial beards of the egyptian pharoahs were made of these goats beards which is perhaps a visible sign of the importance of aroma products in ancient Egypt court and religious life.

Essentia

Shirley Price Moisture lotion for Oily and Moisture cream dry skin

The Shirley Price Moisture lotion (normal combination, oily skin - jojoba with essential oils including juniper and lemon to regulate the oil glands on oily skin) and for drier skin Moisture cream (normal, combination, dry skin - with the regenerative essential oils) on their way to a beauty college. In their Dieter Bakic containers they look very elegant and feel nice. Correspondent Colleges like to remove our labels and put the college label on.

Essentia

http://www.bakic.com/en/about-us/dieter-bakic.html

Packaging

In the Essentia skincare we combine all our plant oils.  We package in Dieter Bakic shaped bottles.  A good excuse to get out the Rose, Neroli and Jasmine and the hydrolats which we use instead of water.  Here's a job going through the lab today packed by my son George Brealey.

We also package the skincare like Cleansing Milk (extra deep clean for oily and problem skins) in Shirley Price green plastic (200ml tall boston).  Some oils are suitable to package in glass (100ml) in boxes of 12 items.  They look elegant with the grey carrier oil labels.

Essentia

Diseasemongering - try natural alternatives to medication for indigestion

Dont let indigestion stop you doing what delights you

Indigestion isn't an especially glamorous medical topic, but relieving this condition -- and keeping the whole gastrointestinal (GI) tract operating comfortably and efficiently -- is vital to overall well being. As French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau put it, "Happiness: a good bank account, a good cook and a good digestion."

Dr Andrew Weil's article

Many physicians are resistent to plant medicine because as Tisserand puts it 'plant medicine doesnt sound like science'.  Within the Shirley Price shareholder list a significent shareholder is a medical doctor who describes himself to visiting aromatherapists like tutor Jan Benham as the biggest sceptic of plant medicine imaginable but who takes a keen interest in our affairs.  When I discussed oils for a condition affecting his children that have been subject of scientific study the studies were dismissed and he reached for a remedy that would make you blush.  Faced with this no wonder some resort to myths!

An individual who has spent his life in gentle debate with the medical community on the benefits of aromatherapy is Robert Tisserand.  Like all true teachers of aromatherapy Tisserand's objective is clear - to educate not brainwash with myths designed to sell oil and courses which bring love and happiness and cure all known ills - of which lack of love and unhappiness must be the worst.  Tisserands intentions are clear and his work a testament to them.

He is someone who would probably have succeeded whatever he set his mind to.  It happened to be aromatherapy.  People attend Tisserand's courses and seminars and buy the oils which bear his name because they and he think they are the best.  That is the same basis on which Shirley Price was founded and why Sp has endured as a leading training and product supplier for professional aromatherapy long after its founders retired.  Robert Tisserands Blog

Essentia

Fragrance pyramid

http://boisdejasmin.typepad.com/_/2011/01/fragrance-pyramid-and-perfume-notes-myth-and-reality.html

Essentia

Revise - Lemon Balm

Another source of excellent scholarly notes for essay purposes is Cindy Jone's notes.  Here is her note on melissa

http://www.facebook.com/robert.seidel1/posts/124741737595126?ref=notif&notif_t=feed_comment_reply#!/note.php?note_id=486534801570

here is how to subscribe to an RSS feed.
http://www.facebook.com/feeds/notes.php?id=1583658900&viewer=1522270524&key=f6c65fadb6&format=rss20

Essentia

Against animal testing

this week we are going to tackle animal testing, great progress in the EU on this but at the same time this should not be a window for the unscrupulous to launch dangerous cosmetics with nice names, that they might reasonably have known would cause allergies.

Aromatherapy has had a somewhat fraught relationship with science in this area.  Scientists naturally want to test essential oils effects on tissues so tend to test the essential oils against rats and guinea pigs tissues.

Essential oils science is not aromatherapy.  That is an empirical process resulting from case studies of the use of essential oils in practical application.  I like to think too aromatherapy goes far beyond the visible and the measurable.  Science too is increasingly agreeing.  In the vital area of maintaining congnition as populations age researchers are confirming the importance of essential oils in fighting the plaques which can build up in the brain.  These are every be to be combatted as plaque on our teeth,.

Essential n. something of importance


On muscular injections, researchers in france injected massive doses into laboratory mice to test the toxicity of essential oils in the 1920s and 1930s.  Research blossomed in this period because of the interest of R Gattefosse who made available the materials and facilities of the Gattefosse company to researchers.  Gattefosse had scientific and commercial interest in the physiological effects of essential oils (and isolated constituents and synthetic fragrance components) with a view to their medical applications.  Dozens of research papers are listed in his book Aromatherapy.

Empirical.  His book also contains a useful summary of the empirical use.  Then there was no aromatherapy profession to report back practical uses of the oils and Gattefosse lists pharmacopea summaries of indications of the plants or essential oil or isolates.  Researchers observed the effects of these massive doses and from this much of our knowledge of toxicity springs.

Terpenes.  One of Gattefosse's 's achievements was to note that if terpenes were put to one side essential oils ordered themselves quite naturally according to the chemical effects of their oxygenated components. This was an important insight and a big improvement on previous classifications. Terpenes dissolve mucous and can affect the stomach and oesophagous lining as a result. The other constituents too means there much be the greatest concern with a significent undiluted use of oils internally as 'food supplements or dietary aids' in any but trivial quantities and other than by a qualified and trained individual. Terpenes are not soluble in water so this is an unsatisfactory dilutant.


Essentia

Revise History - egypt 3500BC

History. Well heres where it all began in Egypt with Narmer, we have cosmetic palettes preserved from the time of this character and his wife who were the original pharoahs of a unified civilised egypt back in 3500 BC. Hieroglyphs appear at this time.

In Egypt perfumery was firmly linked to religion. Each deity had its own special fragrance, and statues would be covered with scented oils. Chamomile was the flower offered to Ra, the sun god.

find out more about hieroglyphs http://www.ancientegyptonline.co.uk/hieroglyphs.html

Essentia

Getting in tune with Reiki

Reiki is an enourmously popular self help therapy using nothing more than the mind to achieve mental, physical and spiritual healing.  To 'get' reiki its sometimes helpful to reflect on some insights from science as to how the mind works in the form of emotions, images and memory.

Savants like Daniel Tammet provide scientists with remarkable insights into this. Daniel describes his experiencing numbers in emotional terms as feelings.  I was lucky enough to liase with Daniel over a show for his New York publicist.  Dont miss his upcoming New York show.

http://optimnemblog.blogspot.com/

Essentia

Below is an introduction to Reiki
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpT5MrD44wM

Now Shirley Price therapists have a new organic tool for their storage boxes.

The new look of the Shirley Price organic lipstick and organic natural perfumes range.

The organic lipsticks come in a range of 18 individual lipsticks with popular colours 4 shades of pink, 4 shades of red, black and brown.

The organic perfumes come in a base of fractionated coconut or clear or coloured jojoba.

To get the label's grey effect requires three pantone greys on the label.

Essentia

How safe are candles? - Why Sp offer electrical diffusers

Candles around children are a hazard but children should not miss out.  An aromatherapy diffuser nightlight allows children to also benefit from the use of essential oil and scent safely. We are not giving up on our soy candles for special occasions though.


http://www.amazon.co.uk/ZENBOW-bundle-Diffuser-Changing-ESSENTIAL/dp/B002KNHY0Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294275430&sr=8-1
Essentia

Dr Weil writes....Candles are a convenient, inexpensive way to add ambience, calm and serenity to a home or office throughout the year. Their warm, soothing touch creates an inviting and comforting atmosphere. For everyday indoor use, you should opt for unscented candles. Some researchers note that unscented candles create less soot than scented varieties - over time this soot can accumulate in lungs and cause respiratory problems. Scented candles may also contribute to indoor pollution. I suggest candles made of unscented beeswax, which are just as beautiful and cozy as artificially scented varieties.

More from Dr Weil
http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/TIP03662/How-Safe-Are-Your-Candles.html