Today, my cousin called me because once again her two young children, my 5-year-old niece and my 3-year-old nephew, caught the cold, and as they are prone to catching bronchitis, she asked me if I could formulate for her a natural blend to help support their respiratory system, give them a pick me up as they are cranky and moody and are not eating due to feeling sick. They are also not getting any rest at night. I decided that using a simple diffuser blend would be the best choice. I made a 10ml Stock bottle containing the following: · 3mls Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis) · 3mls Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) · 3mls Cedarwood Virginiana (Juniperus virginiana)* - I ended up using a mix of 1.5ml of Juniperus virginiana, as that was all I had left in stock, and 1.5ml of Cedrus atlantica. It is important to note that some Aromatherapists consider Cedarwood Atlas safe at low doses for children over two, it contains a high concentration of complex sesquiterpenes. Cedarwood Virginian (Juniperus virginiana) is considered the gentler and safer option for toddlers and preschoolers, though personally, I am comfortable with using Atlas in this formulation due to it being not only a diffuser blend rather than topical, but also because of how it's going to be diffused. I told my cousin to diffuse no more than 4 drops during the day and for evening/night, 2 drops in the diffuser for 15 minutes in her lounge room, with the door open for passive ventilation. After 2 hours, if need be, diffuse for another 15 minutes. (15 min on, 2 hours off cycle.) So why did I select these oils? When diffused into a room, Cedarwood Atlas/Virginiana, Balsam Fir, and Sweet Orange essential oils target respiratory symptoms by reducing airway inflammation, thinning mucus, and calming the nervous system. Airborne molecules enter the nasal cavity to trigger the brain's olfactory pathways while traveling down into the respiratory tract to interact directly with local tissues. Sweet Orange:

This morning I woke up in the mood to begin studying. I felt like I had to put on my diffuser and rather than putting together a quick blend based on what I thought of as essential oils to stimulate and energize the mind and body, push back fatigue, promote congitive enhancement, concentration, focus, memory retention, recall and better understanding of the material being learned, I felt drawn to pulling out my brand new wooden pendulum to dowse for the response. What the pendulum chose made me scratch my head a bit because I started to delve into its chosen oils. May Chang (Litsea) Litsea cubeba Drops: 5 Note: Top The High-Energy Spark Oil Primary Compounds: Citral (Geranial 38.15% and Neral 30.50%) - Lifting the spirits when in a funk. - Uplifting to thought process and makes you look for the positive. - An oil that helps with optimism,  creativity, focus, and concentration - Calming and soothing to the nervous system Mechanism: Acts as a powerful nervous system stimulant. The bright, citrusy aroma instantly triggers the release of uplifting neurotransmitters to crush physical and mental fatigue. Why 5 Drops? I can only guess, but I believe it is because it forms the top note and dominant volume of the blend to ensure an immediate impact, which is highly energizing and refreshing. Contraindications: Patients on bupropion antidepressants should avoid this oil. Sweet Basil Ocimum basilicum ct. linalool Drops: Note: Middle The Cognitive Enhancer Primary Compounds: Linalool (55.85%) and 1,8-Cineole (5.04%) - Stimulates and soothes - Energizes the mind, encouraging concentration and memory recall - Relieves mental anxiety, fears, doubts, mental fatigue, and brain fog Mechanism: Sweet basil is a renowned neurotronic. The linalool chemotype is chosen specifically because it reduces anxiety and stress without causing drowsiness. Meanwhile, trace amounts of 1,8-cineole help stimulate local blood flow and modulate acetylcholine—the key neurotransmitter required for focus, concentration, understanding, and memory retention.

Jane once told me there are some oils that should not be refrigerated. I was taught to refrigerate citrus oils, and pretty much have refrigerated everything! I recently ran out of carrier oils and now am wondering if I should or should not be refrigerating those. Does anyone else refrigerate anything? Why or why not? I do not use a whole lot of oils so preservation is important to me. Thank you for your expertise!

Australia was, in my opinion, a country that was ahead of the curve in the Aromatherapy world with a nationally recognized Diploma of Clinical Aromatherapy & one of the very first government-accredited qualifications in Aromatic Medicine (Internal Use of essential Oils). Ever since 2015, when the Government decided to no longer recognize Aromatherapy as an effective therapeutic treatment and therefore no longer subject to private health insurance rebates, or Government Study Assistant Loan, Aromatherapy has been slowly dying. From the Aromatic Medicine Qualification going from an HLT60907 Advanced Diploma to now downgraded HLTSS00046 Skill Set, to the ONLY Australian Aromatherapy Association IAAMA (International Aromatherapy & Aromatic Medicine Association) which was founded in September 1993 (as the Australian branch of the IFA – International Federation of Aromatherapists before breaking away from IFA in 2008) having closed its doors and now one of Australia’s oldest RTO Aromatherapy Schools, the one which pioneered the Advanced Diploma of Aromatic Medicine and was the ONLY school in Australia teaching the a HLTSS00046 Aromatic Therapies Skill Set closing its doors, Aromatherapy in Australia seems to be dead. Currently, only three RTO Schools are teaching the HLT52315 – Diploma of Clinical Aromatherapy & they are: Massage Schools of Queensland has been teaching since 2016 Melbourne College of Hair and Beauty has been teaching this qualification since 2016 Max Therapy School has been teaching this qualification since 2017. There is no longer any real competition when it comes to retail or wholesale suppliers for Aromatherapy in this country, as many of the retailers closed their doors either due to the ridiculous amount of rent, import tax on goods, etc., or by being bought out by ABP (Australian Botanical Products /Ixom). We used to be able to get Hydrosols, CO2 Extracts, and high-quality essential oils in this country. Heck, we had a product range that was exclusively sold to practitioners only called Essential Therapeutics that was once owned by well-known Clinical Aromatherapist and Aromatic Medicine Practitioner Ron Guba. The company, unfortunately, was bought out by ABP, and since then, the quality and reliability of the company have gone downhill, with products not being restocked for months or even years.

If you could only choose 2 and I do mean TWO fixed oils as your go to mediums, what are they and WHY have you chosen them? You CANNOT choose Jojoba (as thats an easy choice), nor can you choose an oil blend such as Trauma (Arnica, Calendula, St.Johns Wort combo) oil.