Scent Testing, Now you try it!

Blue Tansy test strips

Scent Testing: The results are in!

A few months ago Real Aromatherapy Reviews and More was invaded by another of those sales people that does not believe the rules apply to them.  Sigh.

Of course, he was removed.  The PMs continued.  I agreed to evaluate samples for this new company, Joya Essentials.  I requested lemon, peppermint, Frankincense and Blue Tansy.  

In the meantime, I moved.  So it took me a bit to get it done.  My husband was my helper and my control to eliminate bias.  He randomly numbered the strips (I use watercolor paper or you can buy scent strips.)  

I will supply links to the brands at the end.  First I wanted to explain that scent changes and develops over time.  In order to remove as much Bias as I could, my notes were removed between rounds.  How long the test went depended more on the essential oil, lemon dissipates faster than frank for instance.  

Now anyone can do this.  Doing it blind (not knowing the brand) removes your perceptions based on brand.  I tried to use multiple oils for comparison instead of just my favorite oil.  I also learned that for this year, I have a new favorite peppermint.  

Te most difficult part of this process is to find the words to describe what you smell.  If you want to expand your vocabulary I highly recommend this exercise.  I promise it will frustrate you as well!  

So here are the results!  I sent a copy to the owner of Joya Essentials for to do with as he pleased.  Now you get a chance to see them too!  

This will be a very long post!

Lemon

Aura Cacia

Lemony, sweetish,

1 hr

Strong.  Tart. I can taste lemon when I smell it.

3 hr almost undetectable

Plant Therapy

Not sweet, zest like, tart

1 hr

Very faint.  Almost undetectable.  Hint of lemon

3 hr no scent

Joya Essentials

CANDY, very sweet, smells like lemonheads candy, “unnatural”, very strong

1 hr

Faint, Sweet, very little lemon scent

3 hr No scent

Nature's Gift Lemon Rind

Light, balanced between sweet and tart, fresh, mellow.

1 hr

Similar to initial, balanced.

3 hr

Very, very light, faint hint of lemon

Personal Preference:  I definitely preferred the Nature's Gift.  My second choice would be Aura Cacia.

Peppermint

NOW

Fresh, minty, mildly sweet, mildly herby.  Balanced.

1 hr

Sweeter, scent stronger than initial

3 hr  No scent.

Plant Therapy

very strong, very herby, still noticeable menthol smell

1 hr

Herby, sweeter than initial, balanced.

3 hr

Scent still fairly strong, minty, herbal, lightly sweet.  Very balanced.

Joya Essentials

Strongly herbal, almost dirty, chemically, unnatural, almost no perceptible mint scent (menthol).

Hubby: “Laboratory, Man-made” Yuck  (He actually did this with me but his descriptions are I like it or I do not.  This is his best description.  Baby steps.)

1 hr

Almost undetectable.

3 hr  No scent.

Personal preference:  This batch of Plant Therapy’s was exactly what I prefer scent wise in peppermint.  I am normally a NOW girl for peppermint as I count on a consistent scent from them.  I think you can guess my impression of Joya’s.

At the city park!

Blue Tansy 

Now, before you read this there are two important things to know.  I do not like the scent of Blue Tansy and you may keep that in mind.  Also, I live on an island filled with wetlands, marshes and swamps.  You will understand why that is important in a minute.  

Joya Essentials

Mild initial scent.  Fishy, herbal

1 hr

Light scent.  Mildly fishy.  Slightly sweet.  Mild herbal tone. 

2 hr

Light scent.  Primarily herbal, slight fishy tone.  (Think brackish swamp.) There is a hint of mint or menthol?

3 hr

Light scent.  Slightly harsh tone of decaying vegetation.

4 hr

Light scent still.  Swamp water, decaying vegetation and fish.

12 hr

No scent

Organic Infusions

Mild scent.  Strongly herbal with a fishy tone.

1 hr

Mild to light scent.  Very earthy and vegetation scent, slight fishy tone.

2 hr

Light scent.  Fish scent predominant, herbal tone underneath.

3 hr

Scent detectable but too faint to describe.

4 hr

No scent left.

Plant Therapy

Bold, strong scent.  Slightly bitter, strongly herbal, mildly fishy scent.

1 hr

Moderate scent.  Slightly sweet tone seems to be developing.  Strongly herbal and vegetative. 

2 hr

Medium scent strength.  Sweetish and very herbal.  Almost like composting grass clippings?

3 hr

Scent still quite strong.  Sweetish, herbal, finally moving toward pleasant.

4 hr

Still a strong scent.  Slightly sweet, predominantly herbal scent. 

5 hr

Light scent.  Slightly sweet, slightly herbal.  Nice balanced scent.

12 hr

Light scent.  Herbal, smooth, pleasant.

Personal Preferences:  Plant Therapy would be my first choice on Blue Tansy.  The bitter initial tone goes away fast, leaving an earthy, herbal scent.  Organic infusions was more pleasant than Joya to start, but faded too quickly.  Joya was quite harsh scent wise but lasted well.  2nd would likely end up being Joya.

Frankincense  

Joya Essentials; carterii, steam distilled

Light, very mild, slight licorice and turpentine, mildly of cedar shavings.

1 hr

Licorice scent, sweet, smooth

2 hr

very light scent, slightly of pine and cedar chips

3 hr

Super light, pine tone, slight cedar scent

4 hr

Barely perceptible, cedar shavings scent

5 hr

No scent

Neal Yard Remedies; carterii, steam distilled

Smooth, fairly strong scent.  No licorice smell (noted because often it is there.)  Sweet, round, light tree and citrus.

1 hr

Herbal, earthy with a noticeable pine note, light citrus tone.

3 hr

Medium scent strength, the strongest of them at 3 hrs.  Smooth, balanced between earthy, lemonish and pine.

4 hr

Still a strong scent.  Sweetish with a pine undertone.  Citrus top note.

5 hr

Surprisingly strong scent, just starting to fade.  Sweet, smooth, light licorice note.  Predominantly a pine scent.  Almost no citrus left.

12 hrs

Light scent remains. Woody, a blend of pine and cedar scents.

Nature’s Gift, carterii, steam distilled

Soft scent.  Very mildly of licorice.  Nice citrus note.  No initial pine scent (noted as it is frequently present.) Still woody yet not distinctly pine.

1 hr

Light citrus.  Pine tone developing but mild.

2 hr

Light scent.  Smooth, balanced between citrus and pine and earthy.

3 hr

Very light scent.  Pleasant, smooth, no detectable separate notes.  Mildly earthy or herbal.

4 hr

Super light scent.  Very balanced, no distinct tone predominant.

5 hr

Super light scent.  Sweet tone.

12 hr

No scent.

Without a doubt, the NYR is my hands down favorite.  NG is a pretty close second.

Overall impression:  Based on scent alone, which is not the most reliable method, I think JOYA ESSENTIALS are pure EOs.  The sourcing for some of them is unusual.  The peppermint is from India for instance and I have no other Indian peppermint.  The swamp and fishy scent is present in other Blue Tansy just not nearly as pronounced.  I was sent Certificate of Analysis for the oils but only looked at them after evaluating them based on scent.  (We all know the CoA can be copied from other sources or not match the batch we have so I did not rely on it with a new company.  I need to develop some trust first.)  With Blue Tansy getting even more scarce this year, this is not the worst specimen I have seen.

Not part of the Joya evaluation.  Fun nonetheless.  I had other frankincense that I threw in just to test myself a bit!

Nature’s Gift, carterri CO2

Smooth, light citrus note, woody, slight medicinal scent. 

1 hr

Strong scent.  Pine, herbal and damp earth?  (sorry, finding the right word is difficult.)  Mostly an herbal, green, fresh plant scent.

2 hr

Strong scent.  Pine, herbal and damp earth?  Mostly an herbal, green, fresh plant scent. (yes I really wrote the same thing twice.  My notes were removed between each round but I described it the same twice anyway.)

3 hr

Still very strong, although fading slightly.  Sweet tone developing.  Light pine scent.  Noticeable citrus tones. 

4 hr

Still quite strong.  Predominantly a pine and cedar scent with hints of herb and citrus.  This is a very unique scent.

12 hours

Faint scent.  Sweetish with a pine note and a damp earth tone.

Nature’s Gift, seratta, CO2

Strong, almost harsh.  Very medicinal, with a pine note.

1 hr

Very strong.  Turpentine, medicinal scent is increasing.  Possibly camphorous?

2 hr

Strong.  Very medicinal. Strong turpentine scent.  Harsh. Quite unpleasant to me.

3 hr

Still very strong.  Harsh, camphorous, medicinal, with a turpentine and cedar tone.

4 hr

Very strong.  Medicinal.  Unpleseant, harsh and very difficult for me to try to detect different notes.  Overpowering.

12 hr

Light but remarkably strong considering the time lapse.  Finally sweetening, still medicinal, camphor, turpentine scent.   (Not one to wear as perfume!)  I love frank, but this is total Yuck to me.  

Plant Therapy, serrata, steam distilled.

Medium strength.  Bold.  Predominantly a turpentine scent.  Hint of citrus.

1 hr

Super light.  Distinct citrus top note with a pine undertone.

2 hr

Very light scent remaining.  Slight pine and lemon with the beginning of a cedar chip tone.

3 hr

Very, very faint.  Hint of cedar and pine.

4 hr

Detectable scent but too faint to describe.

5 hr.

Detectable scent but too faint to describe.

12 hr.

Detectable scent but too faint to describe.  (This was a surprise to me; it pretty much remained at this very low scent for 8 hours.  I expected no scent on follow up.)

Overall impression of my franks, carterii always wins.  The steam distilled and the CO2 are both wonderful.  Scent wise serrata is second fiddle but it is highly effective and I use a great deal of it.  If I could only have one, it would be the steam distilled carterii.

Links to the various companies I used for scent evaluation:

Plant Therapy (also available through Amazon and Jet.)

Nature's Gift

Neal Yard Remedies (I know several good reps if you want set up with a sample.)

Organic Infusions (recently failed third party testing for vetiver, order with caution.)

Joya Essentials

Aura Cacia and NOW I have been finding the best prices for at Pure Formulas.  They are also generally available at most health food store and on Amazon.

Lymph Stimulating Blend

My most used blend

My most used blend!

I was talking with a friend this morning and realized there is a tool for getting better when you get the crud that few know about.  

Simple and effective, a lymph stimulating blend can aid your body in fighting both virus and bacteria.  It is very simple with common oils.  I always have it on hand!  

Understanding the immune system is a serious endeavor.  We could talk about it for years!  Supporting our body's immune response does not require us to understand the whole system.  Whew!  Our lymph nodes and lymph fluid are constantly at work transporting chemical signals about invaders: pollen, mold, viruses and bacteria.  

When our bodies are under attack, we can give the lymph system a boost by applying oils to areas of high concentration of lymph nodes.  I almost always use the jawline or arm pits.  There is a heavy concentration of lymph nodes in the groin area too but I need to get undressed to use those!

Simple recipe!

I use it often and have found it helpful in aiding my body with the overactive immune response of allergies as well as boosting my immune response for viral and bacterial infections.  

I cannot take full credit for this blend.  It was created in discussion with Andrea Butje from the Aromahead Institute.  

I generally get these oils from Plant Therapy but there are many other excellent retailers as well.

Some of my links are affiliate links, if you choose to use them.  I am not funded by any of the companies I endorse.  

The Aromatherapy Community

My vision of the Aromatherapy Community

The Community; How I view this complex and political field.

It has always been a shock to me that a lovely and healing art and science has turned so political and divisive.  So let's talk about it!

First, I want to say this is my opinion, based on observations over time.  Second, not all of this opinion has been formed in isolation.  I have discussed this with many others and they have all contributed to the development of my opinion.  That is the very root of how this community works.

Aromatherapy has largely been a field developed by sharing experiences.  Who you learn from will be your starting point on a multi-colored, interwoven web of learning lines.  Each book you read, blog post you read and company you explore will lead you to a new intersection in your learning.  If you take webinars or classes, you will go in other new and exciting directions.  The one thing to consider, you have to work hard to stay where you are.

It does not matter where you start your journey.  You may start in a group that says "you can use oils everyday, 100 times a day, in every way you can imagine."  I call this The Always group.  You could also start your journey in the "you should never use oils for...."  These I call the Never group.  They see Aromatherapy as black and white, when in reality it is various shades of gray.

There are exceptions for all guidelines regarding oils!  Never and Always rarely have a place in Aromatherapy unless it is accompanied by the word TRY.  I try to always buy on sale.  I try to never buy without doing my research.  

There are very few hard and fast rules in Aromatherapy.  Instead it is a field of balance, weighing the risks against the rewards for each individual, each oil and each application method will give you the best results.  In order to do that, you need to study!  Not just can it help with X condition but also can it be contraindicated for the person's medications, medical conditions, age or general health.  

Self-care through alternative and natural medicines does not negate risks.  We need to use common sense.  We need to balance the pros and the cons.  Most importantly, we need to work together.  This means, to me at least, that the put downs, judgments and assumptions do not have a place in this field.  

Support through our journey, online or in person is vital to traveling along the the ever changing pathways and detours to our new horizons.  You are here now.  Where will you be tomorrow?

Some of my links are affiliate links, if you choose to use them.  I am not funded by any of the companies I endorse.  

Always something NEW to learn; sugar-free muffins

A month of 

My first attempt!

changes;

learning to bake sugar free in our Motor Home.  

Last month was quite a challenge. We found out Hubby is diabetic and has heart disease.  Our planning and packing to move into our motor home was put on hold while we waited for test results and hoping he would be cleared for travel.  Being cleared was a dream come true but changes are still needed in our diets for both heart health and sugar control.  

I grew up baking every Saturday for my brothers and sister and I to have after school snacks for the week; cakes and cookies mostly.  My sister and I also did a great deal of cooking as both our parents worked; potatoes and pasta were always on the menu.  Over the years I stopped using recipes and started making my own.  Now, I have something new to learn.  Sugar-free baking and low carb cooking.  Oh and I need to learn all of this in a tiny kitchen with a very reluctant dishwasher named Hubby.  

Here is my first baking attempt; healthy fats, sugar-free, high fiber banana muffins with only a few dirty dishes!  After a month of no baked goods I did not really think they would flop but I did not expect such success.  

Since space and doing dishes are a huge obstacle to enjoying our day, I fought my frugal and eco-friendly nature and tried a low mess option for making our muffins.  My mixing bowl was a 1 gallon storage bag!  

I started by adding all of the dry ingredients and shaking them to distribute the leavening evenly.

I then set the bag in a bowl to support the bag while I added the liquid ingredients.  

Next comes the fun part!  You mush it all together inside the bag.  Squishing the bananas is a little like playing in the mud as a kid!  Keep squishing and mushing to mix the the batter.  There is the added bonus that you can see all of the batter and know when it is well mixed.  

Then I cut a corner off the bag and piped (like you would with a pastry bag) the batter into the parchment liners.  Over the years I have tried many liners and parchment is my favorite as there is less bleed through.  Using the taller liners, the muffins do not spread over the edges for less clean up.  I topped mine with unsweetened coconut chips before baking.  

  

I made a small batch as it was a first try.  I look forward to trying it with Sweet potatoes in place of the bananas.  I usually switch up my healthy grain addition.  I keep a wide variety of Bob's Red Mill grains on hand at all times.  This time it was flax but you could try a large variety of whole grain flours. I will likely use coconut oil for its healthy fats but any oil could replace it.  

Powdered peanut butter is my new best friend.  It is a great way to add protein to level out the effect of the carbohydrates.  I am suddenly using a lot of it!

Bob's Red Mill Whole Grains

Resources:

This is my first choice in powdered peanut butter as it is GMO free:  Just Great Stuff.

I Love Bob's Red Mill!  Today I used Flaxmeal and Whole Wheat flour.  

Oh, and a huge bonus picture.  This is all of the dirty dishes from making muffins for breakfast (okay, I wiped off the muffin pan with a damp rag too.)

Some of my links are affiliate links, if you choose to use them.  I am not funded by any of the companies I endorse.  

Tea with Dee; The French Press

Iced Herbal Refreshment

Tea with Dee; the French Press

My good friend Dee and I met for tea once a week over this past summer!  Oh what a blessing to sit down to a cup of hot tea with your friend!  Or to sip on some refreshing iced tea while talking about our families, our interests and our lives.  I plan to still have tea with Dee via webcam now that we are in our RV.  I hope to continue to offer various Tea reviews and ideas throughout this blog.  So welcome to the first installment of Tea with Dee!

Making a large batch of tea to share with a friend or to sip on all day can be fast and simple with a French press.  They come in various shapes, sizes, and even materials.  They are a great way to brew a large batch of loose leaf tea or an herbal blend.  They strain the tea, herbs or coffee through a wire screen at the bottom of a plunger, trapping it so you can pour your tea.

The wire screen

I often brew a concentrated blend for pouring over ice, which is what I have demonstrated in these photos.  All pictures are in my glass press for easier demonstrations.  I also have a insulated stainless press.  Use as much tea as suits your needs and tastes.  For woodier herbs, you may need to add half the hot water and let it steep until cool and then repeat with the second half of the water to extract the most from your herbs.

If you have never used a French Press, it may take a few tries to figure out how much herb or tea is needed to get the strength you desire.  The directions are very simple:  Add your herb or tea to the bottom of your press.  Pour in the boiling water.  Let steep until the herbs start to sink.  Plunge the screen to the bottom of the carafe slowly (trust me on the slowly, plunging quickly can force hot water out of the pour spout and burn you!)  Pour up a cup while still hot or serve over ice.  Sit down with a friend and gab or enjoy a few minutes to relax and savor.

Resources for French Press:
Stainless Steel Insulated Press
Glass Press

Add the boiling water

The herbs floating to start

Ready to plunge

Insulated stainless and glass options

Some of my links are affiliate links, if you choose to use them.  I am not funded by any of the companies I endorse.  

Herbal Honey

Lemon, Cinnamon and Ginger

Herb Infused Honey

We love essential oils because plants have fantastic properties that benefit our health and well being.  We can get some of the therapeutic properties of plants in ways other than essential oils.  

I use herbs in the easiest ways I can!  One of my favorite uses of herbs is to combine them with the amazing benefits of local raw honey.  

I try to always use local honey.  First, it is great to support our local beekeepers and without the bees, there is no local produce. Second, local honey acts like a homeopathic medicine for allergies; exposing your body to tiny doses of the offending pollen.  Homeopathy is a huge topic in and of itself. If you are unfamiliar with it, there are many resources readily available. 

You can infuse any herb.  Honey is a preservative so you can use fresh herbs. Dried herbs can also be used.  The woodier the herb, the longer it needs to infuse.  You can also infuse fruit.  Slowly releasing the flavors and therapeutic benefits into the honey over time creates a delicious and healthy way to support your body during periods of illness.

Every fall I make a pint of what my great Aunt called "Throat Coat."  It is a tasty blend that I enjoy just added to my tea or right off the spoon.  If only all medicinal concoctions tasted this good!

There are no specific proportions for this recipe.  The ingredients can change based on your family's taste.  The most common ingredients for this herbal infused blend include lemon, cinnamon, ginger and cloves.  I really dislike cloves so I leave them out.  You can add and subtract based on both flavor and desired effect. 

In a clean pint jar I slice two medium lemons (organic is highly recommended as the peels will be infusing as well).  I add a peeled sliced ginger root (about the size of my thumb.)  If using cloves, add a few whole cloves.  I use about 4 cinnamon sticks, generally I break them in half.  I layer them in the jar putting the lemons on the bottom.  I try to use the cinnamon sticks to wedge the lemons down.  Then I fill it with the local raw honey.  You want to keep the herbs submerged in the honey.  Then I seal it up and put it in the fridge for 4 to six weeks.  

These four herbs are all good for aiding your immune system and fighting germs.  Lemon and ginger are both also good for digestive issues.  I am not an herbalist so I won't go into details about the herbs.  I use this when I feel I am coming down with something, when I have been exposed to heavy amounts of virus, for sore throats and if I get a stomach virus I will add this to my water.   

This is an easy, tasty and effective weapon to create for the upcoming cold and flu season.   

Some of my links are affiliate links, if you choose to use them.  I am not funded by any of the companies I endorse.  

Blends by Ruth: True Synergies

Blends by Ruth Nelson; The total package. 

This is the brand I am most excited to introduce people too!

I was fortunate to try a few blends from Ruth.  Just wow.  Ruth is becoming a brilliant blender.  Her synergies go far beyond what a normal synergy does.  Why?  Because she researches and uses the best carrier oil for the purpose.  The added benefits of emu oil for a pain blend is noticeable when you use her blends.  The therapeutic qualities of the essential oil are increased by the added therapeutics of the carrier oils.

I tried 4 blends; Allergy Relief, Anytime skin, Valiant and Deep Healing.  I have had them for a while as I try not to review until I have really seen if they worked.  THEY REALLY WORKED!

First let me tell you that this one person show is not as glitzy as some other places you may buy from.  The labels are plain, simple and easy to read.  I also received a typed handout giving me the %dilution, all the ingredients and possible uses.  The handout was a serious winner!  My old tired eyes liked not having to try to find everything on the bottle.  This was a refreshing change for me. 

I started with the Deep Healing and Valiant blend which I transferred into roller bottles ( I find I can apply to almost anywhere on my own back if I put it in a roller bottle.)  The Deep Healing is fantastic!  I suffer from chronic neck and back pain from a very bad accident, pain relief is something I truly appreciate. It is what I used the most on myself so I can speak first hand to its benefits.  This is not an oil you feel the pain relief as it is happening (think icy hot type blends) but in 5 minutes the pain is less and often within 15 minutes it is gone for me.

There were a few times the pain was worse than usual and I layered with Valiant.  They work together beautifully.  Valiant I used more on my husband as it was more suited to his particular issues.  He is sort of a baby (let’s say HUGE wimp) about pain so I know it worked as he stopped complaining.  Valiant works well on pain but also assists with nerve issues.  It greatly decreased the numbness associated with Hubby's Thoracic Outlet Syndrome.  

The allergy relief is a huge bonus.  I know how to blend.  I have inhalers of my blends.  I have purchased blends.  What do I carry in my purse?  Ruth’s Allergy Relief.  Of all my choices, I keep her blend with me.  A drop on my finger, then rubbed on my throat and I am breathing again.  Enough said.

The one blend I thought I would need Hubby to review was the Anything Skin.  I am blessed with good skin.  He has terrible skin.  Who ended up using it first?  Me of course!  While checking the tires of the motor home I suddenly was being bitten by fire ants.  After much dancing around to make sure they were all off me, I went to dig into my oils, packed tightly for safe traveling.  I grabbed Ruth’s Anytime Skin.  It was so nice not to have to think about diluting or which carrier.  It was just there ready to go.  (The ready to go aspect is very nice!)  I put a few drops on and rubbed it in.  RELIEF!  Since I had hours of driving ahead it was definitely something to be thankful for!  I reapplied it a few times because those darn things are not called FIRE ants for nothing.  I missed one by my heal and it looked so different than all of them I treated immediately.  The treated ones were small and most did not swell. The one I missed was HUGE.  After 3 days, the ones I treated immediately were gone.  It has now been a week and the one I missed is still very large, angry and swollen.  

All four blends were fantastic.  All went beyond what I expected.  I am excited to watch Ruth grow and expand.  She does not have a website.  She sells through her Facebook page.  She will answer any questions you have.  I am so happy to introduce many new people to Blends by Ruth Nelson.  

You can find her products on her Facebook page for now. Blends by Ruth Nelson.  

Some of my links are affiliate links, if you choose to use them.  I am not funded by any of the companies I endorse.  

Neem Oil

#Oleavine Health

Neem Oil

Neem oil is a very useful carrier oil to learn about for skin, scalp, and other blending needs.  It possesses antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties.  

There is one very important thing about Neem that the uninitiated needs to know.  Neem has a very STRONG odor.  It isn't necessarily a bad odor, but it can be over powering.  I have encountered some Neem oils that I just could not stomach regardless of how well they worked.  Then again, I never had major dry, cracked and itchy skin.  So after a few failures, I took a break from Neem for awhile.  It was time for me to revisit this great skin oil as my hubby has very dry itchy skin.  

The Oleavine Neem oil I tried is very effective, almost instantly Hubby's itching stopped.  Equally importantly to me, the blender and applier, it has a tolerable odor.  It is still strong, as I expect all Neem to be, but it is more toasted nuts, than dead fish and compost.  (Yes really, some are that bad.) 

Neem oil is usually used as a low dilution of a carrier oil blend.  You might start at 2% Neem and see if you get the desired results before slowly increasing the percentage until you find the right amount for your needs.  Neem oil would also be a great addition to hair and scalp treatments.  It can be used straight safely but as with many things, less can be just as effective.  

So for a great Neem oil that works without making your eyes water;
Oleavine Neem oil !

For more information, you can also go to Oleavine Health for more information on using Neem oil.

Some of my links are affiliate links, if you choose to use them.  I am not funded by any of the companies I endorse.  

Preserving your INVESTMENT, Decanting

Filling a smaller bottle

Decanting

Decanting is not talked about much.  In my opinion, it should be.  If you buy in 15 ml or larger, adding decanting as a way to increase shelf life of your oils is something you should consider.

Decanting is the process of transferring your oils from one container to another.  For preserving purposes, you want to use a smaller container so there is less oxygen in the bottle to react with the oils.

Decanted Neroli

Let me give you some examples.  Neroli is a more expensive oil.  I do not use it a lot but I want to preserve my investment.  I purchased a 5 ml bottle but based on my experience, I know it will take me at least a year to use it.  The first thing I did when I received it was to transfer 2 ml into a 5/8 dram bottle for storage.  This bottle does not get opened and closed and has very little air space.  My 2 ml bottle will be used last as it will have the least chance to oxidize.  I then use the original bottle as normal.  I have had this for 10 months, and the 2 ml bottle was just opened again.  For 10 months, I reduced the amount of oxygen coming in contact with my Neroli, extending the shelf life.

Cone cap

For oils that are generally sold in 10 to 15 ml, depending upon how fast I use the oil, I will decant off 5 ml and keep it sealed until I use the remainder.  If I get a 15 ml bottle of an oil I use very slowly, I will decant two 5 ml bottles and store them in the refrigerator.  Many of my oils that are stored, are stored with cone caps.  These caps are designed to reduce air space while still sealing tightly.  These are also excellent for using with syringes as you do not need to remove the orifice reducer. 

For most oils, I reuse bottles that I have emptied and just by new caps.  I try to replace the plastics for 2 reasons: It reduces the chance of the plastic degrading and contaminating your oil.  The plastic parts are hard to completely deodorize.  Having a supply of cone and euro dropper style cops on hand gives me flexibility for how I intend to use the oil.  If I primarily am going to blend with it, I go with the cone caps.  If I primarily plan to diffuse it, I use a euro dropper. 

Euro dropper replacement caps

Bottles to decant into come in all shapes and sizes.  The amber is the most common if you are using dram style bottles.  I have dram bottles ranging from 1/4 dram (approximately 1 ml) to 1 dram (approximately 4 ml).  These come with orifice reducers that most pipettes fit through.  You can also get them with just a foil lined cap but since we are trying to reduce oxygen, I highly recommend the reducers if possible. 

The Euro style dropper bottles are generally available in 5, 10 and 15 ml sizes.  I purchased many 5 ml bottles as I do not order many essential oils in a 5 ml size.  These two can come in a variety of colors, although the most common color is still amber.  I have not purchased 10 or 15 ml bottles recently as I generally reuse my empties and just replace the caps.

It is a common belief that ALL oils are harmed by light.  In reality, only a few oils are effected by light.  I have no issue with storing my oils in clear glass when I can find it.  The oils most effected by light are the 'blue oils' which I store in the refrigerator anyway.  I find the beauty of the oils really shows with clear glass.  If your oils are stored properly, the color of the glass will matter little.  Pick a color you enjoy.

4 oz bottle decanted into 2 oz, 1 oz and 5ml

I order a few oils in a 4 oz size because it is more cost effective and I will use them (or share them) before their expected shelf life would end.  Blood Orange is an excellent example of decanting into a variety of containers to maximize efficiency and shelf life.  I decanted 2 oz for long storage in the fridge.  I have a 1 oz bottle with a cone cap that I use for blending and refilling my 5 ml bottle.  I also have the 5 ml bottle for diffusing.  The remainder found homes with my friends.  When the I oz bottle is empty, I will go to the fridge and have some fresh Blood Orange waiting for me.

You can find the sizes that work best for you.  I have found ordering based upon shelf life and how much I generally use to maximize my buying dollars as long as I take the time to store them properly and protect them from oxidation.

Resources:

Drams
2 dram

Real Aromatherapy Reviews and More

 http://amzn.to/1LSqkmZ
1 dram
 http://amzn.to/1LSq1IM
 http://amzn.to/1FrOTCq
 http://amzn.to/1ISqZ37
5/8 dram
 http://amzn.to/1LSsVNG
 http://amzn.to/1NcxdkF
1/4 dram
 http://amzn.to/1LStoj7
 http://amzn.to/1NcxRPd

Euro droppers
15 ml
 http://amzn.to/1XzyCXg
10 ml
 http://amzn.to/1NkkONl
5 ml
 http://amzn.to/1NkljGZ

Cone caps
 http://amzn.to/1NcvfRn

Euro dropper caps 
 http://amzn.to/1XzAgbm

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