ESCENTIALS OF AUSTRALIA PTY LTD

Caution - do not let essential oils come into contact with the eyes - if this happens use a vegetable oil to flush it out or water. If in doubt contact the Poisons Information Centre Sydney on 131129 or 1800 251525.

It is critical that when you purchase essential oils you can be sure of the quality of the product. Essential oils generally fit into three discrete grades of quality; 100% pure and natural, Genuine and Commercial. In the discussion below we talk about some of the issues relating to the sourcing and quality of essential oils; it is by no means a definitive discourse but what we would like you to consider, when purchasing our oils, is that you will receive a consistent grade of quality oil at the best available price in the prevailing circumstances. If you feel we haven't done this-we need you to tell us!

To provide a guarantee that an oil is 100% pure and natural is almost impossible. Most oils are produced overseas and very few suppliers will provide a written and legally binding guarantee of purity and species along with full physico-chemical data for the batch of oil. There are many reasons for this - one of the main ones is that the growers won't provide them for the suppliers. In some cases, where information is commercially sensitive, suppliers will not even provide information on the area where the crop is harvested!

Most of our suppliers use words like "oils of the highest quality available". In reality we need to put some value judgements on these claims because, for example, when you can source an oil one supplier at $5000/kg and from another at $1000/kg when both of them make the same claims of quality, you do have to wonder about the industry in general. We describe our oils as Genuine aromatherapy quality oils and we recommended them for all uses as prescribed by medical professionals. But please note that not all pure oils are suitable for aromatherapy use! We can provide specification sheets for each of our oils, which at the very minimum will detail the botanical species, country of origin, part of plant used and method of extraction. In some cases full physico-chemical descriptions can be provided. Our labels normally include the statement that it is a pure essential oil, its common name, the botanical name, the country of origin, the part of the plant used, and the best before date*. The best before date is an indicator only and does not mean that the oil cannot be used beyond that date; rather that its therapeutic benefits start to decline from then.

We do supply some commercial grade oils, which are usually cheaper and are often a mix of various botanical species, or are sourced from areas where the extraction process is likely to lead to impurities in the oil. Having said that we do commonly source some cheaper oils such as eucalyptus and pine, which have useful commercial applications. We also supply some oils which, when unadulterated, are hugely expensive, but by processes of rectification with natural components and perhaps an extra distillation, meet the international standard for the specific oil and are thus much cheaper - melissa, frankincense, pine (species) are some examples which we label as "double distilled".

Some oils should not be taken during pregnancy, including rose, basil, clary sage, jasmine and thyme. Some oils increase photosensitivity of the skin and should not be used immediately before exposure to the sun; these include bergamot, orange, tangerine and grapefruit. In general terms oils should not be taken orally or applied undiluted to the skin but there are a number of oils which are suitable for these applications and might be advised by your medical practitioner. Some doctors recommend a couple of drops of peppermint with a glass of water as a great mouthwash; and we certainly use lavender (a couple of drops on a tissue) applied to the forehead and temples to relieve headache and provide an antiseptic relief for cuts and bruises, and as a calmative a couple of drops on a pillow we find most useful.

Also note that all our oils are highly concentrated and care should be taken not to allow them to come into contact with polished surfaces or fine materials, and most importantly should be kept out of reach of children.

Some uses for your oils:

• Inhalation - add a couple of drops to a bowl of hot water; place a towel over the head and the bowl, and then inhale. Give yourself a break every few minutes.

• Massage - add a few drops - about 5-10 drops of essential oil to 10ml of carrier oil - to one of our carrier oils (or better still to our massage base oil) and give yourself or your client/partner/friend a luxurious massage.

• Bathing - add about 5-10 drops to your bath and stir well before you get in and allow the aromatherapeutic qualities of the oil to do the rest.

• Burner - nearly fill the bowl with water; add about 5-10 drops of essential oil (a mix of two to three oils is recommended) to the bowl and light the candle. Clean the bowl well after use.

NEVER LEAVE A BURNING CANDLE UNATTENDED

• Note that we are transitioning our labels to meet legislative requirements and still have some older labels, with less detail, in stock which will be utilised until stocks are expended.