Herbal Extracts: Differentiated and Defined

Compound An end product that is comprised of two or more substances mixed together. Herbal compounds may have an end product in a salve, tablet, gel-cap, tincture, or oil form.

CO2 Extractions Super-critical CO2 distillations are a cold-temperature extraction process considered to be superior to other methods because during the technique of CO2 extraction the plant material is not exposed to heat. In this process, CO2 is pressurized to become liquid, macerates with the plant material, and then is filtered out. The resulting material is allowed to come to room temperature so that the carbon dioxide can vaporize off, resulting in a think waxy end product. While CO2 distillations are becoming more popular in the essential oil market, as they allow for a more delicate distillation of plant matter, it is arguable if a Super-critical CO2 extract can be considered a true essential oil by definition due to the waxy nature of the end product. Essential oils by definition are miniscule molecules that can pass through the skin and are volatile by nature. (Read more about how CO2 distillations compare to Essential Oils here.) In the Super-critical CO2 distillation process, the majority of these volatile compounds and terpenes are destroyed, however in the sub-critical CO2 distillation process, they can be saved. Where we most often see CO2 extractions, is in the realm of food and drink flavorings, and recently in the realm of the hemp industry. While in the former the CO2 extracts can be referred to as true extracts, in the latter realm we see a range of products classified as CO2 extracts that have ultimately gone through many other clarifying processes ranging from winterization, fractionizing, and filtering, among others in an aim to refine the end product.

Decoction A medicinal tea made from boiling plant material, usually the bark, rhizomes, roots or other woody parts, in water. May be used therapeutically. Natural dyes are often also made this way.

Flower Essence Homeopathic dilutions of flowers systematized by Edward Bach, MD that are most commonly used to address emotional and subtle mental imbalance. Flower Essences are very subtle energetic medicine. One could say that an imprint of the energetic qualities of a flower or plant are captured and cured for use to remedy various “negative” emotional states. Flower essences do not have a scent of their original mother plant and are primarily made up of water and small amount of brandy. A trained therapist is able to create a customized flower essence that helps to shift the energetic patterns of an individual to a state of well-being over time. Flower essence remedies are typically taken in water, and have a flavor of faint brandy, as this is the spirit most are cured and purified with. If a person is sensitive to alcohol, disperse of it by dispensing the 3-4 drops of flower essence blend into 1 cup of just boiling water, pour into clean ceramic cup and allow to cool prior to drinking. The minute amount of alcohol will vaporize out.

Homeopathy Classically referred to by using the phrase “like cures like,” Homeopathic medicine is able to stimulate the body’s response to an illness or disease by introducing very minute dilutions of the same substance causing the negative reaction. By taking theses plant substances and diluting them, for instance, 1 drop in 99 drops of water, and then again, and then again… Homeopathic medicines are able to stimulate the body’s response to an illness or disease by introducing very minute dilutions of the same substance. For instance, while a tea of Arnica Montana has been found to be poisonous if ingested, a homeopathic of Arnica Montana is often used to reduce swelling, bruising and pain prior to surgery, as well as traditionally being used topically for the same purposes. A Homeopathic formula that is labeled 6X, has been diluted 6 times, 10X has been diluted 10 times, and 10C has been diluted 100 times. The more dilute, in this instance, the more potent the homeopathic remedy.

Infusion  A tea made by pouring water over plant material (usually dried flowers, fruit, leaves, and other parts, though fresh plant material may also be used), then allowed to steep. The water is usually boiling, but cold infusions are also an option. May be used therapeutically, as hot tea or wound wash. Infusion preparations are an excellent way to administer herbs into the body as the mineral component of herbs can be readily absorbed.

Essential Oils Volatile aromatic oils extracted from the leaves, stems, flowers, and other parts of plants by means of either steam distillation, hydro-distillation, or cold-pressing. Therapeutic use traditionally includes a 2% dilution due to the nature of the highly concentrated oil.

Glycerite  An herbal glycerite is an alternative to an alcohol tincture. The benefit of taking herbal preparations this way is that it allows one to avoid the ingestion of alcohol, and is often best suited for children. While sole passive glycerin extractions are said to not extract much medicinal compounds when compared to alcohol. Alcohol extractions have shown to denature and render inert many of the organic compounds.  Recent herbalists have discovered that a combination of water and glycerin in a ratio specific to each plant, yields a much more superior end material that is truer tasting to the fresh plant. At typical dosage for this type of medicinal varies depending on the plant but is typically ¼ tsp. 1-3 times per day.

Herbal Infused Oils A process of extraction in which the volatile oils of a plant substance are obtained by soaking the plant in a carrier oil for approximately two weeks and then straining the oil. The resulting oil is used therapeutically and may contain the plant’s aromatic characteristic.

Percolation  A process to extract the soluble constituents of a plant with the assistance of gravity. The material is moistened and evenly packed into a tall, slightly conical vessel; the liquid (menstruum) is then poured onto the material and allowed to steep for a certain length of time. A small opening is then made in the bottom, which allows the extract to slowly flow out of the vessel. The remaining plant material (the marc) may be discarded. Many tinctures and liquid extracts are prepared this way.

Tincture  An extract of a plant made by soaking herbs in a dark place with a desired amount of either glycerin, alcohol, or vinegar for two to six weeks. The liquid is strained from the plant material and then may be used therapeutically.

Liniment Extract of a plant added to either alcohol or vinegar and applied topically to employ the therapeutic benefits.

Poultice A therapeutic topical application of a soft moist mass of plant material (such as bruised fresh herbs), usually wrapped in a fine woven cloth.

©Esenta Botanicals 2016

Kathryn Delaney is a Certified Clinical Aromatherapist, Flower Essence Therapist, and Practicing Herbalist. She compounds herbal formulations with more than 20 years of experience and also offers consultations and holistic education. The above list is a small compilation of some of the definitive terms from the Urban Shaman Workbook that will be going into print soon. If there are additional terms you would like explained in this blog, please leave a comment below. Fall classes will be offered through the internet soon, to be invited, Kathryn can be contacted at esentabotanicals@gmail.com.

Esenta Aromaticum App Essential Oil Reference Guide Now available for iOS systems

 

The Esenta Aromaticum App is now available as helpful resource on essential oils, providing guidance in choosing the appropriate oils for a particular use, and to help you get to know the range of uses applicable. My goal in creating this app was to provide you with information that empowers the safe use of essential oils in and around the home, in aim that it assists with improving the quality of everyday life.

Throughout my years of study, I've made several essential oils reference guides for myself, and found them to be very practical and useful. People often call or write to me with frantic questions, so in effort to make the information more readily available I recently linked up with a friend from my youth and we created the Esenta Aromaticum App.

This guide features more than 100 alphabetically sorted essential oils and their benefits; it is also a quick reference to ailments and conditions paired with the associated essential oils that have been shown through historical use to lend assistance and relief. Additionally, comprehensive descriptions of applications for safely using essential oils are explained in detail.

Esenta is currently available now for iPhones, if enough interest is revealed it may become available for Android systems as well. Let me know what you think by commenting below!!

Just Released a Wonderful Essential Allie that helps to Minimize Acne - Happy Face by Esenta Botanicals

Happy Face | Purifying Rose Witch Hazel Roll-on | Acne Minimizer | 6 Essential Oil Allies | by Esenta Botanicals | 0.33 fluid ounce

Happy Face - Purifying Witch Hazel Roll-on

A helpful essential-allie that helps minimize and heal acne.

Originally created as a custom formulation for a client and friend with cystic acne as a kismet alternative to facing surgery, Happy Face by Esenta Botanicals has earned so much praise that I decided to make it available to all.

- Rose Witch Hazel - A gentle and toning natural astringent.

- Blend of Six Essential Oil Allies - A blend of Tea Tree, Spike Lavender, Helichrysum, German Chamomile, Yarrow, and Carrot Seed | These essential oil allies together make an entourage to fight the bacteria that causes acne, reduce inflammation, calm redness, and heal skin tissue.

- Peridot stone - A stone for the heart, period is included in this blend to dispel the user of anger (an energetic background to acne) as well as bring the to the blend the imprint of confidence (as having acne often times causes the opposite).

Blended together these all-natural allies make for a product with a beautiful deep green hue due to the combination of the azulene in the German chamomile and yarrow, blended with the deep rich orange hue of carrot seed and the additional essential oils. Available on Etsy!

Esenta Botanicals are all-natural face and body care products, made in small batches to ensure quality and purity. All ingredients are sourced organic or wild-crafted when available.

For custom formulation inquiries and requests please message Master Blender and Clinical Aromatherapist, Kathryn Delaney.

CO2 Extractions vs. Essential Oils: A Comparison.

The first time I came across a CO2 extraction was nearly 8 years ago in an Apothecary in Denver; it was a lovely example of Ginger Root with a more floral note than the classic steam distillation I was accustomed to. More recently, when I worked at an internet-based apothecary that housed more than 100 oils, I came into relationship with several other examples of CO2 extractions being sold as synonymous to essential oils. These oils were claimed to be “more therapeutic” to classic steam-distilled essential oils based on the lack of heat used in the extraction process. These statements surprised me; what follows are some of my observations explaining why.

Essential Oils by definition, are volatile substances that are naturally produced by the metabolism of plants. It can take anywhere from 50-1600lbs of plant material to produce 16 oz of pure essential oil. While the majority of commercially available essential oils are produced using steam distillation, other processes are used including the cold-pressing process, which is a mechanical process, and hydro-distillation. In classic steam distillation there are two primary vessels stacked on top of one another. The lower vessel holds water which Is heated into steam, this steam passes through the second vessel which holds the plant matter being distilled, thereby breaking the cells within the plant matter which hold the essential oils and freeing them to be carried by way of the steam. At the ceiling of this vessel is a tube which acts as a passive passage collecting steam, which is then routed to descend into a collection flask. This tube is wrapped with a cold-water coiling tube which condenses the steam back into a liquid, resulting in two primary layers… hydrosol and essential oil. The resulting essential oils are light in mass and float on hydrosol, the term defining the resulting fragrant condensed steam, also known as classic flower water. (For further explanation of various extraction processes read here.) It is the tiny molecular size of essential oils which allows them to be carried by steam that also makes them so useful in topical applications. It is also this aspect of size that allows them to be vaporized by a nebulizing diffuser into a fine mist to be distributed through the air, and inhaled with ease.

When one has the opportunity to compare the two extraction processes, that of steam distillation and CO2 extraction, some clear differences can be observed. Let’s compare the two extractions of German Chamomile, for example. German Chamomile essential oil, when it is steam distilled, is a deep blue color due to its azulene content; it is mobile and liquid in its nature. When we examine a CO2 extraction of German Chamomile it is a greenish color, and is the consistency of a thick oil, similar to virgin coconut oil during winter time; it is semi-solid.   

The aromatherapy company which sold the various CO2 extractions also sold several mechanisms for using essential oils, and specifically sold a nebulizing diffuser. Often, as a special, different blends and essential oils would be gifted with the purchase of these diffusers. One of the blends had a C02 extracted oil in its formula and for a period of time we received repeated calls from customers complaining that their diffuser seemed clogged with some sort of plug; the customer always declared they used nothing other than essential oils and pure blends they purchased or were gifted with the machine.  I reasoned the problem was the due to the CO2 extracted oil. The CO2 extraction process is a solvent process, while it is a clean process… it results in a much thicker product than a classic essential oil. In the CO2 extraction process carbon dioxide is pressurized until it is semi-liquid. This solvent is then allowed to exchange with the plant matter and then simply vaporizes off, being that it is a gas in its natural state. This process allows for manufacturers to freeze plant material and store it prior to processing, and yields an end product that has a viscosity, sometimes including wax, pigments and other plant matter not present in steam distillates. When left to sit open to the air some of the volume of a CO2 extract may volatize, however some have been observed to leave a residue, and in some cases a wax, behind.

It is essential oils' molecular size which allows for them to function so effectively therapeutically. The CO2 extraction yields a larger molecule in its extraction, I would argue that this, combined with the waxy viscosity of their nature, makes them less therapeutic when compared to true essential oils that are classically distilled or cold-pressed, as examples.

Additionally, when considering an inexpensive way to test whether an essential oil is adulterated with another oil, a common method would be to smear the essential oil on a surface or allow a few drops to descend onto a sheet of paper. True essential oils will completely evaporate, with the exception of a deeply colored essential oil such as German Chamomile, which leaves an ink-dye like stain. A CO2 extract, again, leaves a residue…. therefore, the resulting products of CO2 extractions do not meet the definition of an essential oil, being that they are not volatile substances.

Despite CO2 extractions not being equivalent and synonymous to essential oils, this by no means is meant to discredit their nutritional value. It is important, however, to make these distinctions as each extraction process yields a different end resulting product, with a profile within its extraction that is very specific to the process itself.

 

Kathryn Delaney is a Certified Clinical Aromatherapist with more than 20 years of holistic aromatic and herbal study. For more information on classes, products, and custom blends please write to oilartisan@gmail.com or visit http://www.etsy/shop/EsentaBotanicals. For access to a hands on tool revealing how to use essential oils safely in the home, the Esenta app, is now available in your app store!

Aromatic Messages in a Bottle

I find myself explaining what I do as an Aromatherapist, more and more these days. Recently when I explained what I do to a friend, she stopped me and said "Dear... you do so much more than a common Aromatherapist." Since the situations and circumstances that I make unique blends for vary, and are often very personal, allow me to make an example of myself.

Through the last few weeks I’ve felt quite overwhelmed. The rising health concern surrounding my dog, my own stint with a day long ride of vertigo, and the stress of considering where I am going to live come May, has had me chasing my own tail, upping the ante in the “doing” department, and basically waring myself out. While I have had the blessing of people coming into my presence recently whom remind me I am a source of light, I haven’t felt that way… I’ve felt weighted down and barred away from life, and a bit isolated.  As a token to anchor myself, I decided to make myself a personal blend.

Essential oils have a wide variety of uses and functions. They not only have become well-known for their what they impart to the air aromatically but also for their capacity to lend assistance therapeutically to one’s mind, emotions, and physical body. In this way they truly are unique in their ability to integrate our entire being.

I make blends for myself for many reasons: when I have a gnarly illness, mysterious injury or wound, and at turning points in my life. This most recent blend I made with the intention to connect me with my higher self, align me with my greater purpose and empower my inner strength to look beyond the veil of temporary security, into the far reaches of what calls me into the unknown. I made this blend to deepen my breath, to connect me to my core being and to encourage me to embrace my own gifts of becoming.

To make a custom blend I first begin with the intention, and then I create an energetically clean and sacred space; I call in specific Archangels and my own personal guides (if I am blending for someone else, I call on their personal Guides).  With their energetic help, I am a conduit for choosing the appropriate oils for the blend. I document and create the blend, and hand-write out the chosen oils and their summary of properties to confirm their resonance. When I create custom blends for others, I label it with their name and it is accompanied by a hand-written card detailing the oils and their message.

My personal blend for this round is a synergistic combination of:Golden Champa, Rose Absolute, Grapefruit, Lemongrass, Lemon Verbena, Clove, Ginger Root and Patchouli. A summary of their spiritual properties follows:

Golden Champa is an oil "renowned for its use for channeling"; Rose Absolute "touches and stirs the spirit, sometimes even awakening the acknowledgment of divine mysteries"; Grapefruit "rouses the  spirit from slumber, giving it the impetus to pay attention to the guidance being given to mankind. Energizing and enlivening"; Lemon Verbena is cleansing and purifying for the body and mind. Lemongrass "clears regrets or shame, encouraging forgiveness of those who have dishonored us. It encourages upliftment, balance and integration. Clove Bud  passes to us the sensitive confidence we need to be unafraid." Ginger Root is "a fragrance of valor and courage, it helps us to walk along a new and brighter road." Patchouli "brings within it the sense of the sacredness of life. It is also a fragrance of action, knowing that no ideal will occur unless we take the first steps to make it happen."

I anoint my wrists and décolletage as I would any perfume. Blended in base of Neroli-flower infused Organic Jojoba Oil,  in a gold-etched roll-on bottle, using this blend has become a morning ceremony to honor myself and bring in the day.

If you are interested in a custom blend for yourself or for a loved one you can contact me for more information through my personal email: oilartisan@gmail.com or my etsy site: http://www.etsy.com/shop/esentaapothecary 

Many years ago, while studying our olfactory sense of memory and the functions of essential oils, I began to reason that not every essential oil may work for each individual in the same way due to imprints within our memory. I began making customized blends for people who were either dealing with a condition that had a degree of mystery to it, or was of chronic nature. As I used my method I began to see oils show up that had more benefit to the emotions than to the physical body and began to be interested in this observation.  At this point I was, in a rather kismet way, introduced to a book by Valarie Worwood, detailing the emotional and spiritual properties of essential oils. At the same time, I was studying the author Louis Hays, whom is renowned for her efforts in recognizing the emotional connection to physical illness. I came to recognize essential oils as truly unique in their ability to work in all realms of one’s being, particularly for their role in quieting the emotions, and how much that can benefit the body’s overall wellness.

(The quotes above were gathered from Valarie Ann Worwood's book: The Fragrant Heavens.)