Melting Solid Oils

We have in the past discussed various ways of melting (or at least softening) the very thick, sometimes even solid, essential oils, absolutes, or CO2 extracts.  

The easiest way is to set the bottle in a cup or bowl of VERY hot water, and let it gently warm. As it warms most thick oils will soften and become pourable.

The main problem with the above suggestion is that some of our oils are sold in the tiny two ml bottles.   Now, it is impossible to warm a 2 ml bottle in hot water. The water level will be so shallow that the water will cool before the contents of the bottle warm up.

An email from an old friend solved THAT problem quite nicely.  It was a "lightbulb" moment for us. Of course...the perfect solution! (and one that we had never thought of.)

If you've read the description of our Rosa Alba CO2 extract you've seen that it is  "thick and creamy.  We have found that it responds well to gentle warming, and will dilute very easily in slightly warmed Jojoba Oil."

Here we go again.  "Gentle Warming."

THIS is how to gently warm a tiny bottle or vial of a thick oil:

 At cool room temperature there is NO WAY to pipette the undiluted White Rose.   But let it sit for a few minutes on the gentle warmth of an Aroma-Stone, and voila!  pourable, pipette-able, blendable.

I wish I had known this when I was interviewed by AromaWeb for their article on 'working with thick oils and absolutes."

There is another solution for very small bottles.  If you wear a bra, you have a very convenient way to very gently warm the oils to body temperature.  The Aroma Stone gets a bit warmer, but NOT warm enough to damage your precious oils.

One of the things that I LOVE about what we do is that we never ever stop learning!

Sage Spirits

Dena is our newest staff member. She's an old friend of Christi's, newly relocated to Nashville, who is with us part time while building her practice on her "real job"...she brings a wonderfully energetic attention to detail and a bright smile to the production floor.     She's always had an interest in a holistic lifestyle but the oils and their effects are new to her.  And sometimes newcomers experience things that the rest of us might have overlooked.
We all know that Sage is traditionally used for cleansing, ritually and energetically, and that it is a powerful antibacterial.  Our white sage is very popular with those using the oils for ritual and spiritual purposes, but our more traditional Dalmation Sage (Salvia officianalis) tends to linger on the shelf.  We decided to add it to our next "sampler pack" in hopes some of you might be intrigued by it.    Dena was pouring the sample batch, and shares her experience:

As I was preparing to pour the sample packs for the shipments, I came across Sage, Dalmation.  The more I poured this oil, the more I fell in love with it. The smell was clean and bright, sweet and earthy.  There is something about this oil. something very special. The oil seems to 'thin the veil'. I could feel or sense 'the cloud of witnesses' hovering over me. I kept looking over my shoulder waiting to catch my dad standing next to me. You see, my dad has passed this earthy realm. maybe it's something going on with me. Maybe this oil transported me. or him. I have heard not everyone likes this oil. Maybe the oil brings the spirit realm closer. not everyone is comfortable with that. For me, at this fork... this juncture, this time in my life,  looking for fresh direction, maybe this oil is just what I need. I have been calling it the clairvoyant oil. I bet if I meditated with it I would feel grounded, protected, affirmed, and would receive answers to some of my questions.

  As I said...sometimes newcomers to the oils are more sensitive to their energetics.  Sage doesn't do this to me, but who am I to argue with its effects on others.