Did You Know...
In the U.S. there are no laws that govern the use of the term aromatherapy, so any manufacturer, even those that include synthetic ingredients & adulterate the product itself, can slap the word aromatherapy onto their product labels?

What are Carrier Oils?
Carrier oils are made from plants (possible plant parts include nut, seed, or fruit). They're not volatile the way essential oils are. They tend to be heavier than essential oils and are very safe for the skin. Some essential oils can be irritating for the skin, so they're often blended with carrier oils for safety and comfort.
The term “carrier” also refers to any substance used to dilute essential oils. These commonly include cream or lotion, vegetable oils, butters, water, hydrosol, and aloe vera gel.


Coconut oil, or better known as Cocos nucifera, is the most common carrier in the aromatherapy industry. That's because it is an excellent carrier oil for itchy, sensitive skin, and is best used for the body than the face. It is resistant to rancidity. It can be moisturizing and serves as a protective layer, helping to retain the moisture in your skin. Coconut oil is mild and generally safe for people with inflamed, irritated and sensitive skin. It has a strong coconut aroma. 
Note: some people find coconut oil drying on their skin, others find it to be very soothing. Each person will respond to oils and butters differently depending on their unique skin.
Coconut Oil Shelf Life: Coconut oil is resistant to rancidity and has a two-year shelf life. It is a highly saturated fat. Virgin coconut oil is cold-pressed, pure and unrefined. Fractionated coconut oil is highly refined and often has no aroma.

Dilution Matters!
Dilution is key when you are wanting to use an oil for a specific outcome. Here is a great cheat sheet to look at!
• 1% dilution is 5-6 drops per 1oz. (30ml) 
*Gentle: Children, elders, pregnant women, & chronically ill.
• 2% dilution is 10-12 drops per 1oz. (30ml)
*Mild: Healthy adults, and blends for long-term use (more than 4 weeks)
• 3% dilution is 15-18 drops per 1oz. (30ml)
*Moderate: Specific illness or injury, short-term use blends (3-4 weeks)
• 5% dilution is 25-30 drops per 1 oz. (30ml)
*Strong: Acute injury or illness, short term use blends (1-2 weeks)

Message from Amber

How are we already almost out of May?
Better yet how do I almost have a 5 month old?! Time please slow down! 
Birth classes start up at the office this Saturday. These will be monthly and I am so looking forward to them! If you would like more information on what they entail please click here.
Aromatherapy workshops are still in the works! I am hoping to have those posted next month. The first class will be a workshop going over the background and what exactly aromatherapy has to offer.

​Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month! Specifically looking into postpartum and maternal mental health it is crucial you are taking care of yourself and not just your family & others. I know..it is easier said than done.
Aromatherapy can play a huge part in mental health. It is scientifically proven that an aroma can change your mental state within seconds! Here is one of my favorite blends when I am feeling down and need a pick-me-up.


Items needed:

• Blank Nasal Inhaler w/ cotton
• 3 drops Bergamot Oil (Citrus bergamia)
• 3 drops Frankincense Oil (Boswellia carterii)
• 3 drops Lavender Oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
• Small bowl (not plastic)
• Tweezers

- Open the inhaler, take out the cotton and place the cotton in small bowl. 
- Apply 3 drops of each essential oil to cotton.
- Use tweezers to pick up cotton and place inside inhaler and close.
- Place inhaler to nasal cavity and inhale as needed. Store in a cool, dark place. ​

Some homeopaths suggest that all aromatics be avoided because they feel the aromatics might antidote the remedy. However in some circumstances, you can take the remedy and then wait an hour or two to use the essential oil.

The science behind it is due to the frequency and aroma of the essential oil which cancels out the “energy” of the homeopathic remedy.
𝑇𝑜 𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑖𝑙𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑡 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑝𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚. 

Here’s some quick guidelines to abide by when using essential oils and homeopathies:

- Do not store them in the same common area. 

- Do not use them at the same time. 

- Do not take a homeopathic remedy near essential oils.
𝑌𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑎 𝑖𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡！

Make sure you leave a 2-4 hour window of time before using one or the other so they don’t cancel each other out. 
​

Starting next month I will be teaching birth classes here at the clinic! I am very excited to offer this platform not only for my clients, but also the community. 
Aromatherapy 101 classes and workshops are also in the works and will soon be provided in the near future as well.
Seating will be limited for a more personal experience so be on the lookout for a sign up link in the next couple weeks!
If you have any topics you personally would like for me to cover feel free to email me your thoughts!
​

If you're like me and love the smell of fresh flowers but don't feel like spending the money for a bouquet weekly then this is a blend for you:
Items needed:

• Ultrasonic Diffuser (make sure it does not heat up the oil)
• Lemon essential oil (Citrus limon)
• Lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
•   Bergamot essential oil (Citrus bergamia)
• Geranium essential oil (Pelargonium graveolens var roseum)
• Distilled Water

- Fill diffuser with the distilled water to the fill line.
- Place 2 drops of each oil into diffuser.
- Turn on diffuser and enjoy the powerful aroma of a flower garden. 


Wondering which brands I recommend?
Drop me an email so I can send you our most recent list over this exact topic!
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I hope you enjoyed this newsletter and learned something along the way.
HAVE A TOPIC YOU'D LIKE ME TO COVER? SHOOT ME AN EMAIL WITH YOUR SUGGESTIONS!
As always I would love any feedback, questions, comments or concerns you might have!
Have a great day and God Bless! 

The original word doula comes from the ancient Greek meaning "to serve".
A doula is a professional that is trained in childbirth who provides emotional, physical, and informational support to a mother throughout her pregnancy & labor. Their main purpose is to help women have a safe, memorable, and empowering birthing experience.
​

Something you may not know about me is that in 2019 I decided to forego my college career and pursue Aromatherapy & Doula certifications. I worked in pharmaceuticals for nearly 7 years and seeing individuals battle with western medicine made me realize that it was not my calling in life. Fast forward to now I am able to serve women and families bring little miracles into this world.
Aside from birth-work I also see clients in aromatherapy. Being a certified aromatherapist I am able to create specific blends and formulas for concerns like skin issues, emotional needs and every day items.

Spring has sprung and the last thing anyone wants to deal with is allergies! Here is a great blend to make for on the go:


Items needed:

• Blank Nasal Inhaler w/ cotton
• Lemon essential oil (Citrus limon)
• Lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia)
•   Peppermint essential oil (Mentha x piperita)
• Small bowl (not plastic)
• Tweezers

- Open the inhaler, take out the cotton and place the cotton in small bowl. 
- Apply 3 drops of each essential oil to cotton.
- Use tweezers to pick up cotton and place inside inhaler and close.
- place inhaler to nasal cavity and inhale as needed for allergies. Store in a cool, dark place. 


Don't have the items or feel like making one? No problem. 
I sell these for $5 each. 
Let me know if I can make you one! 
_____________________________________________________________
I hope you enjoyed this newsletter and learned something along the way.
HAVE A TOPIC YOU'D LIKE ME TO COVER? SHOOT ME AN EMAIL WITH YOUR SUGGESTIONS!
As always I would love any feedback, questions, comments or concerns you might have!
Have a great day and God Bless! 

Exciting news for The Holistic Approach come March 1st! We have partnered up with Dr. Kelsey Musgrove at Full Circle Physical Therapy and IBCLC, Allyson Robertson, with Lactation Consultants of East Texas to provide amazing services for the community! Be on the look out for more information in regards to workshops, specials and grand opening details. We are honored for this opportunity! 
​

A big goal of mine was to always have an office front for the public. Little did I know that it would be sooner rather than later. One thing is for sure: when the Lord decides it's time for growth He makes it known. This opportunity is definitely one of them. 
I cannot wait to share this space with the community and bring forth knowledge and education in aromatherapy and birth. 
Here is a sneak peek of what the space will look like. 

In January's newsletter I dug deep on how to choose a reputable source when it comes to essential oils. The ultimate question was, "Does brand really matter?" and in short the answer is yes. I broke down 6 questions to ask yourself when choosing a brand and today I am going to use those same questions to go over a few with you.
Thank you to those that replied in which brands you'd want an opinion about. Plant Therapy was a popular one along with their organic vs. non-organic line.
Let's dive right in shall we?
Note: In no shape or form am I affiliated with any of these companies. This information I provide is merely an opinion of my own and should be treated as such.
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Plant Therapy:
This brand caught me by surprise.
I love the layout of their website. They make it easily accessible to find details of their products, GC/MS reports, directions in how to use the product, if it is safe for children, pregnancy/nursing as well as animals, and they even throw in a safety data sheet as well. Prices are fantastic, pure and unadulterated.
As far as organic vs. non-organic labeling goes that is part of their paid partnership with ECOCERT ICO. Some plants are easier to maintain in a certified organic environment than others. They also state that many small farmers they use cannot afford to certify their organically grown plants, which means the non organic oils may still be organic just not labeled through ECOCERT ICO. With this paid partnership you are able to gain access to more information about the product like what farm did it come from and know that the farmer is following strict guidelines through USDA standards.
Lastly, they follow Robert Tisserand's guidelines when it comes to essential oils in safety. He is one of the world's leading experts in aromatherapy with countless hours of research and development. 
dōTERRA:
dōTERRA started in 2008 and is a well known company of essential oils in multilevel marketing. They started CPTG - Certified Pure Tested Grade - which became their symbol of quality control standard. Additional to the GC/MS reports they also perform 7 other tests on an oil before selling to consumers. If you become a wholesale member you are able to get these oils 25% cheaper than at retail price. Their website is easy to navigate, but lacks information about proper usage when it comes to kids and pregnancy/nursing. The only precaution for this is to consult a physician. No reports available online about their CPTG results either. 
dōTERRA advocates ingesting oils, which is a huge red flag as an aromatherapist. Taking oils internally can cause great damage if not used properly and correctly. They provide a free ebook on which oils are considered "safe" to ingest and even go into detail on how much and when to use them, but do not provide any research backing up the information. 
Overall, prices are a bit more than I like to see. Some are way over priced than what they are worth. No test results readily available online. The do have their own chemistry handbook talking about highlights of their oils, but again we would need those results to make sure they match the information in the book. Not every batch is going to be the same in chemistry findings.
Eden's Garden:
Eden's garden is a women-led, family-owned and faith-based company. They started back in 2009 and very strategically state that their oils are 100% therapeutic grade and follow USDA guidelines. (If you remember in my last newsletter I stated that therapeutic grade is merely a trademark and means nothing but a paid partnership to add to their label.) Eden's garden is not an MLM either.
Website is easy to maneuver and give detailed information about the product scientifically, but do not go over safety for kids or pregnancy/nursing. They state to consult a physician and/or licensed aromatherapist for safety and ingestion of oils. Most of their products have a GC/MS report available online. Prices are decent and shipping is free in USA. 
Two things that stick out to me is that on their LEARN tab they have a comparing list for MLM trademark oils to their specific blends as well as a carrier oil list to help pick the best oil to use for a specific task. Very informative and precise. 
Selah Oils:
Selah Oils is another faith based company and does not play around when it comes to truth about essential oils. They do not promote meaningless labeling like therapeutic grade or paid partnership of organic/non-organic. They actually state on their product pages if it's from an organic farm or not. Now it's up to you if you want to believe them or not.
Though their website is slightly confusing at first, once you figure out how to get to the main tabs the literature they provide is more than any company I have found.They follow Robert Tisserand's safety guidelines, give references on where their information was cited from, do not participate as an MLM, and prices are superb. 
Overall, great company and standards. They even have a "health issues" tab where you can get direct information about a concern you are having instead of looking it up yourself. 
Young Living:
Young Living was once known as the leading essential oil company in the world. They are the oldest company in selling essential oils to consumers of almost 30 years. They are well known for their MLM standards as well as their Seed to Seal program and they own their own farms and testing labs as well. 
Their website is easy to use, gives scientific detail about their products, but does not release results of their GC/MS testing to the public. Red flag. They give 24% off on products under special conditions, but even with the discounted rate you are paying way more than necessary. They are the first company to be FDA approved for ingestion with their vitality line, however there is no safety guidelines on usage or dilution.
Unfortunately they have been caught in the act with the use of synthetic properties in products which is a HUGE red flag for me. If a company is not willing to share data of what's inside their products and then gets busted in doing the opposite of what they stand for - red flag! 
Overall, highest priced essential oils on the market, little to no safety guidelines given nor followed, and does not promote education but rather how to use products and encourage incentives on how to grow a business.

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Lots of information shared in what I hope in an unbiased way!
I hope you enjoyed this newsletter and learned something along the way.
HAVE A TOPIC YOU'D LIKE ME TO COVER? SHOOT ME AN EMAIL WITH YOUR SUGGESTIONS!
As always I would love any feedback, questions, comments or concerns you might have!
Have a great day and God Bless! 

Our sweet Loretta Grace has finally made her presence and we could not be more overjoyed! Thank you to all that have come along this journey with us and prayed for us. As my maternity leave has officially started, any intake forms, emails, or texts may be delayed in response by 1-2 business days while we adjust as a family of three.
Thank you for your understanding and support!
​

To all my past clients and women who have given birth, y'all are rockstars!!! I hope to share my birth story soon, but in the meantime I am blown away by the love and support I have received in texts, calls, meals & visitations.
God made a woman's body so perfect for birth and I am humbled and blessed to be able to experience such a miracle in itself. Something I will never forget is the strength and courage in trusting and surrendering to Him.
 God's design is flawless.
​

The question everyone is asking. Some individuals will preach to you yes while others still have their suspicions. Trust me, I was one of the yes crowd pleasers until my path of becoming a certified aromatherapist opened a whole new meaning of the essential oil industry. We have to remember that this too is an industry of profit and value. As essential oils are regaining popularity in the world, consumers are troubled with what brand to choose best for their family.
I will be completely transparent with you: I started out with an MLM that is known as the leading essential oil brand in the world. I was introduced to it through a high school colleague wanting to pursue the business side of things. I too was like "why not" & hopped on board and took off. It wasn't until I was questioning the fact of why essential oils work this way in our body. I could not get an answer from anyone because in retrospect the company is not teaching them the therapeutic properties of oils, only how to market the product. That was when I took it upon my self and started doing research.
The internet is a powerful tool, which I am sure you already know, but like anything else you need to cross reference your findings and take everything into consideration. I encourage you to look into the brand you are using and not just take my word. Instead, let this be a starting point for you and see what you find.


That being said, lets dive right in.


The Short Answer is Yes...
Plain and simple does brand really matter? Yes it does. There are companies out there like I stated above that just want to take your money because essential oils are regaining popularity in the world. Health and wellness is not their number one priority for you. Once you can weed out those brands, which I will teach you how later in this post, then you need to look further into the company and see what kind of precautionary measures they are taking, where they are sourcing the botanicals and herbs, and how these oils are being processed, packaged and shipped.
In the United States there are zero laws and regulations on the use of the term aromatherapy. That simply means anyone can slap a label on a bottle with some type of substance and say it's good to go. Now is that necessarily a bad thing? No. It simply means we as consumers must do our due diligence to educate ourselves on the products we buy and use (just like anything else in the world).
THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A BRAND:

1. Where are you purchasing this product?
2. Do they provide any third-party testing like GC/MS (gas chromatography/mass spectrometry) or COA (certificate of analysis) reports?
3. Are the essential oils 100% pure and undiluted?
4. Do they provide the botanical name, origin and method of distillation?
5. Do they promote ingestion?
6. How much is the product compared to other brands and why?

Some big questions that may have your head spinning, but don't lose hope! Let me break it down even more..

• I ask the first question because I believe it is important to find out where this product is coming from. Are you ordering it off of Amazon where it could possibly be handled by more than one company or even a local store in the dollar section where they have a high cost oil like Frankincense for $1?
• Even if you do not know how to properly read either of these reports, if a company is willing to show you what is in their products then that right there automatically gives the green light of purchase in my book. 
• When shopping for essential oils you want to be sure that you are aware if they are pre-diluted or not. Like I previously stated there are no regulations to aromatherapy meaning that if you purchase a pre-diluted bottle of oil then there could be 1 drop of actual essential oil and the rest could be a carrier/filler.

Another thing I believe is of value in mentioning is that when you pick up a bottle of essential oil and see that it states "certified therapeutic grade" it means nothing. This is simply a trademark that a brand has registered with and paid a fee to add to their bottle. 
Again, there is zero laws and regulations for the term aromatherapy. 

• Do they tell you the proper name, where the plant or herb has been sourced and how they bottled it? The botanical name is a big one. Let's say you go to the store and there is a bottle of lavender for sale. You read the botanical name and it states "Lavandula latifolia". This is indeed lavender, but a different kind known as Spiked Lavender which has completely different therapeutic properties than true lavender more known as "Lavandula angustifolia." No where on the bottle will it say that, only the botanical name.
•  Do they promote ingesting essential oils? This is yet again another hot topic in the aromatherapy world. If you have ever noticed, only MLM's promote the use of ingesting oils, but they do not provide guidelines on how to properly administer a dose to our system. My question is why? The answer: I am still seeking it for myself. For now, I like to stick with other methods of application to the body. 
• Lastly, why is a bottle of Rose oil triple digits with one company, yet half the cost with another? Well it's kind of ironic that the answer lies in questions 2, 3 & 4. Once you find your answers to those this question should be an easy one to see. My personal answer: You are paying for the name, not the product.

All this to be said, these are questions I believe are important to ask yourself when picking out a brand. The company I use to affiliate myself with denied my request to provide answers to my questions thus why I chose to look for alternatives, and I am happy to report that there are a ton to choose from! 
​

​Would you be interested in a newsletter going over my opinions on different brands? If so please comment below if there is a specific brand you would like me to review. 
I hope you enjoyed this newsletter and learned something along the way.
As always I would love any feedback, questions, comments or concerns you might have!
Have a great day and God Bless!