Shepherd Wellness

02/12/2025

🌿🌸DIARY OF AN AROMATIC OMNIVORE🌸🌿
By Cher Lynne

🌿🌸Since my first narcissus distillation in 2021, I’ve completed over a thousand distillations, traveling with my still, pushing myself with difficult flowers, and documenting everything like a botanist as I learned to understand plants on a deeper, almost soulful level.

🌿🌸For years I distilled nonstop—sometimes three times a day—collecting an archive of local and foreign botanicals, experimenting with everything from lilac, saffron crocus, and lotus to fruits and resins, even navigating near-explosions as I pushed the limits of what a still can handle.

🌿🌸I expanded into double and tri-distillations, taught classes in California and Canada, and created complex hydrosols like “gingerbread,” “four thieves,” and my most challenging masterpiece, Florida Water—proving that the curiosity and hunger of an aromatic omnivore never truly fade.

🌿🌸To read the full article, get your copy of our Steamworks Special issue of Aromatika Magazine 13.3 E today! ⚗️👉 The link is in our bio, or simply copy and paste the link below into your browser: https://www.aromatikamagazine.com/product-page/steamworks-2025

28/11/2025

🍊🧡THE BITTER ORANGE (CITRUS AURANTIUM VAR. AMARA)🧡🍊
By Emiliano Ignacio Rodriguez

🍊🧡The bitter orange tree is not native to South America, yet it has become deeply woven into our culture. It grows abundantly in southern Brazil, thrives across Paraguay, and spread widely through Argentina during Spanish colonization. Like in Seville, many Buenos Aires neighborhoods—my own birthplace—are still perfumed with the scent of neroli at the end of summer. Our love for this tree even inspired the tango “Naranjo en flor.”

🍊🧡This remarkable tree produces three distinct essential oils thanks to its botanical ingenuity: petitgrain from the leaves, neroli from the blossoms, and bitter orange from the fruit peel—each unique in aroma, chemistry, and therapeutic value. This article offers an accessible look at this extraordinary species, its essential oils, their distillation, composition, and the benefits they provide.

🍊🧡To read the full article, get your copy of our Steamworks Special issue of Aromatika Magazine 13.3 E today! 🌿👉 The link is in our bio, or simply copy and paste the link below into your browser: https://www.aromatikamagazine.com/product-page/steamworks-2025




aromaciencia

17/10/2025

Have you heard the myth that aromatherapists don't use pure essential oils?

When I first started learning about aromatherapy I was told that if an essential oil is a pure, good quality oil that it is perfectly safe. That was usually followed up with another common myth that there are only one or two companies that sell pure oils.

Later, when I started to ask about the information I was seeing about how to use them safely, the myths continued as I was informed that aromatherapists do not use pure oils, and that is why most safety guidelines were developed.

All of that is absolutely false.

The truth is, essential oil safety guidelines are based on the use of pure oils.

As a matter of a fact, one of the 1st things taught in aromatherapy is that ONLY pure aromatic materials of the highest quality should be used.

This is something we are sticklers about.

Aromatherapist are very particular about where we get our oils, and it is common for us to demand access to gc/ms reports from reputable labs before we purchase.

The safety of an essential oil can only be determined because we know what it is made up of. While the chemistry of essential oils vary slightly due to many different factors like weather conditions, etc. the general chemical components of a given oil are consistent enough to establish safety guidelines.

On the other hand, there is no way to set up safety guidelines for adulterated or synthetic oils because there is the possibility that just about anything could be in them. We have no way to determine their safety without proper analysis on a batch per batch basis.

So if safety guidelines were developed with the assumption that only adulterated oils were being used, there would be only one general guideline, and that would be to not use them, at all, for pretty much anything.

So please remember, just because someone is derived from nature does not mean it is safe. It is the chemistry of a PURE essential oil that determines safety, not the brand. Also, note I did say PURE because there are absolutely companies out there that are known for selling adulterated and/or fake oils and those should be completely avoided.

12/09/2024

12/09/2024

The arguments surrounding the root cause of addiction have raged for decades. Addiction is often viewed as a societal or moral failing rather than a biological one. Many people believe that it is a choice

29/08/2024

There’s still time to buy tickets for the Alliance of International Aromatherapists (AIA) conference in September. 🌸

07/05/2024

MIDB x NAMI Minnesota Collaboration Presents: Co-Parenting with Success | For Black, Indigenous, People of Color

23/03/2024

Honored to be ask to share on this topic at the AIA conference this fall!

Learn more about the challenges of caring for others, assessment techniques, mental health tools, and aromatherapy integration for prevention and recovery. The journey towards resilience begins with understanding and addressing these complexities inherent in the helping profession.

For registration info head over to the Alliance of International Aromatherapists (AIA) page, or https://www.alliance-aromatherapists.org/2024-Conference

06/03/2024

Happy Social Work Month! 🌱

March is National Social Work Month, and we're proud to stand alongside our dedicated social workers who embody compassion, advocacy, and resilience. Together, we make a difference in the lives of individuals and communities every day. Thank you for your unwavering commitment!

10/02/2024

Did you know that more than 120 million tons of citrus waste is produced each year as a result of citrus cultivation and juice production (fruits, seeds, pomace…)? Recycling of this waste provides rich sources of bioactive compounds that are useful to the health and food industries.

Botanica2024 celebrates all things citrus in their online conference event May 17-19th! Join us for an immersive and inspiring experience of excellence in learning, networking and sourcing quality products and services.

Maqbool, Z., Khalid, W., Atiq, H. T., Koraqi, H., Javaid, Z., Alhag, S. K., Al-Shuraym, L. A., Bader, D. M. D., Almarzuq, M., Afifi, M., & Al-Farga, A. (2023). Citrus Waste as Source of Bioactive Compounds: Extraction and Utilization in Health and Food Industry. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 28(4), 1636. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28041636



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28/01/2024

Such an important topic in aromatherapy.

Paula Begel is a passionate advocate for the safe and effective use of essential oils. In the past, Paula has been actively involved in the Alliance of International Aromatherapists (AIA). She was also a former NYS director, making significant contributions to education and conference committees. She has also held key positions as the former vice president and president. Notably, Paula has skillfully formulated massage blends for a Forbes 4-star resort and a private country club spa. With over 40 years of experience in physical medicine, health, and wellness, particularly in aromatherapy, Paula is eager to share her expertise and enthusiasm with you!

Catch her live this September at the 2024 AIA Conference to discuss Sensitization Concerns for Massage Therapists!

We have 4 days left until the early-early bird promo is gone. Secure your slot now!
https://buff.ly/3GmVUwu