Grateful Aromatics

03/01/2026

Dilution, dilution, dilution - it's the first rule of using essential oils. Robert Tisserand, expert on safety, explains how and why.

02/28/2026

“To live content with small means;
to seek elegance rather than luxury,
and refinement rather than fashion;
to be worthy, not respectable,
and wealthy, not, rich;
to listen to stars and birds,
babes and sages, with open heart;
to study hard;
to think quietly, act frankly, talk gently,
await occasions, hurry never;
in a word, to let the spiritual,
unbidden and unconscious,
grow up through the common
– this is my symphony”
William Ellery Channing
Image - Mary Azarian

02/28/2026

💤 Sleepy girl mocktail, anyone? For many of us, especially as we get older, a good night’s sleep becomes an incredibly valuable commodity. We consulted our longtime supplements buyer, Hannah, and put together a comprehensive guide to your best night’s sleep yet —no counting sheep required 🐑🐑🐑

👉 Visit our blog and get the recipe https://www.kimbertonwholefoods.com/our-guide-to-a-great-nights-sleep/

02/23/2026

“The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it. Your life will be impoverished. But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life.”― Frank Lloyd Wright

02/22/2026

Did you know that one of the myths regarding aromatherapy is a story about the man who actually coined the term?

The story usually goes that while working in his laboratory, René-Maurice Gattefossé was seriously burned and immediately submerged his hand into a nearby vat of Lavender essential oil to put out the flames and he was surprised that it also quickly healed his skin.

However, the truth is a bit different.

"On July 25, 1910, while working in his laboratory, he was splashed with boiling essence from a round-bottomed flask that had exploded and burst into flames. His head and both hands were very badly burned.

At this time, burns were treated with oil-rich tulle gras dressings. When his wounds started to give off a gangrenous odor, he remembered that the lavender growers had told him that burns could be healed with lavender essential oil.

He took off his bandages and coated his skin with lavender oil. The results were astounding. Two days later, his fever eased and his infection disappeared, while his wounds healed relatively quickly without a trace. He was literally SAVED from a potentially fatal case of gangrene." ~ Gattefossé Foundation

Learn more about René-Maurice Gattefossé and aromatherapy history at the following links:

https://www.fondation-gattefosse.org/en/rene-maurice-gattefosse/

https://www.fondation-gattefosse.org/en/infotheque/lhistoire-inedite-de-rene-maurice-gattefosse/

https://youtube.com/watch?v=eGiQSTM7zJ8

02/20/2026

Airmid Institute Celebrates World Wildlife Day 2026 🌿💚

Airmid Institute, whose mission is to protect medicinal and aromatic plants and their use in traditional medicine for future generations, is excited to celebrate World Wildlife Day 2026 on March 3.

The 2026 theme, “Medicinal and Aromatic Plants: Conserving Health, Heritage and Livelihoods,” shines a spotlight on the plants that sustain human health, traditional ecological knowledge, and ecological balance.

These are the very plants at the heart of aromatherapy and perfumery (e.g. frankincense, myrrh, spikenard, vanilla, agarwood, rose, lavender, and citrus) used daily for healing, ritual, wellbeing, and beauty across the globe.

Medicinal and aromatic plants support ecosystems, pollinators, soils, and livelihoods worldwide, yet many face growing threats from habitat loss, overharvesting, climate change, and illegal trade. More than 20% of plant species used medicinally are now considered threatened, underscoring the urgent need for conservation, ethical sourcing, and respect for Indigenous and local knowledge.

World Wildlife Day reminds us that protecting wildlife includes protecting plants, which are the foundation of traditional medicine, modern healthcare, and botanical industries.
In honor of World Wildlife Day 2026, Airmid Institute will be hosting a special event dedicated to medicinal and aromatic plant conservation!

Stay tuned for more details, and join us in celebrating, learning, and advocating for medicinal and aromatic plants!

02/18/2026

02/17/2026

In 1930, the government didn't think her people's traditions were worth keeping. By 1994, those same records she protected saved an entire nation.

Gladys Tantaquidgeon was born in 1899 in Uncasville, Connecticut, at a time when traditional ways were being pushed into the shadows.

She wasn't just a child playing in the woods of her Mohegan home. She was an apprentice to the grandmothers who knew the secrets of the earth.

These elders chose her. They saw a quiet strength in her that would be needed to carry their ancient pharmacology into a changing world.

But the path of a medicine woman in the early 20th century was not an easy one. Many outsiders viewed her people's knowledge as mere superstition.

Gladys decided she would not let the world forget. She decided to bridge the gap between two very different worlds.

She left the comfort of her tribe and walked into the halls of the University of Pennsylvania to study anthropology.

She saw the beauty in the plants. She saw the science in the traditions. She saw the future for her people.

While others were looking toward the industrial future, she was looking backward to ensure the wisdom of the past didn't vanish.

She traveled to different tribes, documenting the medicinal uses of plants that had cured ailments for thousands of years.

In 1931, she and her family founded the Tantaquidgeon Indian Museum. It was a place where their truth could finally live out in the open.

But her biggest struggle came later. For years, the Mohegan people fought for federal recognition as a sovereign nation.

The government demanded proof of their history, their language, and their continuous existence as a community.

Because Gladys had spent decades meticulously preserving tribal records and heritage, they had the evidence they needed.

She saw their joy. She saw their pain. She saw their potential.

In 1994, largely thanks to her lifelong work, the Mohegan Tribe finally received federal recognition.

Today, the cures she documented are respected by modern botanists and historians alike as a vital part of American history.

She lived to be 106 years old, proving that her lifestyle and her medicine were just as powerful as she believed.

She saved her people's past so they could have a future.

Sources: Connecticut Womens Hall of Fame / National Park Service

02/17/2026

02/17/2026

How does the Aromatherapy Registration Council benefit Registered Aromatherapists and the Aromatherapy Industry?

●The Aromatherapy Registration Council (ARC) is independent from any membership body, organization, or educational facility. This assures an impartial and unbiased body distinct from a body where members pay to belong to it and from one that accredits or endorses specific schools. Independence from any paid membership organization is essential for objectivity and credibility from both within the industry and externally.

●The Aromatherapy Registration Council is nonprofit. This enhances credibility both within the industry and from outside the industry.

●ARC sponsors a voluntary examination to test the core body of knowledge that is aromatherapy at the present time with an emphasis on public safety.

●The ARC voluntary exam emphasizes an aromatherapist’s knowledge of public safety issues and promotes the interests of the entire professional aromatherapy community by illustrating to regulatory bodies that the aromatherapy industry is sufficiently mature to self-regulate and does not need to be regulated from outside or above.

●ARC provides a public register of Aromatherapists who have demonstrated a core body of knowledge through successfully passing the examination and reregistering every five years.

●ARC enhances the credibility and visibility of aromatherapy to the public and other medical professionals.

●By demonstrating the aromatherapy industry’s commitment to safety standards and ethics, a greater degree of confidence is created in the value and safety of aromatherapy.

●The voluntary exam tests core knowledge but does not restrict practitioners in the industry from specializing in any aspect of aromatherapy.

To learn more visit our website:
https://aromatherapycouncil.org/

02/17/2026

Winter blues hitting harder than usual?

THE winter months in Minnesota can be rough on your mood and energy. Give yourself the gift of aromatherapy support.

Three of my favorite winter wellness tips:

• Diffuse citrus oils (sweet orange, bergamot) during dark afternoons to lift your spirits
• Add lavender to your evening routine for deeper, more restorative sleep
• Keep peppermint on hand for mental clarity when cabin fever sets in

You don't need fancy equipment. just quality oils and a little intention.

Comment START and I'll send you my complete Winter Wellness guide with safe dilution ratios and blend recipes. 💙