Greetings Aroma Friends,

Happy September; the beginning of fall after a glorious summer. The children are going back to school and are happy to see their friends, to swap stories of their summer and to get back into a routine.

Over the years we have had lots of mums asking what they can use for stress. We tell them to narrow it down as much as possible to find what is causing the stress. 50% of the time it is hyperactive children. The oil known as "the children's oil" is Mandarin. It is great for emotional shock, hysteria, grief and lots of other things. This oil is used extensively in Europe and is diffused in the class rooms as a preventative.

I like to use Bergamot. It is good for calming the nervous system, anxiety, depression and tension. Both Bergamot and Mandarin are very supportive. Add drops to everything you can that the children use; for example tissues in the pocket, in their backpacks, on the corner of their books, on their soft pencil cases...there is no limit.

After saying all that, they may come across complaints from people who are scent sensitive so prepare them with a little speach. Ask the complainant if they have a reaction to flowers/plants in the garden or if they can smell the roses in a bouquet. If they are fine doing that, then they will be fine smelling essential oils. Most scent sensitive people are sensitive to fragrance oils which are man made aromas. These frangrances comprise of a lot of chemicals so it is important to read the label.

We are going to have to change the riddle prize so you do not get fed up. We seem to be getting the correct answers from the same people. For this month we will be giving away a 10ml bottle of French Lavender, as long as it lasts. This is a particularly nice Lavender (coming from a farm in Provence). As yet they are only yielding a small amount of oil but I am keeping my eye on them for the future.

Speaking of small farms, we have now received our new shipment of German Chamomile essential oil from Nepal. The aroma is wonderful. You can almost smell the clean, fresh air. These small farms in Nepal have formed a cooperative where they share the still, website, marketing and analysis equipment. The species is the same as what we used to sell and is considered good for aromatherapy. Each crop is harvested (with much of it already ordered) and sold, while the next crop is growing. Each crop is batch tested so we know exactly where it came from, ensuring a fresh and good quality essential oil.

All the best,

Barb