Essential Oil Information (alphabetized)
Below is a list of the individual essential oils and their characteristics used in our candle blends. This information is specific to the exact oils genus and origin. All of our blends are available bottled on our shopping page. If you are interested in any of these oils as a single note, please just contact us for a price!
Bergamot
Botanical Name: Citrus bergamia - cold pressed - Italy
It is named after the city of Bergomont in Lombardy, Italy, where the fruit was first cultivated in the 18th century. The essential is cold pressed from the peel of the nearly ripened fruit. Bergamot is grown primarily for the essential oil within its peel. The entire plant emits a strong fragrance similar to citrus. The blossoms provide the flavoring for the famous Earl Grey tea.
Aromatic Description: Fresh~ green~ light~ citrusy~ slightly floral
Aromatherapy Uses: Uplifting, it relaxes, refreshes and is good for confidence building. Encouraging, balancing to the spirit. Combats fatigue due to stress, tension and anxiety. It is reputed to strengthen the immune system by healing the spirit and emotions with its fresh and invigorating citrus fragrance.
Black Pepper
Botanical Name: Piper nigrum, steam distilled, peppercorn/berry, Madagascar
Black Pepper is a vine. The berries are steam distilled to create a clear to pale olive colored oil.
Aromatic Description: Black Pepper is a feast!...mild and almost woody in aroma, it doesn't exactly smell like the peppercorns from which it is distilled. Initially, it has a soft almost floral/wood note.
Aromatherapy Uses: Emotionally it is an aphrodisiac, and also is said to both increase self confidence and to be grounding and stabilizing.. Some recommend it for concentration and memory loss. Black Pepper oil is said to heighten alertness, assertiveness, and improve the user's self-image. Black pepper is very stimulating to the mind, gives stamina where there's frustration, and is considered an aphrodisiac. It may help with fatigue, lethargy, lack of concentration and impotence.
Cedarwood
Botanical Name: Juniperus virginiana - steam distilled - Virginia, USA
A coniferous, slow-growing evergreen tree up to 33m high with a narrow, dense and pyramidal crown, a reddish heartwood, and brown cones. The tree can attain a majestic stature with a trunk diameter of over 1.5m (5ft). The essential oil is by steam distillation from the timber waste, sawdust, shavings etc.
Aromatic Description: Fresh, sweet, woody, balsamic, sometimes reminicent of sandalwood. Resembles the aroma of cedar chests.
Aromatherapy Uses: Calms anxiety, and help diffuse fear. It also can enhance spirituality and is used in meditation.
Clary Sage
Botanical Name: Salvia sclarea - steam distilled - Hungary and Bulgaria
It is native to southern Europe and Russia, but cultivated worldwide, especially the Mediterranean region, is a stout biennial or perennial herb up to 1 meter high with large, hairy leaves, green with a hint of purple, and small blue flowers. The oil is obtained by steam distillation from the flowering tops and leaves.
Aromatic Description: Bright, earthy, herbaceous, with a subtle fruity note.
Aromatherapy Uses: Clary Sage is an oil necessary for every woman. It helps ease menstrual cramps, balances PMS, and eases the pangs of menopause. No woman is too young or too old to appreciate the balance it brings us. Clary can balance extreme emotions, reducing stress and restore inner tranquility. Clary sage is also said to bring on "lucid dreams".
Safety Information: Clary Sage is not to be used by women trying to conceive or during pregnancy, although it is said to help bring on labor when the time is right.
Grapefruit (organic)
Botanical Name: Citrus paradisii - cold pressed - USA
A cultivated tree, often over 30’ high with glossy leaves and large yellow fruits, believed to have derived from the shaddock. Essential oil is by cold expression from the fresh peel.
Aromatic Description: Citrusy, reminiscent to the aroma of the grapefruit rind.
Aromatherapy Uses: Energizing and uplifting, often used to treat eating disorders (overeating and anorexia) when they stem from a lack of self esteem, seems to create the feeling of internal buoyancy and happiness.
Jasmine Sambac (floral wax)
Botanical Name: Jasminun officianalis sambac - solvent extracted wax (not essential oil) - India
Known as the king of flower oils in Europe and often used in love potions and perfumes. Jasmine and rose are the foundation of many fine fragrances such as Chanel No. 5.
Aromatic Description: .Rich, heady, floral aroma, heavy and sweet with a richness and mysterious depth. As the scent develops, there are fruity and floral notes...complex.
Aromatherapy Uses: Almost every authority recommends it as an aphrodisiac, especially for those who lack confidence. It is also recommended by some as a hormone balancer, and soothing with menstrual pain. It is often used in skin care, especially in the treatment of dry or aggravated skin.
Lavender (ethically grown)
Botanical Name: Lavendula officinalis - steam distilled - Bulgaria
This is an evergreen woody shrub, up to 3 ft. tall, with pale green, narrow, linear leaves and flowers on blunt spikes of a beautiful violet-blue color. The whole plant is highly aromatic. This plant is a mint, as evidenced by its square stems. The oil is obtained by steam distillation from the fresh flowering tops.
Aromatic Description: Fresh, sweet, floral, herbaceous, slightly fruity.
Aromatherapy Uses: In short, it is calming. It can balance the central nervous system, is very soothing and uplifting, and can alleviate anxiety, depression, and stress. It is also helpful for headaches and migraine and is a relief for insomnia.
Lime
Botanical Name: Citrus aurantifolia - cold pressed - USA
This oil is steam distilled from the whole fruit or cold-pressed from the peel.
Originally from Asia, Limes are now cultivated in mostly warm countries, especially Italy, the West Indies and the Americas. Lime is a small tree, crooked and prickly, only reaching as a rule, a height of 8 feet. Limes were introduced into Europe by the Moors and from there to the Americas.
Aromatic Description: Citrusy, sweet, reminiscent of orange peels, but more concentrated.
Aromatherapy Uses: Lime oil can stimulate and refresh a tired mind and helps with depression. Lime oil is useful to cool fevers associated with colds, sore throats and flu and aids the immune system.
Myrtle
Botanical Name: Myrtus communis - Steam distilled from the leaf/twig - Southern Europe
Aromatic Description: fresh, sweet, slightly camphorous with a floral hint
Aromatherapy Uses: Helpful in meditation and mood revitalizing. May soothe feelings of anger, envy, and greed. It's a suggested oil to use with people with addictions or self destructive behaviors. An interesting addition to meditation blends.
Orange, Sweet
Botanical Name: Citrus sinensis - fractional distillation - USA
Orange trees are native to China and now cultivated extensively in America. Orange oil is extracted from the orange peel by cold-press.
Aromatic Description: Citrusy, sweet, reminiscent of orange peels, but more concentrated.
Aromatherapy Uses: It is a strong antidepressant, calming and is stress relieving. It brightens the atmosphere of a room and creates a feeling of happiness.
Patchouli
Botanical Name: Pogostemon cablin - steam distilled - Indonesia
This fragrant herb grows from 2 to 3 feet in height, giving out the peculiar, characteristic odor of patchouli when rubbed. The crop is cut two or three times a year, the leaves being dried and packed in bales and exported for distillation of the oil. The best oil is freshly distilled near the plantations.
Aromatic Description: Rich, earthy, spicy, woody aroma with a nearly hidden fruity note.
Aromatherapy Uses: Relieves stress and is generally considered an aphrodisiac.
Peppermint
Botanical Name: Mentha piperita - steam distilled - Oregon, USA
A hybrid perennial plant; 1-3 feet tall; the erect, square, branching stem is tinged with reddish-purple (not green as in spearmint). The entire plant has a very characteristic odor, due to the volatile oil present in all its parts, which when applied to the tongue has a hot, aromatic taste at first, and afterwards produces a sensation of cold in the mouth caused by the menthol it contains. The whole plant has the characteristic smell of menthol.
Aromatic Description: strong piercing, refreshing minty, more fragrant than spearmint.
Aromatherapy Uses: Mentally, it clears the brain, helps concentration, is a restorative in cases of mental fatigue, and a mental stimulant.
Geranium (rose or Bourbon)
Botanical Name: Pelargonium roseum - steam distilled - Madagascar and Reunion
This rose scented variety of the scented geranium is raised specifically because of the rose like odor of its leaves. A perennial, it grows from 1 to 2 feet high. The entire plant is erect and unbranched, more or less covered with hairs; the leaves deeply parted, each division again cleft and toothed, flowering April to June, color is pale to rosy purple, petals are veined and woolly at base, Essential oil is extracted by steam distillation from leaves, stalks and flowers.
Aromatic Description: floral, similar to Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), but rosey.
Aromatherapy Uses: A "woman's oil", geranium seems to have a hormonal balancing effect and traditionally has been used to alleviate problems associated with menopause and menstruation (when blended with Clary Sage). Geranium gives adrenal cortex support when ovarian estrogen decreases at menopause. It is also used as an antidepressant. The word that comes to mind when I think of Geranium is "balance", physically, and especially for its emotional effects.
Rosemary
Botanical Name: Rosmarinus officinalis - steam distilled flowering top/leaf - Morrocco
It is an evergreen shrub with numerous branches; ash-colored, scaly bark and bears opposite, leathery, thick leaves which are lustrous and dark green above and downy white underneath. The essential oil is obtained by steam distillation.
Aromatic Description: fresh, strong, clear, herbaceous, sweet, slightly medicinal.
Aromatherapy Uses: Wonderfully fresh and stimulating, Rosemary is known for its ability to wake up the body and spirit, also has antidepressant qualities.
Safety Information: Avoid direct contact with oil in pregnancy and in epilepsy
Ylang Ylang
Botanical Name: Cananga odorata - steam distilled - Indonesia
Aromatic Description: floral, sweet, slightly fruity, fragrant yet delicate.
Aromatherapy Uses: relaxing and arousing, treats anxiety, depression, frigidity, stress. The so-called 'Flower of Flowers' is sweet and exotically floral. It is known in Asia as an antidepressant, relaxing to body, mind and spirit, as well as an aphrodisiac. It is said to calm anger, release tension, lift depression and generally stabilize mood swings. YlangYlang mixed with Jasmine or Rose has been used to treat sexual difficulties, especially those stemming from lack of confidence.