PROFESSIONAL/PRACTITIONER DISCOUNTS
We offer a practitioner and student discount on 15ml size bottles of single essential oils at 15% off. Just click the "size" button on the item page for the prices of the discounted 15ml bottles. Additionally, our nutritional oils (Organic Ling Zhi Spore oil and Shi Liu Zi/Pomegranate Seed Oil) have special discount pricing for practitioners, as does our full line of therapeutic action essential oil blends ready made for clinical application which are offered at a discounted price for practitioners in the 1 oz size. Just click the "size" button on the product page to see the prices of the discounted items. Our standard 5ml and 10ml size bottles of single essential oils as well as our Carrier Oils currently have one price for all.
To receive discounted pricing, it is not necessary to open an account. Simply send your title and license number if applicable, or the name of your school along with your order.
If you are interested in even larger quantities, please feel welcome to write to me with your requirements.
Some bulk discount options are as follows:
10 or more 5ml bottles of the same single essential oil receive an additional 5% discount
30 5ml bottles receives a 10% discount and a free carry case
250 ml up to 1 kilo is considered "bulk" and pricing is done on a different scale depending on the item.
INTERNATIONAL ORDERS
We can ship to most international countries. We usually use US Postal Service Priority International Mail (flat rate), or UPS. US Post tends to be slower but less expensive. International orders are also eligible for our student/practitioner professional discount for the same items as domestic orders.
The ordering process for international customers is as follows:
Select your items from the web store. When checking out, change the country for the shipping address from the drop down menu that defaults to "United States" and proceed to checkout.
The international shipping costs of $25 for European customers, 55$ for international shipping outside of Europe are general estimates. Once the shipping cost is confirmed we will email you and either refund any excess charges or send a PayPal invoice for any outstanding shipping balance for the order.
The order will be shipped after receiving payment. Once we have shipped the order, we will email you with the tracking number so you can track the progress of your order.
BLENDING AND DILUTING ESSENTIAL OILS
ALCHEMICA BOTNICA recommends Jeffrey Yuen’s method for blending and diluting essential oils.
A blend is a combination of essential oils and carrier oil which satisfies your treatment principle, or goal, similar to creating a customized herbal prescription. The percentage of each ingredient reflects the degree of emphasis you wish for each oil in your formula. On average, essential oil blends might include 2 to 5 individual oils.
Essential oils and blends are diluted in a carrier oil as a 1% to 6% dilution, on average, depending on age and sensitivity. In some cases, for a short time, a stronger dilution may be useful but ALWAYS test a small area for sensitivity first.
In one ounce of carrier oil:
a 1% dilution is 10 to 12 drops of essential oil
a 2% dilution is 20 to 24 drops
a 3% dilution is 30 to 36 drops
a 4% dilution is 40 to 48 drops
a 5% dilution is 50 to 60 drops
a 6% dilution is 60 to 72 drops
Carrier oils are vegetable oils which are mild and gentle and often beneficial for the skin. Carrier oils are chosen according to their properties to fit the intention of the blend. Very briefly, for example:
Olive oil nourishes blood
Safflower oil vitalizes the blood
Almond oil benefits the Lungs and skin
Pomegranate Seed oil nourishes Yin and benefits the shin
Sesame and Walnut oil (un-toasted) benefit the Kidneys
Caulophyllum is anti-fibrotic, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, skin regenerative
Black Cumin Seed oil Cumin is anti spasmodic and relaxing, and is a digestive aid.
INTERNAL INGESTION OF ESSENTIAL OILS
Our Chinese medicine essential oils, like other essential oils, are mainly used as aroma therapy and diluted for external application on acupuncture points, channels and areas of the body. Some essential oils are safe for internal ingestion in very small doses. They are a very concentrated form of the essence of plants and each one should be considered carefully before ingesting.
That being said, there is the practice of "medical aromatherapy" where essential oils are taken internally. Ideally, they should be diluted in an emulsifying agent (honey, alcohol, a food grade nutritional oil, etc) to be absorbable and safe. In my experience, the oils usually work pretty fast and would not need to be taken over an extended period of time. Usual adult dosage for ingestion of a diluted essential oil or blend is 1 to 3 drops once or twice per day.
Since the Chinese herbs from which our oils are produced are traditionally meant to be taken internally, usually in decoction, by and large they are considered edible substances in their original form.
It is always best to get the advice of an experienced healthcare practitioner or aromatherapist who can prescribe what is appropriate for your particular needs.
QUALITY CONTROL: ARE THE OILS TESTED?
I have GCMS reports for many of the oils and COA's for most of them. The factories that I deal with are modern, technologically excellent and regulated except for a couple that are small, family owned distilleries that produce only one or two specialty oils from locally grown herbs.
I personally visit every essential oil factory that I buy from. Establishing trusting relationships with dedicated, honest, reliable people is the best assurance of quality and authenticity in my opinion.
I originally started the Alchemica Botanica Chinese Medicine Essential Oils line as a service to doctors and healthcare practitioners and I am dedicated to providing a high quality product. I am a Chinese Medicine Practitioner myself (Acupuncturist and Herbalist) in private practice for almost 35 years. I also owned and ran a Chinese pharmacy, Spring Wind Dispensary, for 10 years. I know the herbs well and am confident in my ability to judge by aroma if a Chinese medicine essential oil is authentic and natural. I can also identify most Chinese medicine herbs by sight and know what good quality raw material should look like. If I am at all unsure, I don't purchase it.
QUALITY CONTROL: ARE THE OILS ORGANIC?
Organic Chinese herbs are not easy to find, although there are some and their number is growing. I was recently contacted by an herb supplier in China offering quite a number of certified organic Chinese herbs. I am looking into the possibility that one the essential oil factories that I buy from would be interested in making essential oils with some of these organic herbs.
In the meantime, I don't worry about using non-organic essential oils. After extraction, especially by CO2, tested oils rarely show even a trace of pesticide or heavy metal residue. Additionally, for the most part, we are using them externally in very small quantities on acupuncture points or areas of the skin. For internal ingestion, when it is appropriate, a single dose is only one or two drops of oil.
CLASSES ABOUT ESSENTIAL OILS
To learn more about the use of essential oils in the context of Chinese Medicine, Alchemica Botanica recommends : Jeffrey Yuen (jadepurityfoundation.org) and Josephine Spilka (essencepresence.com)