Blog
How to make an essential oil still at home-A distillation workshop at The Apothecary’s garden.
Gratitude to Christianne L'Esperance for shooting, editing and posting this video. It shows how easy it is to distill essential oils at home. In it I share some of the basic principles, terminology,...
Extracting the resin and Boswellic acids from Frankincense. A visual walkthrough.
Many have asked for clearer instructions on the method I use for separating the resin with its Boswellic acids from Frankincense in the post “Tapping into Frankincense and its Boswellic acids. An...
Extracting the resin and Boswellic acids from Frankincense. A visual walkthrough.
Whole resin chunks of Boswellia Serrata in the sieve. No need to grind the resin or prep it in any way. Boswellia Serrata, B. carterii, B. Sacra and B. Papyrifera all contain a high percent of Boswellic acids. As many of you know, Boswellic acids have proven to be anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer in laboratory studies and are likely the main compounds that led to Frankincense’s long traditional use as medicine. There are no Boswellic acids in the essential oil of frankincense.
An East African Aromatic Adventure
With only a day left in Africa, I feel I need to offer a brief overview of my latest aromatic trip just to keep everyone abreast. Once back in Canada I will write in detail about this last trip to...
Lollygagging with Lemurs
Besides exploring the rich array of aromatics in Madagascar, meeting farmers, harvesters and exporters, my host and I hope to build a small distillation unit with the goal of training local artisans to produce high quality essential oils and direct more of our Western dollars to their communities.
A Distillation Workshop in the Apothecary’s garden
For those who will be in South Central Ontario this weekend As promised, I will teach a distillation workshop this Saturday in the Apothecary's Garden at the Teaching gardens in Churchill Park...
Chocolate dreams, Vanilla beans, Cinnamon, Cloves and Lemurs-Madagascar 2016
I have been offered the opportunity to spend two weeks working in Madagascar this October. Short notice and an unexpected expense, but full of potential. I will stay with Vanilla farmers, distill an unusual Elemi, and look at creating value added products and direct sales that will benefit harvesters, farmers, and their communities. If I can get myself there.
Essential oils-Art, Ethics, Trust & Adulteration
Artisan essential oil distillers make up an underground and grassroots movement that we have invoked, called into being, with our need for transparency, quality, ethics and sustainable practices in our essential oil market.
Medicinal Frankincense FAQ
The appearance of new medicine, mostly sourced from traditional ethnic pharmacopoeia, is driven by profit and not transparency. This has led to some inaccuracies and bits of misinformation that are...