Often I get asked, what is your favourite oil. And I think about it and cannot really come up with an answer. So I thought some more about it and arrived at the following. There are oils I use more than others and there are oils I gravitate to. Typically these are staples as one would use oils for day in day out purposes, i.e. using oils in the shower just because, or using oils for prevention or relaxation, to balance the autonomic nervous system after a stressful day.
But the point is that just naming the oils would really not tell the whole story. What makes an oil a favourite of mine is that I have used it in the past, gravitated back to it and that I am viscerally aware of its authenticity.
Helichrysum
Lets take Helichrysum. An oil that one almost cannot live without once you have experienced what it does. And if you look on our list we generally try and offer a variety of Helichrysum oils from different origins. Now the reflex question is which one is most effective or which one is, drumroll, ‘the best’ of all of them. I do not think that one is better than the other. I do know that many aromatherapy enthusiasts will prefer the Corsican varieties because of their higher ester (Neryl acetate) content. But then there is the Italian provenances which are very similar to the Corsican. And then there is of course the Bosnian varieties. We are proud of the verifiable authenticity of all our oils. We have been to their place of production, saw them being harvested on Mediterranean hillsides be it in a village in Corsica or a small town in Bosnia Herzegovina. We have purchased these oils from the same producers for well over a decade, developing very close relations with them.
I personally like to use the oil from Bosnia we list as number 118. It may not be the most spectacular, and I cannot find a logical reason. I do believe it may be somewhat mystical why we develop more intimate relations with one oil over the other. I also know that other individuals have developed the same intimate and mystical preference for the Corsican oils like our staple 4135. While all our oils are of distinct authenticity it may remain difficult to specify why our bodies and minds develop these mysterious preferences.
Lavender sauvage
For everyone wanting to understand the details associated with the different varieties Lavender oil available on the market place, exploring the history of how Lavender came to be a cash crop in Provence at the beginning of the 20th century is an important first step. Often the price lists of suppliers are not as informative as one would wish. Here is a list of common Lavender oil varieties as they are found from Provencal suppliers.
The original: Wild Lavender (L. angustifolia) volunteering on the high plateau of Provence, generally called “Lavender sauvage.” (our number 175)
The other original: Lavender (L. angustifolia) cultivated from seed. Generally referred to as Fine Lavender or Population Lavender (our number 125)
Clones: Lavender (L. angustifolia) propagated by cuttings. For example our Lavender Maillette (5004).
Hybride Lavenders (Lavandula x hybrida), being a cross between Spike Lavender and Fine Lavender, exist as many different cultivars. (for example our Lavandin super, our number 5006)
(The detail of all of this is exhaustively presented by Margrit Müller in the Proceedings of the 4th PIA Aromatherapy Conference in the year 2000th.)
Wild Lavender is a capricious plant, at least as far as its availability for essential oil production is concerned. Fine and clonal Lavenders (i.e. Maillette) can be cultivated and harvested with the help of machines. However, the mountainous terrain where the Wild Lavender grows does not lend itself to the use of machines. It must be harvested by hand with sickles and carried down in large sacks of cloth.
Another aspect of its capriciousness is that it does not grow equally prolific each year. Usually a prolific year is followed by two or three years where there is very little Lavender to be gathered. 2018 was a year where there was a more abundant harvest so we stocked up, knowing that we may not be able to procure a lot this year.
In the time of industrial Lavender production in Bulgaria, Ukraine and China, Wild Lavender from the Provence is an instant rarity. The plants for our oil are harvested in the Montagne de Lure in the Department des Alpes de Haute Provence. We purchase the oil from a small distillery operated by our friend Roselyne as we have done for many years.
If one wants to learn about the beauty and power of subtlety in the realm of essential oils this oil is the jewel that embodies all of that. For many it is a love only on second look. The oil is quite reserved and subtle, quite different from the much louder clones and also less forthcoming than the cultivated Fine Lavender. However, in all its gentleness, its effects on the skin, the mind and especially its balancing effect on the autonomic nervous system are deep and sustained.
Hyssop decumbens
The Hyssop decumbens we carried for the longest time was absolutely unique. Its beautiful fresh fragrance and mellow character combines with unrivaled therapeutic activity and striking ease of use. For a fever blister inside the mouth often a single dab-on application will end the discomfort and terminate the lesion.
The last time we were able to procure a sizeable quantity of this French aromatherapy staple was 2006. In the years that followed we could only find a substitute from the Spanish Pyrenees and we were not so impressed so we skipped.
Finally the patch where our original oil came from is under full cultivation again and we were able to bring the old classic back in stock. This is the mildest oil with the strongest anti-viral punch.
Spike Lavender
The Spike Lavender is from lower lying areas closer to the Mediterranean. Its composition makes it a prime agent to counteract the flu and also cases of bronchitis. It has strong anti-viral qualities while being extraordinarily mild. A mixture of mostly Spike Lavender with a small percentage of Thyme thuyanol is a classic chest rub of French Style aromatherapy.