Diffused with a diffuser to clean or freshen the ambient air. Favour an electric pure steam diffuser or an ultrasonic cool mist diffuser, keep windows open, and do not use at bedtime. Choose essential oils with pleasant aromatic properties and avoid irritating or harsh oils such as cinnamon, clove, oregano, peppermint, anis, fennel, tarragon, etc.

Applied topically after first conducting a patch test (see warnings). Always dilute essential oils in vegetable oil or a hydrating lotion base before applying on the skin. The concentration of essential oils should be 1-5% and in some cases, up to 10% at most. Some oils can be applied directly on the skin (e.g.: lavender, tea tree) but only in a small amount and on a very limited area of the body.

Dilute 5 to 20 drops of essential oils in an emulsion (emulsifier/dispersant) solution or in a neutral bubble bath or milk bath. Never put pure essential oils in your bath, as they are not water soluble (due to their density, they rise to the surface).

Simple or combined (complex) essential oils must be diluted in vegetable oil (e.g. jojoba or sweet almond oil) before the massage. A concentration of 1-5% of essential oil is generally recommended.

When making your own natural products with essential oils (cosmetics, shampoos, cleaning products, etc.). For cosmetic use, a concentration of 1-3% is generally recommended. Use up to 6 drops of essential oils per 10 ml of cosmetic products. Do not heat the essential oils; add them at the end. Essential oils are not fats per se as they do not contain lipids. They can only be combined with fatty substances such as vegetable oil, a hydrating lotion or vegetable butter.

There are several methods for extracting the aromatic treasures that we offer. Here is a brief description of them.

It is important to note that the same plant species will give an essential oil with a different chemotype depending on the country where it grows (different terroir = different climate, altitude and soil). The chemotype is the molecular profile of each plant.

For example: rosemary officinalis will have a higher concentration of cineole in Morocco, camphor in Spain and verbenone in France or South Africa.

• Steam distillation: The majority of essential oils are obtained by steam distillation in an alembic. This procedure consists of passing water vapour at low pressure through a tank containing aromatic plants.  The steam will naturally capture the essential oil molecules and once cooled in a serpentine, it condenses into a fluid.  As a result, we obtain a precious liquid comprised of tow parts – the essential oil and the floral water (hydrosol) whose different densities can be separated with the help of an Essencier or a Florentine vase.
• Cold expression: This method of extraction is uniquely used for the zests of citrus fruits. The essential oil (named “essence”) is contained in minuscule pockets that reside on the fruit’s skin. The process, which was originally done by hand-pressing the fruit, is now done with the help of a centrifuge, which separates the essential oil from the skin and the fruit juice.
• The absolute: This method consists of macerating aromatic materials (mimosa, jasmine, violets...) under vacuum in volatile solvents (i.e. hexane) that, after evaporating, result in an aromatic paste called a “concrete”. After diluting this paste in ethyl alcohol, the alcoholic solutions are then filtered to eliminate waxy residues and finally concentrated by steam distillation under reduced pressure to eliminate the alcohol. The absolute which is obtained is considered a true aromatic treasure and used in natural perfumery.
• Enfleurage: Heat enfleurage is used with flower petals that aren’t too fragile (rose petals, for example) which are plunged in an animal grease/fat bath that is reheated several times. Once the petals have released all their essence, they are replaced with new ones until saturated greased is obtained. The result is an enfleurage pomade that can be used as a solid perfume. The same principal occurs with cold enfleurage, but instead the petals are placed on a slab of cold animal grease. This method has now become obsolete due to its high cost.
• CO 2 extract (Supercritical): This technique relies on a CO2 (carbon dioxide) solvent, which is chemically inert, natural, non toxic and affordable. This method of extraction is very interesting but quite expensive and does not give the same olfactive notes as “traditional” steam distilled essential oils. This method is being employed more and more in the aromatic food industry.

Divine Essence ® essential oils come primarily from small artisan producers who take their craft to heart and practice artisan distillation methods which follow the traditional rules by way of ancestral know-how.

• Artisanal distillation: Certified organic or wild crafted aromatic plants (the highest possible quality of raw materials). In order to obtain a high quality essential oil that contains all of the required aromatic fractions, a longer distillation process is required which lasts a specified period of time*. The distillation process is done slowly at low-pressure and at the lowest possible temperature.
• Industrial distillation: Conventional cultivated aromatic plants (raw materials sprayed with chemical products such as pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc.). The distillation process is shorter resulting in an essential oil that contains incomplete aromatic fractions. The process is done quickly at high pressure and a high temperature. The distillation is therefore “forced” which results in an essential oil of lower quality and possibly contaminated by chemical agents.

The distillation time may vary from time to time depending on the plant. For example, artisan distillation of lavender flowers last approximately 90 minutes where as the distillation of the clove bud might last up to 24 continuous hours.