Posted by Karen Williams on Dec 31, 2018

The Sun Never Really Sets on the Aromatics Crop

Thanks to you and your support, we were able to accomplish some truly exciting things here at Aromatics International during 2018. Just like our lavender field, we've been growing and blossoming and we have you, our incredible Aromatics community, to thank for it! Here are some of the amazing things that took place at Aromatics International in 2018:

2018: A Year in Review

1. We Launched a Brand New Aromatics.com

The culmination of over a year's worth of work resulted in a beautiful new aromatics website. We maintained the features that our customers have grown to love like GC/MS reports and detailed information about the therapeutic quality of every essential oil we sell, but we gave the entire site a new look and emphasized the customer experience to make finding the products you love even easier. If you still haven't seen the new site, be sure to check it out HERE!

2. Aromatic Essentials® Blend Launch

Our line of Aromatic Essentials® Blends made their debut in 2018. Consisting of blends like Sublime, Catching Zzz's, Tranquil Mind, Sunshine, and 28 others, we're confident there's a blend for everyone! Blended with passion and intention, our Aromatic Essentials® Blends represent over 20 years of artfully using oils from all around the world to holistically heal, protect, and soothe. We invite you to go on this healing experience with us by incorporating our blends into your own health and wellness practice. Free of harmful chemicals, these aromatically vibrant blends harness the power of plant medicine and work to promote wellness, safely and effectively.

Our Aromatic Essentials® Blend Line Made their Debut in 2018

 

3. Aroma Drops Reward System - Yes Please!

We wouldn't be where we are today if it weren't for our dedicated customers. This got us thinking. How can we show our appreciation for the continued support and loyalty from our customers? The answer...Our Aroma Drops System. Simply put, the more you buy, interact with us on social media, share with your friends, and give feedback, the more drops you earn. More drops equal more credit you can use on future purchases. We've made it easy to get started, and even reward you with Aroma Drops simply for signing up! You'll start as a Seed, as you accrue more Aroma Drops you'll transform into a Bud, and finally, you'll blossom into a Flower - each tier brings with it new rewards including FREE Expedited shipping for all Flower members! There are a variety of ways to earn drops, check out the Aroma Drops Rewards Program HERE to learn about all the details!

4. FREE Shipping!

You spoke, and we listened. Our customers made it clear that free shipping is a high priority! New to 2018, we now offer FREE Economy Shipping on all US retail orders! We also offer Expedited, Two Day and Next Day services for enthusiasts who just can't wait. We couldn't neglect our International customers, I mean "International" is part of our company name! We are thrilled to be able to offer FREE shipping to 24 international countries! Qualifying countries are: Canada, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom. Get all the FREE shipping details HERE!

5. AromaNumber™ Blending System

In order to make our organically crafted collection of 140+ essential oils easier to navigate, we worked with several leading experts and instructors in the field of aromatherapy and created our AromaNumber™ category groupings around primary therapeutic and energetic usage - with the hope of making safe and effective blending, and substituting, even easier! Do you have a recipe in mind, but are missing an ingredient? Use the AromaNumber™ system to find an acceptable substitute. Did you notice the large number on your bottle of essential oil? That's the AromaNumber™, pretty cool huh?

6. Live Events on Facebook & Instagram

In 2018 we were Live on both Facebook & Instagram more than ever! We love blending and sharing our knowledge with other essential oil enthusiasts, like you, and we had a blast on our Live events. We blended some incredible recipes and answered questions from our viewers. We gave away a ton of prizes to our live viewers and even showed a behind the scenes look at how we distill our own essential oil and hydrosol. If you missed us live you can watch replays of every FB Live broadcast over the last year HERE. Want to be sure you never miss another Live event from us? Sign up to receive our newsletter and we'll send you a reminder before our next live event!

7. Produced More Aromatherapy Products In-House - Than Ever Before!

If you follow us on Facebook you've probably seen some of the images and videos from our high-altitude lavender field. In 2017 we planted an additional 750 lavender plants - that meant when it was time to harvest in 2018 we saw the largest yield ever! We were able to produce more of our Artisan Lavender Oil and Artisan Lavender Hydrosol than ever before! We also created small batches of Yarrow Hydrosol and Balm of Gilead Oil. We harvested and infused Arnica blossoms in olive oil from our very own mountain and had so much fun in the process!

 

8. We Added over 50 New DIY Aromatherapy Recipes to Our Catalog!

Our master aromatherapist, co-owner, and lead sourcer - Karen Williams had quite the year of recipe creation! Adding to the robust recipe section found HERE, Karen outdid herself and added an additional 50+ new recipes to our catalog. All of these recipes are FREE to you. Categorized in Wellness, Skin & Beauty, and Home - we have a wide variety of recipes for many uses! This Hoppin' Juicy Fruit Moisturizing Lip Balm Recipe has been a hit!

Ingredients:

• 1.5 ounces of Calendula Infused Olive Oil
• .5 ounces of Beeswax Pellets
• 2 teaspoons Vegetable Glycerin
• 40 drops of Orange Sweet Oil
• 20 drops of Hops Oil Juicy Fruitbomb
• 12-13 Lip balm tubes
• 1 Lip Balm Tube Tray

Directions: This recipe makes about 12 lip balms (5 ml size)

 

Equipment:

1. The easiest way to make lip balms is to buy a lip balm tray. These trays hold up to 50 lip balms and allow you to pour the hot melted oils and butter from your Pyrex cup into the tubes easily.
2. A Pyrex measuring cup
3. A pan that the Pyrex cup fits into

Directions:

1. Stick 12 lip balm tubes, uncovered, into the bottom of the tray, so they become the legs of the tray and are easy to fill with the melted lip balm.
2. Gather all ingredients and measure them in separate little bowls.
3. Blend the vegetable glycerin with the essential oil blend in a separate little bowl.
4. Fill the pot about 1/3 way with water and place the Pyrex measuring cup in the pan.
5. Add the beeswax to the Pyrex cup, put the burner on medium- enough for a simmer or low boil.
6. Stir the beeswax until almost melted.
7. Add the calendula oil, stir and take off the heat as soon as it is melted.
8. Add the vegetable glycerine and essential oil blend to the Pyrex filled with the melted oils and butters.
9. Stir and pour into the lip balm tubes. If the Pyrex lip is not thin enough for pouring into the tubes, you can also use a plastic pipette to siphon up the hot lip balm and squirt it into each tube. It takes longer this way but is more precise. If the lip balm starts to harden, place the Pyrex back into the hot water and it will stay liquid. Fill the tubes to the very top so once hardened, the top is smooth.
10. As soon as the liquid has begun to harden (this happens within a few minutes), gently pull the lip tubes out from the bottom, cover and allow to harden a few hours before use.

Note: Vegetable Glycerin is a bit tricky to work with and sometimes will separate out of the oil solution. Stir frequently and well to incorporate. This is an optional ingredient.

 

To clean your tray: We find it easiest to wipe it off with a paper towel first, to get as much of the extra lip balm off as possible. Then soak in hot water, scrub and run through a dishwasher.

More ideas:

• Peppermint or Spearmint (1-2 drops per tube)
• Peppermint and Orange (2 drops of Peppermint and 3 drops of Orange per tube)
• Lime (steam distilled) (5 drops per tube)
• Sunshine Blend (Juicy fruit replacement - 5 drops per tube)
• Anise and Sweet Orange (2 drops of Anise and 3 drops Sweet Orange per tube)

9. Conferences - NAHA & Botanica 2018

We attended some amazing conferences in 2018. NAHA (National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy) 2018 was a blast! We enjoyed rubbing shoulders with some of the world's most decorated aromatherapists and learned so much! We also enjoyed our time at Botanica 2018 and can't wait to see you next time!