Did you know that not all essential oils are created equal? Depending on where they are sourced, how they are grown and their method of extraction, their potency and medicinal qualities can be impacted.
This week, Graham from Healing Essences, a local Avalon company, joined us for a Q&A helping us understand this fascinating world of essential oils and share more about what makes their products unique.
Healing Essences work with essences and extracts of plants, trees, barks, flowers, fruits, and herbs to produce essential oils, lotions, cremes and fragrances.
Graham shared with us that, like a good wine, no two essential oils are the same and that there are a multitude of factors that impact the qualities. He designed Healing Essences products for his own use, which not only means that he personally loves using them daily, but he has spent hours perfecting their formulations to a T.
To top it off, Healing Essences products are ethically produced and sourced from wild crafted, organic, and high quality non-organic plantations and farms, run by farmers who love the land and are passionate about their product.
How much better can it get? Keeping reading and you’ll find out!
Graham has an extensive background in Traditional Chinese Medicine, as well as specialising in acupuncture and yoga. His deep knowledge on natural health and working with essential oils since 1975 has allowed him to create natural products that are powerfully effective and truly do smell divine.
Q: What inspired the creation of Healing Essences?
“I worked with essential oils and herbs for many years, recommending and providing products to patients in my clinical Acupuncture practice. Just prior to the 1988 Australian Bicentennial celebrations in 1987, I met an American botanist who was one of the pioneers of bulk export of Australian essential oils to the US. We became friends and two decades later in 2009, due to his mentorship, I founded the brand, Healing Essences.”
Q: What is your brand ethos?
“Our guiding dynamic is to ‘be’ in the sweet space of natural harmony in everything we do. Proudly made in Australia, our processes are founded in responsible business practices, with a keen appreciation of ‘social contract’ that, when broadly practiced, raises community to higher levels of sustainability, inclusion and ‘graciousness’; our packaging is recyclable, and we test on ourselves, not animals.
We work with distillers who bring years of expertise and subtle nuance to the craft of distilling and extracting the finest oils and essences available.
Our product design principles are based on years of work with retailers and customers from the world of natural health, who provide insight into therapeutic needs and product performance parameters allowing us to rapidly respond to market needs and local community issues.”
Q: What benefits do your essential oils provide in comparison to other essential oils out there?
“No two oils are the same. Like good wine, so much depends on conditions.
Our oils are of a higher quality and noticeably different from many due to the integrity of production and uniqueness of terroir, climate and expertise. I was fortunate to have been provided with an extraordinary set of contacts engaged in the global production and supply of essential oils. These growers and distillers are passionate about consistent quality.
Our Sandalwood is from Western Australia, with a small unique production and a high santanol level of over 28%. Its aroma is unique when compared to other Sandalwoods either from India or the Pacific. Our Fragonia, also from Western Australia is the only essential oils with molecules arranged in the golden mean (equal volume of the three main ingredients) and also have the appearance of being fractals. When tested with a group of healers and meditators the results demonstrated an effect of opening and harmonising chakras and energy centres in the body. Another West Australian Oil, Honey Myrtle (Melaleuca teretifolia) feels like a melaleuca in name only, its deliciously sweet and has the highest content of citral than any other essential oil.
When an oil is free of contaminants, gown and distilled with true expertise, the end product invariably contains more of the bio active whole molecules than ordinary oils, many of which go thru a ‘solvent’ method of distillation as opposed to ours which are steam or super critical co2 distilled.
I could go on here across our entire range. It’s a lot of reading, but I’m sure you would understand that essential oils have more than a little ‘magic’ about them, and each of our oils and formulated products has that magic in abundance.”
Q: Tell us more about your Natural protect range and what they’re created for?
“I first developed this range in 2011 because I needed protection from ticks that plague us regularly on the northern beaches, and as I travelled regularly to the tropics, from mosquitoes and the diseases they carry. This was after several years of testing various iterations of the formula in different climates and with different insects. Ultimately I settled on four variations that covered the full gamut of possibilities of climates and insects. The result is a range of genuinely effective insect protection products that are pleasant to use, natural and, because they are not an insecticide or pesticide, are non-toxic and do not kill insects.
Later, I added powerful products to neutralise viral, bacterial and fungal hazards such as Covid and mould. Around the same time in 2014/15/16, I developed a rage of perfumes Essscents, based on a sophisticated formula of essential oils in a carrier of fractionated coconut oil. These formula, designed on the principle of base, middle and top notes, combined with the aromatherapeutic qualities of the oils are delightful and genuinely therapeutic. I personally attest to the power of these aroma by virtue of the reactions of people when I’m wearing them. Like good wine, they are aged and deeply satisfying.
Q: Have any of your natural medicine modalities been woven into your oils?
“Our Essential Coco and Healing Essences ranges of lotions are designed along the principles used in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), herbal medicine formulas of treating the blood energy in terms of regulating the heat, coolness or neutrality of the blood. This method also includes dampness and dryness. This is outlined in the website and while, without a TGA AustL number, we do not make therapeutic claims, these lotions will help regulate the bodies response to certain skin conditions and at the very least bring a lovely soothing and hydrating experience.”
Q: Which 3 products are the most popular or top essential must-haves and why?
“As to the three must have products….what a choice!
Of course it will vary from climate to circumstance but I would say an essential oil that cleansed the air and harmonised the breath and energy…Frankincense, Peppermint Eucalyptus, Lemon Balm Eucalyptus, Tasmanian Lavender and in mouldy conditions, Clove Bud oil (from Indonesia), take your pick.
In summer, insects are the thing, so when I’m out and about, in the bush or the garden, Natural Protect Tropical Spray or Natural Protect tropical Lotion (for ticks and skin rehydration are the answer. Clients and travellers, in Manly especially love our Natural Protect Concentrate, a roll on that is 50% formula and totally affective against mosquitoes.
In the humid summer, I use the Mould product liberally thru the house, on furniture and in the air, in my clinic I’m regularly using my hand sanitiser.
When I’m out and want to impress, I use essscents forest or field, my personal favourites and after the beach its Essential coco Lombok or Lanikai ( I don’t use sunscreen, rather these lotions help me make melatonin).
That’s quite a bit to digest, but basically I designed these products for my own use and naturally I’m one of the biggest fans. Luckily others have discovered them too.”
