Nature's Gift Labor Day Newsletter

Our prayers, sympathy, and best wishes go out to all those affected by Hurricane Katrina, both those in the path of the damage, and those in other parts of the country waiting to hear if their friends and loved ones are safe. 

Summer is over, the young'uns are back in school, and we have received in a LOT of our 2005 inventory.  This newsletter contains:

• The Return of Rosa Alba
• Announcement about Rose Otto
• NEW Helichrysum Hydrosol
• Several favorite soaps return
• Sell Off Sale of Frankincense Sacra
• New Rosemary Verbenon Hydrosol
• Back in Stock Canadian Hydrosols
• New Rosacea Cleanser
• New Rose Shower/Bath Gel
• Germbeater Spice Room Spray
• New AromaLamp
• Seasonal Sales: Focus and Autumn Sunshine Synergies
• Coming soon: any day now - new Indian goodies - Davana, Agarwood and more
• Introduction to our staff members
• What we learned at last month's seminar
• Our Clients Share about the car diffuser, Miracle Oil, some cleaning hints and a FundRaising idea
• A reminder of our 10 on the 10th Anniversary sale - save 10% on almost everything!

ROSA ALBA RETURNS!:

The last time we were able to source this most beautiful and rare of rose oils was in 2002.  The following two years the entire crop was sold before harvest to a huge perfume house.   This year we have been able to procure 16 precious ounces.  It will be decanted the day it arrives, and available both undiluted, and in a 10% dilution in fractionated coconut oil.  So many of you have requested it, we are delighted to be able to make it available once again. See it first on our New and Specials Page!

Bulgarian Rose Otto:

Despite the disastrous weather this summer in all of Central Europe, we were able to restock Rosa Damascena from our usual distiller.  This year the certified organic fields bore no harvest, so what we are bringing in will be conventionally farmed, not organic.  We are nearing the end of the 2003 Certified Organic Rose Otto.  If you insist on an organic rose oil, please order quite soon before our existing stock is gone.  Although the price we paid has risen, we are going to hold our prices steady for as long as possible. This is not listed on our Specials Page. You will need to order either from our "quick list" or from our descriptive listing.

Helichrysum Hydrosol:

We were fortunate indeed to receive the very first batch of Helichrysum Hydrosol from the 2005 distillation.  When it settled, we could see the gleam of essential oil floating on top, something we have NEVER experienced with Helichrysum.  The oil is so rare that normally every available drop is separated out.  Someone seems to have hurried that process, and we are all the winners.  This lovely new heli water is so intense that you may want to dilute it with an equal part distilled water. I suspect it would still keep all of it's healing skincare properties even when diluted.   Again, although it is much richer and should stretch further, we are for now holding our normal price.

We have also restocked the out of stock for a long time  WHITE SAGE HYDROSOL and BLACK SPRUCE HYDROSOL

New Soaps (Old Favorites)

I finally had time to make some soap at the end of July, so three favorites have completed their aging process and are ready to use.

• Mille Fleur 

1000 Flowers - a rich floral bouquet in our creamiest goatsmilk lather. Some clients write of using it for dry skin acne, some just love the aroma. We sold out quickly the last time I made it, so this time I made a double batch. Richly scented with Lavender, Rose Geranium, Roman Chamomile, Rosewood, Rose and Mimosa, it pampers your skin and your senses.
 

• Calendula - Chamomile Castille

One of our mildest soaps. True Castile is known as the gentlest soap of all.  This is enriched with calendula infused olive oil and German Chamomile. A fresh herbal scent, wonderfully soothing to eczema and irritated skin.  "T", our production manager, has been waiting for it to cure. It's her favorite of all the soaps I've made.
 

• Rose Confetti

The return of a favorite. Soothing goatsmilk soap with true rose otto, rosewood and rose wax.  For the ultimate pampering for body and soul, use it with our Rose Bliss Bath.

All three, and our other aromatic bath products are available on our Aromatherapy Baths page.

THE SACRA HAS TO GO!

We received a sample of a drop dead GORGEOUS Frankincense Sacra from Somalia.  You all know I love Frankincense, and the new one simply took my breathe away.  Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!  But, before we can offer the Somalian Frankincense, we first have to clear the shelves of our existing stock of the Frankincense Sacra from Oman.  Now I could just wait, since the oil will only improve as time passes.  But I want to make it available now...so we are drastically discounting our existing stock of Frankincense Sacra.  Save $4.00 on a 5 ml bottle and $8.00 on a 15 ml bottle of our Frankincense Sacra while supplies last.  (Only on our specials page, of course!)

JASMINE SAMBAC 10%

We have less than a dozen 5 ml bottles left of the Jasmine Sambac 10% that was on sale in August. The 15 mls went fast, we expect the 5 mls to be gone in no time. Order now if you want some. (Once again,only on our specials page/)

NEW PRODUCTS

NEW HYDROSOL - Rosemary Verbenon

Brand new from California comes this lovely soft hydrosol, much gentler in aroma and flavor than the hydrosols of other rosemary chemotypes. 

Susanne Catty recommends the use of Rosemary Verbenon hydrosol in a hot compress to ease the pain and speed healing of ear infections.

For skincare uses, Rosemary Verbenon Hydrosol is said to work on the middle layers of the skin, calming irritation and skin problems "from the inside out."  In steam or a warm compress it is recommended to help bring skin impurities to the surface and decongest clogged pores.  Rosemary Verbenon hydrosol has very strong antioxidant properties and is a free-radical scavenger.  Nelly Grosjean recommends it as a skin regenerator. We recommend it as a part of any anti-aging routine.

Jeanne Rose says that this softly scented herbal water is a gentle tonic for all skin types, it is antifungal (all external uses) and can be taken internally for anti-aging, liver problems and candida.

We have also restocked with freshly distilled Organic White Sage Hydrosol and Black Spruce Hydrosol from our favorite Canadian distiller.

Rosacea Cleanser:

A gentle, certified organic organic cleansing base - our organic liquid castile, with added glycerine (nature's best humectant)and aloe vera, slightly thickened with vegetable gums, blended with our gentle and effective Rosacea Synergy.  Wash your face with our Rosacea Cleanser,  tone with Helichrysum Hydrosol, and use our aloe based Rosacea Gel - and watch your skin glow.

Rose Shower Gel:

For those who want the luxury of our Rose Bliss Bath, but don't have time to soak in a tub we have created our Rose Shower Gel.  The same gentle cleansing gel described above with true rose otto, to soothe and nourish skin and spirit.

GermBeater SPICE Room Spray

Just in time for back to school - this was requested by a teacher-client who loves the convenience of our traditional GermBeater Spray in her classroom, but prefers the spicy scent of our GermBeater Spice Synergy.  She asked for it, she got it!  A powerful natural anti-bacterial and anti-viral spray for classrooms, kitchens and any enclosed space.  See all of our anti-bacterial synergies and sprays on our Household Synergies page. 

Courtney gave our first "trial bottle" of this new spray to Haley's kindergarten teacher and received a thank you note the very same day.  The teacher just loved the smell and has been waiting for us to produce more.

New AromaLamp

Our staff fell in love with this pewter finished charmer. It is decorated with tiny blue stars, like charms on a charm bracelet.  We gave our very first one to last year's high school co-op student, Monica, to take off to college with her. (We also sent lots of our Focus Synergy to help her concentrate on her studies!)  See its picture on our Specials page or on our Aromatherapy Accessories Page.

SEASONAL SALES - save 10%:

Focus Synergy:

For all the students returning to school, we are putting our "study blend" - Focus, composed of essential oils known to increase mental focus and memory retention on special sale.  Try using it in one of our inhaler blanks for your students to carry with them.  Neat and discreet.

Autumn Sunshine:

My personal favorite of our "Wheel of the Year" synergies,  Autumn Sunshine brings back childhood memories of Autumn in New England, my favorite time of year.  Order soon to have it for Equinox and Harvest celebrations and rituals.  Special pricing available only when ordered through our Specials page.

COMING SOON:

We are awaiting arrivals from our favorite Indian producer.  We were low on our Himalayan Lavender, so ordered that, and needed to restock Jasmine Sambac and Grandiflora, so ordered them.  But we couldn't resist a new (to us) Jasmine species - Jasmine Auriculatum Absolute, and a stunning Himalayan Cedarwood, and some steam distilled Davana Essential Oil, and, last but not least, just a tiny smidge of the rarest of all essential oils, true Agarwood (Aloeswood, Oud.) 

INTRODUCTION:

One of our staff never gets public mention.  Most of you know the three of us in the office, and "T" our Production manager.  Denise Leopold is our chief pourer. She is responsible for all the wee bottles of oils and synergies that are poured, labeled and shipped.  Denise's real strength is the ability to multi-task.  She may be in the middle of assembling a dozen student kits, and we will have an order for 16 ounces of Lavender, or 24 2 ml bottles of Thyme linalool. She has the ability, and willingness, to interrupt what she is doing without losing her place, take care of the rush that someone is waiting for, and go back to what she was doing without missing a beat.  Almost all of our product labels have the initial of whoever poured it.  When you see a tiny "d" in the corner, you will know you are using Denise's handiwork.  (It's hard to find an essential oil or synergy that has any other initial!)

Denise is vastly overqualified for what she does here.   She holds two masters degrees, and is an ordained minister.  She's also a divorced mother of a grown son, and a grandmother.  A few years ago Denise became disabled and was unable to continue her professional career.  We are very fortunate that she is able to work part time, and be a part of the Nature's Gift family.

We would truly be lost without her and want to let her know how we appreciate her flexibility.

ROAD SHOW

Four of us went to the Clinical Aromatherapy seminar by R. Jane Buckle, PhD the end of August.  We had a wonderful time, met some delightful people and learned so very much. A special thank you to Becki Patterson for all her hard work and wonderful hospitality in making the weekend happen! Now I have research citations to back up what we already knew.  Fascinating little things... for example, did you know that applying diluted Black Pepper essential oil before having blood drawn will make your veins just POP?  For those of us with "bad veins" who dread having blood work done, or having an intravenous line put in, that little hint can save us a lot of pain and anxiety.    Also, I had read studies that Black Pepper oil, when inhaled, can help with smoking cessation, or at least reduction.  But did you know that Angelica Root serves the same purpose?  Some small case studies showed that some people were helped by one, some by the other, but with each oil the results were better than with a placebo.   (Now I'm wondering about mixing the two....) 

Also from the conference, we were all introduced to the "m" technique®. a very mild and soothing method of structured stroking that produces an incredible relaxation response.  We got to experience and give each others hands the "m" technique® and experienced unbelievable relaxation and feelings of being nurtured and safe.  I found myself wishing desperately that I had known about this a few years ago when a loved one was in Hospice Care.  It seems to all of us that this would be a wonderful gift for caregivers and family/friends to give to those we care about.    We brought home an instructional video, and, thanks to Dr. Buckle's kindness, will soon be able to offer the video to you on our website. 

Our Clients Say:

Car diffusers:

Two friends are working for a local ambulance company, transporting patients to and from various health care facilities. (They aren't driving ambulances, but vans and/or cars.)  Some of the patients are quite ill, and have lost control of various bodily functions.  Needless to say, their vehicles can get a bit aromatic at times. Both of them are using our little plug in car diffusers, with our Fresh Aire synergy.  They say it keeps the car or van fresh smelling no matter what. A side effect seems to be that the blend of oils reduces stress on both driver and client.  

More on Miracle Oil:

Bev Mahoney wrote of our Miracle Oil (she mixes it in bulk by ordering our BackEase Synergy and our St. Johns Wort Infused Oil:

Great idea, I ordered some of the Synergy and some SJW.  Makes my life easier to have your blend already mixed, and I know it works!  I'm amazed at the gentle relief I get, especially in sore or achy joints. 

Speaking of Miracle Oil, Lissa Blood wrote:

 Marge's Miracle Oil also removes warts.  I noticed that adding peppermint to the blend really escalates the action--burns like fire, but then I am pain free for a long time afterwards.

(I think she may have meant the "pain free" action, not the wart removal?)

Cleaning solution:

Bev also wrote:

I am really loving a few drops of Lemon Myrtle in a simple cleaning solution of about half and half filtered water and white vinegar.  It's amazing to me what this mix does compared to all the commercial cleaners out there.  It smells wonderful besides!

Absolutely!  Quote away.  I used only about 10-12 drops in a pint of vinegar-water mix, as I wanted it to work on glass as well as other surfaces, and it does!  Also does wonders for the stainless steel sink (it sure can get dull and water spotted in a hurry) as well as shining up the porcelain sink and formica   I live in a motorhome, so I don't have room for a half-dozen big bottles of commercial cleaning stuff, each for a different purpose.  I also don't want chemical fumes hanging around in such an enclosed area.  I expect that your Germ Beater is going to be wonderful in vinegar/water as well, I'm mixing that one up soon, and I'll keep experimenting with proportions as well. The lemon myrtle is a winner for sure, both for the way it works and the great smell!

Thanks for your reply, and for introducing me to wonderful products that are so useful and so pleasing to the senses.  By the way, I am loving your Sea Buckthorn Berry and Carrot Seed Oil in a mix of emu, mink, and argan oils.  It's wonderful for this aging skin, nails, hands, and cuticles.  I am getting to give the Skeeter Beater I got last year a workout this year - I sure can tell when I forget to apply it before going out at dusk, and I'm allergic to mosquito bites and really suffer with them.  And the Cajput oil did seem to help the itch, and the 10% Heli the swelling. 

I'm tellin' you, it's all good!

Fund Raiser Idea:

Orla Mejia recently wrote:
I recently received an order of the small perfume vials and I wanted to thank you so much for the oils you enclosed. The vials worked out perfectly for me. I am using them to raise funds for a 60 mile walk I'm doing for breast cancer. I filled the vials with pink rice and they became "grains of hope".  So thank you for your supply. I thought you'd like to hear how they are being used.
 
From those 100 vials I hope to raise at least $300.
 
Thanks again

We were so impressed that we sent her more vials!  I haven't heard how the "Grains of Hope" worked for her. Orla? you reading?

10 on the 10th

Aromatic Quote for the end of Summer:

 "At the gate of the garden some stand and look within, but do not care
 to enter.  Others step inside, behold its beauty, but do not penetrate
 far.  Still others encircle this garden inhaling the fragrance of the
 flowers, having enjoyed its full beauty, pass out again by the same
 gate.  But there are always some who enter and, becoming intoxicated
 with the splendor of what they behold, remain for life to tend the
 garden."

Attributed to 'Abdu'l-Baha

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