A very happy, healthy and successful New Year!

Somewhat chilly, I inch ever closer to the stuttering fire: will the gas bottle last the day I wonder?  What a wimp.  I recollect what Bishop Lancelot Andrewes (1555-1626) had to say of the Nativity.....It was no summer progress. A cold coming they had of it, at this time of year; just, the worst time of year, to take a journey, and specially a long journey, in.  The ways deep, the weather sharp, the sun farthest off  ‘in solstitio brumali’, the very dead of Winter.....and snuff out the flickering flame.

All is now quiet, save for the soft murmerings of the distant answering machine. Should I answer?  I think not, for all have gone. Happy Christmas, see you in the New Year!  Good heavens, is it really that late? The run-up to Christmas has been unduly hectic, and I much embroiled in it, with the result that I have had little opportunity to start my monthly missive and, if I don’t buckle down now, I shall miss the deadline.  I am sorely tempted to leave it late and seek the warmth of hearth and home, but will I write it during the holiday? I doubt it, and switch back on the fire.
National Register widens remit.
The Aromatherapy Organisations Council (AOC), which for 12 years has been the lead body for the UK aromatherapy profession, has just announced that its National Register is now open to all suitably qualified aromatherapists.  This is a significant step forward in the bid to unite the aromatherapy profession and achieve statutory regulation for the title of aromatherapist.

The opening of the register has the full support of the Aromatherapy Regulation Working Group and the Prince of Wales’s Foundation for Integrated Health.  It is the first stage in the development of the inclusive National Register from which the Statutory Register of Aromatherapists will develop. 

The National Register has been in existence for three years, and has already become the first place people look to find a locally qualified aromatherapist.  It is also recognised by the NHS and other healthcare organisations as being the register of choice for employing aromatherapists.

The AOC has led the way in defining educational standards and ethics for the profession and works with government bodies such as Qualifications & Curriculum Authority, Skills for Health and the Prince of Wales’s Foundation for Integrated Health.

Up to now, this register has only been available to those therapists who have trained with and belong to one of the professional aromatherapy associations under the AOC’s umbrella.  From  this point on all qualified aromatherapists, belonging to any association, can now apply to join if they meet the criteria. If they do not meet the current full criteria, they can be put on a list for contact as soon as the accreditation procedures have been finalised.

Do you qualify?
Through the statutory regulation process that the AOC has been pursuing since 1994 and the existence of National Occupational Standards (NOS), revised in March this year and jointly launched by the AOC and Healthwork UK (now called Skills for Health), there is now a government recognised benchmark against which to assess entry onto the open register. 

As long as you can demonstrate that you are trained to these levels or above, belong to a professional association and are insured to practise, you will be welcomed onto the AOC National Register immediately.  

What if you don’t qualify at the moment?
The AOC is dedicated to ensuring that Statutory Regulation is as inclusive as possible and that everyone who has the ability to prove they work to, or can bring themselves up to the NOS should have the right to register. By starting the process now it gives the AOC the opportunity to fine-tune the process and to be as fair as possible.  It also gives you the maximum amount of time to develop, by further training and/or practice, if necessary, to the standards required for registration.

Why bother?
At the moment you can still practise aromatherapy whether or not you are on the Register [currently Pre-transitional], but you may lose out as increased publicity makes the public aware of the move to Statutory Regulation, and you will not receive referrals from the AOC.  Immediately prior to Statutory Registration the ‘Pre’ will be dropped and it will become the Transitional Register. When the Statutory Register starts, aromatherapists not on the register will have to follow a rigorous process before they can be registered. If you fail to register at that time, it will be illegal for you to call yourself an aromatherapist.

The cost?
Currently entry onto the Pre-transitional Register costs £25.00 per year, which seems quite reasonable.  The fee per annum for the Statutory Register, however, remains unknown although it is hoped to keep it to a minimum.  The more therapists that register, the lower the costs will be. If you are multi-disciplinary, there is a chance that costs will be shared with other therapies wherever possible. 

Is it worth it?
Well, as far as I know, this is the only register for the whole aromatherapy profession that puts its income into furthering statutory regulation, and is used solely for the good of the profession.

I do feel that national recognition of professional status for aromatherapists is the only way forward, if employers and members of the public are to be confident that a therapist is competent, insured and abides by an enforceable Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures.  After all, I would expect nothing less from a solicitor, doctor or accountant.

Further I do believe that the epithet AOC Registered aromatherapist will ensure public safety and remove the confusion of the different initials behind aromatherapists’ names. Also, from the purely selfish point-of-view of an essential oil supplier, I want to safeguard the unique position that UK aromatherapists have in the use of essential oils.

What to do?
If your association accepts into full membership therapists whose training is to a lesser standard than that of the NOS but you consider that your training and/or experience indicates that you should be able to register, contact the AOC Office for an application form and further advice.

Either telephone the AOC Office on 0870 7743477, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. every weekday, or e-mail the office at info@aocuk.net for the appropriate application form and explanatory letter. Alternatively you may wish to download the application form from their website www.aocuk.net for a preliminary shufti.

It is likely that you will be asked to produce evidence of your qualification, practice, insurance and association membership.  Once the evidence has been assessed you will be either accepted onto the Pre-transitional Register or be given advice on the areas that you need to develop before applying again. This process, however, will cost more because qualified assessors will need to examine your evidence more carefully and may be required to accredit evidence from more than one source.

Lord! we know what we are, but know not what we may be.  (Hamlet)

Perfumes cause concern.
A Swedish study has reported that Chanel No 5, Christian Dior’s Poison, Eternity from Calvin Klein, and Trésor by Lancôme, were among 34 toiletries found to contain DEHP (di-ethylhexyl phthalate) or other phthalates.

Numerous studies on rats and mice have shown phthalate exposure causes genital abnormality. US research, published two years ago, showed that by-products of phthalates were found in the urine of women aged 20 to 40 at levels many times higher than men.

The European Commission is proposing a ban on the use in cosmetics of two of the most potent forms of phthalates amid fears that they are responsible for genital abnormalities affecting up to 4% of male babies.

These genital abnormalities are blamed for soaring levels of testicular cancer in young men. Cases of the disease have increased tenfold in the past century.  About 1,900 British males, some as young as 15, are diagnosed every year.  Although 9 out of 10 are cured, doctors are worried by the trend.

Scientists believe that phthalates could be absorbed into women’s blood streams through the skin or inhalation.  The Cosmetic Toiletry and Perfumery Association condemned the report as inaccurate and misleading: Consumer safety is the first priority for the cosmetic industry and consumers can have complete confidence in the cosmetic products they use and in the regulatory framework which ensures cosmetic safety.

However the latest research was conducted by a Swedish government-accredited laboratory for Healthcare Without Harm, an American-based organisation representing 300 consumer pressure groups around the world.

Researchers analysed 34 leading brands of cosmetics and found more than three-quarters contained phthalates, which are used as emulsifiers to help prevent loss of fragrance. Among the products tested were hair mousse and hair spray from the Boots Essentials range. Boots has denied that one of the phthalates found is used in its manufacturing process, but said: We are investigating this reported presence, and if confirmed we will take all necessary steps to remove it.

The investigation found other forms of the chemical in Tommy Girl perfume, Impulse Body Spray, Nivea Deo Compact, Sure Ultra deodorant, Shockwaves hair mousse and four hairsprays, including Elnett Satin, Pantene Pro-V extra hold and Vidal Sassoon.

Julia Sawalha, who played Saffy in Absolutely Fabulous, supports the Women’s Environmental Network, a backer of the Swedish research. Chemicals that pose a risk to fertility do not belong in cosmetics, and manufacturers should be made to list ingredients, she said.  I agree!  Meanwhile, if in doubt, ask the sales assistant.

Ask the audience?
Sincere thanks to all those who kindly took the trouble to jog my memory about those black, bead-like sweets. Surprisingly several remembered them, and the general consensus was that they were called “Imps”.  Although they did not ring a bell, I was all too willing to accept the proffered peace of mind. Yet.....

I think the little black sweets were called “Meloids”, e-mailed Barbara Clayton. We used to have them as children, but I think they were for adults.  They used to make your mouth and teeth black. Eureka!

Further research revealed that Imps, which are liquorice and menthol-flavoured pellets cut at an angle to be pillow-shaped, are still widely available in the UK, but Meloids are small squares containing liquorice, menthol and capsicum and are far more scarce. Nevertheless I understand that they are still distributed by Schering-Plough Healthcare Products and so, for old times’sake, I might give them a call in Mississauga, Ontario!

Don’t overdo it!
According to a new US survey [J. Occup. Health Psychol., 2002; 7: 235-41], an overworked therapist may have a negative effect on good health and patient satisfaction.

Researchers investigated staff burnout and patient satisfaction in 31 behavioural health teams - 333 mental-health professionals - and their patients, in public hospitals and community health centres in the Midwestern states. Overall, patients expressed less satisfaction with both their care and the care environment if their therapist and team of care-givers reported feeling emotionally drained and overwhelmed by their work.

The findings add weight to the importance of burnout, suggesting that emotionally drained and exhausted practitioners may be providing poor-quality healthcare.  Makes sense to me, but it does make me wonder about doctors too!

Aphrodisiac, beauty product, or something else?
Too often, when perusing various books and journals, my interest is taken briefly only to be lost a moment later.  Following my recent comments about damiana (Turnera diffusa Willd. var. aphrodisiaca (L.F.Ward) Urb.), I have received numerous messages from around the world about other plants with claimed aphrodisiac potential.  One, however, particularly caught my eye, because I recalled it from past perusals: Mondia whitei (Hook f.) Skeels.

When, in 1998, Viagra became available in Kenya, a flurry of letters appeared in the Daily Nation.  The letter writers, all from the Luhya and Luo tribes of western Kenya, claimed that they had their own Viagra.  The wild, ivory-coloured vine-root, Ogombo in Dholuo (meaning ‘to crave’) and Mkombelo in Kiluhya, was, according to these writers, a renowned sexual stimulant for men.

Ogombo, Mondia whitei, was once common throughout the great belt of forest across mid-Africa.  As the continent’s forests diminish, so does Mondia whitei. In Kenya it is now confined almost completely to the Kakamega forest, the only remaining tropical rain forest.  And there, it’s being harvested faster than it can grow.  Each month, about a ton is cut, transported and sold in Nairobi, Busia, Kisumu, and smaller regional markets like Luanda.

According to Mukonyi Kavaka, a phytochemist at the Kenya Forestry Research Institute, the vine is often harvested carelessly, damaging surrounding plants, and so intensely that the entire biodiversity of the forest is disturbed.  A very small amount - less than 0.5% - is grown legally.

Tests conducted by the Nairobi University’s pharmacology department on a hundred male subjects showed that Mondia whitei had no true aphrodisiac effects.  However, the root is not without merit - and financial potential.  Loaded with zinc, iron, calcium and vitamins A, K, D and E, it has enormous nutritional value, says Kavaka, and ongoing studies show it may be effective against up to fifty diseases.

Furthermore, Mondia whitei contains tyrosinase.  Pigment - melanin - is produced through a series of chemical reactions which are made possible by the action of various enzymes in the body. The same general process occurs in all mammals, both human and non-human. For all mammals, the most important enzyme in the production of melanin is tyrosinase.

Nevertheless Kavaka claims that Mondia whitei, if ingested, “makes the skin lighter.” And if your skin is already light? “Your skin will become smooth and shiny.” The root, then, is marked for success - because if one thing outsells male impotency cures it’s beauty products!

Meanwhile, I read only the other day that Ogombo may soon be used to flavour yoghurt or purchased in supermarkets and pharmacies following plans to produce it on a large scale. The new product, Mondia Tonic, is packed in 50g tins and there are plans also to develop sachets, which can be dropped in a cup of hot or cold beverage.  However I seem to recollect that the root loses its potency within days of cutting.  Smart?!

Tea Tree on test.
Several have asked me how effective is Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca alternifolia Cheel) as a topical decolonisation agent for patients with Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). 

Over the past five years the results of a few studies have been presented or published in the scientific literature and at international meetings, but I cannot immediately put my hands on them and, therefore, I was extremely pleased to receive the latest report of Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation’s ongoing research into Australia’s best known essential oil.

In one project, researcher Dr. John Attia, at the Centre for Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of Newcastle, New South Wales, resolved to determine if a tea tree oil body wash and nasal ointment can be used in hospitals to eradicate carriage of MRSA from skin and nasal passages.

A randomised-controlled trial was used for the evaluation. A total of 180 adult inpatients with MRSA was randomly allocated to receive either intervention care (IC) (TTO nasal ointment and bodywash) or routine care (RC) (Triclosan bodywash/mupirocin nasal ointment). Treatment consisted of the topical application of a bodywash solution for a minimum period of three days.  Following this, a series of swabs was taken to determine the absence (initially clear) or presence (chronic carriage) of MRSA.  The study period extended from 01/12/1999 until 11/07/2001. The study was undertaken at Westmead Hospital, Sydney a university-affiliated tertiary referral teaching hospital, with the support of patients, clinical staff and the Institute of Clinical Pathology and Medical Research.

The number of infected patients in the RC and IC groups was similar (48 versus 42).  The most common site of isolation of MRSA was wounds, accounting for 97 of 180 patients (54%). The median treatment period for topical therapy for each treatment group was 3 days.  Eleven participants in the IC group and eight participants in the RC group did not complete the topical therapy regimen of 3 days.  A total of 70 patients was not evaluable. This was generally due to the early discharge of participants, although five participants died prior to completing the topical therapy stage of the regimen.  A final clearance rate of 21% in the IC group and 23% in the RC group was calculated at the completion of the study period.  The differences in clearance rates between the two treatment groups were too small to be statistically significant.

The outcome of this study is an important step in the process of developing TTO-based products for use in the clinical setting.  Although clearance was low in both groups, there was no statistically significant difference between the regimens, suggesting TTO products may be suitable for decolonising patients carrying MRSA. The results can be used as a basis for further research activities around such products as hand washing agents, body wash/shower gels or wound management products.      

Change of diet!
Regular readers will know already of my penchant for esoteric research.  Well I think that I might be about to bite off more than I can chew. Casually leafing through the Amharic language daily, Addis Zemen, as one does, I stumbled across a challenging opportunity.
Farmers in an Ethiopian village are keeping a close eye on their cows after a local hippo herd developed a taste for meat, devouring eight cows in the past eight weeks, the Government Press reports.

The people of Ginbo Woreda village, in the southern province of Kaffa, told local police that the normally herbivorous hippos had taken to devouring cows and calves.

Local animal and wildlife protection expert Alemayehu Alemu said the hippopotami’s unusual behaviour may have been provoked by humans.

Alemu said that pregnant hippos tended to react aggressively to acts of provocation around delivery time, but cautioned that the bizarre phenomenon required a thorough study for a scientific explanation.

Mind you hippos are not the only animals that can turn tricky. A woman in Australia says she intends to make a meal of a ram which attacked her mother, believing that it will be “therapeutic” for her! The ram spent twenty minutes repeatedly butting Marjorie Robinson, who had to be taken to hospital suffering from cuts and abrasions on her arms and legs as well as bruising and possible broken ribs.

However, horrifying though this may seem, Duncan tells me that the first case he dealt with as an insurance man was the death of a woman killed by a ram. I don’t think that I shall be taking that flight to Addis Ababa after all!

Learning lavender, the language that is!
How much lavender do you think is produced each year?  I was asked recently by yet another on a “tell-me-everything-for-nothing” fact-finding mission.  Frankly I haven’t a clue, but much depends upon what you mean by “lavender”.

In aromatherapy “lavender” means “true lavender”, Lavandula angustifolia Mill. syn: L. officinalis Chaix; L. vera DC., nom. illeg.[nomen illegitimum: illegitimate name according to International Code of Botanical Nomenclature] which, depending upon where you happen to be at the time, can be referred to trivially as English lavender, lavande vraie (France), echter Lavandel (Germany), alfazema (Portugal), espliego comun (Spain), lavanda (Spain) and lavandula (Spain). Believe you me you really do need a multilingual, botanical dictionary when buying lavender in Europe, particularly if you like to search out “special sources”.

Stop by the roadside in Provence to buy what you see and I would gamble that the “lavender” you get is in fact lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia Emeric ex Loisel. syn: Lavandula x burnatii Briq.), which the French call lavande bâtarde (bastard lavender).

So-called “French lavender” is probably, strictly, Lavandula stoechas L., but go to Italy or Spain and they will also claim it as their own.  The Spanish call it cantueso, which helps.

However if you take Steffen Arctander’s advice and ask for alhucema in Spain, expecting to get “true lavender”, don’t be surprised if you end up with spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia Medik.), which is known as aspic or grande lavande in France, grosser Speik in Germany and alfazema in Portugal, which is also the Portuguese name for “true lavender”. Thus, if you ended up by mistake with “spike” in Spain, you might in error get “true” in Portugal!   

A quick scan of the French stats.
Come on, you must have some idea of production figures, persisted my rather irritating enquirer.  Where to start? Figures for world production of lavender products are variable, depending on source. However, the last I read quoted approximately 200 tonnes per annum of quality lavender, 1200 tonnes of lavandin and 150-200 tonnes of spike.

Unable to obtain at short notice any meaningful statistics from Australia, Bulgaria, Croatia or India, I took a look at some ONIPPAM (Interprofessional National Office for Plants with Perfume, Aromatic and Medicinal) reports.  This organisation was set up some years ago to reinvigorate the French lavender industry.  According to them, French production of quality lavender is 65 tonnes and 1000 tonnes of lavandin.

Production in 1999 of quality oil was 60 tonnes: 35 of “clonal” [e.g., ‘Maillette’ and ‘Matherone’] and 25 of “Fine”. In 2000, France produced 85-95% of the world’s lavandin, 1000 tonnes: 75% ‘Grosso’, 10% ‘Abrialis’, 8% ‘Super’ and 7% ‘Sumian’.

By the way they estimate that use in aromatherapy of quality lavender has increased by 15% per year, but is still only 5-6 tonnes. I have some ‘Maillette’ and ‘Fine’, fresh from Provence, for you to try this month.    

The more unusual, and not to be missed!
After all the trouble some had with Poplar absolute (Populus balsamifera L. trichocarpa (Torr. & A. Gray) Brayshaw) [Newsletter 127], my Canadian colleagues resolved to produce a free-flowing essential oil next time they did a distillation.  I have just received the results of their first effort, unfortunately only in a very small quantity and therefore it will have to be strictly rationed.

Having been unable to obtain any meaningful results from my analysis of the absolute, because of the large quantity of involatile matter, I waited with no little excitement for the GC/MS analysis of the oil. Much to my surprise it contains a surprisingly large amount of a-bisabolol (25.81%), which probably explains why several have reported that the absolute is a useful analgesic and anti-inflammatory.

I, as I suspect do others, often find Tunisian and Moroccan rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) far too cineolic, which is hardly surprising as the 1,8-cineole content can be as high as 50%.  This is, however, the most common and cheapest chemotype and therefore tends to be the “standard” rosemary on most lists. The far more rare and expensive ‘BAV’ chemotype from Corsica, which contains a-pinene (30-40%), bornyl acetate (10-15%), verbenone (4-7%), camphor (3-7%) and less 1,8-cineole (around 10%), is more to my liking.  We also stock occasionally the camphor chemotype from south-eastern France and Spain.  The camphor content varies from 15% to 20%, and is accompanied by 20% 1,8-cineole, 15% a-pinene and 5% borneol. This chemotype is also common but is more expensive than that of 1,8-cineole.

These chemotypes originate from known producers and can be found every year in the various countries mentioned. They are not experimental distillations of a few grams taken from a plant in a given habitat, unlike Hilary Miflin’s unique hydrosols which we are fortunate to be offering again this year in very limited quantities.

These three main biochemical specialities originate from biotopes with a Mediterranean climate. There is however a fourth, if one takes into account the rosemary growing in south-western Spain beyond Gibraltar, in Portugal and in Argentina, these three regions being subjected to an Atlantic climate.  This chemotype contains 20-25% b-myrcene, 15% camphor together with all the normal components of rosemary but in low quantities. This is not a very common chemotype, and therefore I was delighted to find some amongst my shipment from Provence.  

Finally.....
I’m frozen!  The fire finally fizzled to a halt several hours ago, and I am at dire risk of finding my Christmas lunch in the dog!
        



charles@essentiallyoils.com
 

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