DON’T BE DISAPPOINTED!
(The ‘m’ technique sold out within a few days!)
SLEPE RANDONNÉE, SUNDAY, 20th JUNE, 2004.

What a disaster! No sooner had the Royal Mail van arrived in Oxford than the Sorting Office there phoned to say that they had come out on unofficial strike.  Surely our three tonnes of Newsletters and new Price lists could not have had such an arresting effect! Don’t worry, they’ll be back at work tomorrow, soothed the manager.  I was not so sure: this was the fifth strike in six months!

All had worked flat out to meet the 31st March deadline: it was soul-destroying. We kicked our heels as we waited for the relieving call.  The days ticked by. There is nothing worse than being a mail order company stuck in the middle of a postal strike.  Powerless to do anything, and with most of you unaware that there was anything wrong anyway because it was a strictly local affair, the phones jangled endlessly...Where’s my parcel?...Have you sent my Neroli and Sandalwood?...What’s happened to the Newsletter?  Of course all was locked up in a shed in Oxford and, for all I know, probably still is because they only returned to work a couple of days ago (sixteen days after the strike began!).

Still, we did manage to get something moving.  After a week we had had enough, and Jan managed to negotiate the release of some of the Price Lists and Newsletters. We drove them in a hired truck to Gloucester, where hopefully they were disseminated. Meanwhile, we had to drive every day over the county line to get your parcels out. 

Nevertheless, and please forgive me, I am unprepared to spend yet more thousands of pounds securing fresh supplies of neroli, sandalwood, and others, until either their crushed remains are delivered or Royal Mail agrees to some sort of compensation. This strike business is getting quite costly!  

A question of shelf-life.
I wrote “The Ultimate Lavender Book”.  In this, I have stated that its shelf-life is about two years, but one reader has written to say that her understanding is that lavender oil remains viable for up to 15 years. What do you think? asked Liz Thearle from New Zealand.

An interesting question, and one that I am often asked.  Although many aromatherapy authors do not touch upon the subject, those that do usually suggest that 2 years is about right. This surprises me, because I would tend to agree with the reader that 15 years, stored in the correct conditions, is quite viable.  In fact, I have before me an analysis of Lavandula angustifolia that we did some years ago for the Public Health Laboratory Service: the oil was at least 50 years old, and we could detect no appreciable degradation. It even smelt pretty good too! Some believe indeed that lavender improves with age.

Perhaps where this idea came from is that the oil has a shelf-life of 2 years once it has been opened.  Would you also expect the lavandins to remain viable for 15 years, as these form the majority of lavender being grown in New Zealand at present. Would you think it necessary, as I do, to store bulk oil in the fridge as well as the usual dark bottle well sealed?

I would think that Lavandula x intermedia has a similar shelf-life.  I have never thought it necessary to store oils in a fridge, because most storage experiments seem to be conducted at around 12ºC.  Some even say that refrigeration can be detrimental, but I have read no research to substantiate this.

I suspect that Liz is correct and aromatherapy authors, such as Robert Tisserand and Christine Westwood, mean...2 years once it has been opened...but I doubt that, twenty years ago, they had much knowledge of essential oil chemistry.  In fact leading experts in the field were the first to mention that little indeed was known about the actual processes which cause spoilage of an essential oil.

Usually it was attributed to such general reactions as oxidation, resinification, polymerization, hydrolysis of esters, and to interreaction of functional groups. These processes seem to be activated by heat, the presence of air, of moisture, and catalyzed by exposure to light and in some cases, possibly by metals.  There is no doubt that oils with a high content of terpenes (all citrus oils, pine needle oils, oil of turpentine, juniper berry, etc.) are particularly prone to spoilage, due probably to oxidation, and especially resinification.  Light seems to be of lesser importance as a factor causing deterioration, than is moisture.

Essential oils containing a high percentage of esters (bergamot, lavender, etc.) turn acid after improper storage, due to partial hydrolysis of esters. The aldehyde content of certain oils (for example, lemongrass) gradually diminishes. Fatty oils, with a few exceptions, are very prone to oxidation, but such spoilage can be retarded or prevented altogether by antioxidants.  Certain types of essential oils, especially those containg alcohols (for example, geranium), are quite stable and stand prolonged storage.  Still others, patchouli and vetiver, for instance, improve considerably on ageing; in fact, they should be aged for a few years before being used in perfume compounds.

As a general rule, any essential oil should first be treated to remove metallic impurities, freed from moisture and clarified, and then be stored in well-filled, tightly closed containers, at low temperature and protected from light. A layer of carbon dioxide or nitrogen gas blown into the container before it is sealed will replace the layer of air above the oil and thereby assure added protection against oxidation. Nevertheless, moisture seems to be one of the worst factors in the spoilage of essential oils and, therefore, any moisture must be removed prior to storing. Oh that it was all so easy!

I recollect that this problem bedevilled us when we first started producing tea tree oil in Australia, and I spent hours constantly filtering and re-filtering. What’s more, the temperature in our storage facility (an old shearing shed, which was home to a most delightful family of possums) never dropped below 40ºC.  We couldn’t afford a fridge that would accommodate twenty tonnes! Come to think of it, over the years, I have visited many “bush distilleries”that have been little better, and yet I still have samples of their endeavours which still smell as fresh as they did more than a decade ago (and without carbon dioxide or nitrogen gas to help). However, in spite of that, I still only give our essential oils a 2 year shelf-life, and citrus oils twelve months less than that.  Odd.

Getting rid.
O.K., but tell me the best way to dispose of them when they have “gone off”, asked Jenny Keen.  A good question!

Fortunately this is a problem with which we rarely have to contend, but I do remember that after my mother’s death there was a number of “freebies” lying about her home which, in all conscience, I could hardly return to stock!  What to do?

My initial thought was to pour them down the drain, or put them in the dustbin, but the fear of poisoning the water system or, worse still, self-igniting the local rubbish tip put paid to such notions.  In fact I doubt that 20 x 10ml bottles would have done either, but you never know!
I checked our accidental release measures.....

Spill or leak procedures:  Eliminate all ignition sources and ventilate the area.  Contain the spill and recover free product.  Absorb remainder on vermiculite or other suitable absorbent material.  Prevent the liquid from entering the drains and sewers.

Waste disposal methods:  Place material and absorbent into sealed containers and dispose of in accordance with current applicable laws and regulation.  Do not incinerate closed containers.

Fresh out of vermiculite, and unable to find an empty biscuit tin, I grabbed a bucket of soil into which I poured the oils. Rummaging amongst my mother’s effects, I could find nothing that vaguely resembled the current regulations relating to waste disposal and so, with heavy heart, I sprinkled the contents of the bucket on the rose bed.  Later in the year, believe it or not, the rose blooms were as fine as I had ever seen.  I have been using the same disposal method ever since!

Deciphering doctor’s diagnosis!
I wonder if you or any of your readers can help me? asked Sue Mann.  A client of mine has been in hospital with a skin and digestive problem (unrelated).  The skin problem has me puzzled.  Some weeks ago he developed blister like eruptions which started on his feet, then appeared on his legs and finally on his shoulder and arm. They initially looked like blood blisters containing red serous fluid and varied in size from 1-2 inches in diameter.  I could not find anything to tell me what these blisters were: they did not fit any descriptions or photos I could find. Whilst in hospital - for the digestive problem - he was seen by the dermatologist and reportedly was ‘reacting to his own skin’! The diagnosis I was finally given by the nurse, which she spelt out from his notes as she could not pronounce it, was Bemphgoid! 

Bemphgoid? It didn’t ring any bells with me, but wait a minute....I reached for Martindale. Aha! Pemphigoid....pemphigus and pemphigoid are severe, disabling, and potentially fatal blistering skin diseases.  They are distinct disorders although both have an auto-immune basis. There are several types of pemphigus.  Pemphigus vulgaris is the most common, although all types are rare.  In pemphigus vulgaris the blistering is intra-epidermal and can occur anywhere on the skin surface or on the mucous membranes. It is a chronic, progressive disorder requiring prolonged treatment. Pemphigoid is also known as Bullous Pemphigoid and occurs mainly in elderly persons. The blistering is subepidermal and affects the skin but rarely the mucous membranes. Pemphigoid is usually a self-limiting disorder and treatment can often be stopped after a couple of years.

The International Pemphigus Foundation <www.pemphigus.org/whatisgoid.html> is a useful source of further information.

I checked out the website you gave and from there found links, with pictures, which confirmed that you were right about the spelling.  Doctors are notorious for their illegible writing (it was the medical notes the nurse was reading from!).  My client does indeed have Bullous Pemphigoid.

Meanwhile Sue would be most grateful for any suggestions on the use of aromatherapy for the treatment of Bullous Pemphigoid. Do any have experience of this rare disorder?

Sue’s client is in his early fifties and has muscular dystrophy, and her immediate priority is to rehydrate his extremely dry skin and assist him to regain what little mobility he had in his upper body which is badly depleted due to his being kept in bed for 4 weeks.

Searching questions!
What is the difference between Rosemary (Spain) and Rosemary (Portugal)? They have the same botanical name, but why are the prices so different? e-mailed Yasuyo Suda.  Well spotted!

Although the origin of our Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L. CT. 1,8-cineole) is listed as Spain, because that is from where we buy it, I think that in fact much of it originates from North Africa because this biochemical type comes almost entirely from there, especially Morocco and Tunisia. 

I lived for some years in Southern Spain and it was common practice for the local distillers to import oils from North Africa, where many had agreements with local growers, and sell them as “Spanish”. I fear that I have picked up the same bad habit. In future it would probably be better to list the origin as North Africa, irrespective of where we buy it.

The 1,-8-cineole content of this Rosemary oil is close to, and often in excess of, 50%.  It contains also camphor (about 10%) and a-pinene (about 10%).  This is the most abundant and least expensive type of Rosemary oil that is produced commercially.

Our Portuguese Rosemary is another chemotype - camphor.  The camphor content varies from 15 to 20%, and is accompanied by 20% 1,8-cineole, 15% a-pinene, and borneol.  Whilst this type is quite common it is more expensive than the 1,8-cineole type, because it tends to be produced by small distillers who release only a few tens of kilograms per annum and it can therefore be quite expensive.

Do your various lavender oils contain coumarin?  An interesting point!

Coumarin is a lactone found in quantity in several absolutes, and in very small amounts in some essential oils. Coumarins are usually known by their common names. They tend to end with -in, but can also end in -one.

Although coumarin derivatives are used as anticoagulant drugs (warfarin, etc.), coumarin itself is not an anticoagulant.  Coumarin is now used in the treatment of lymphoedema, has been tried in the treatment of various cancers, and is reported to be an immunostimulant. Hence, I suspect, why Yasuyo was asking about lavenders and their coumarin content.

Two coumarins, coumarin itself and 7-methoxycoumarin (herniarin), have been detected in the volatile fraction of several Lavandula species, but I have to admit that I have never  detected it in our own oils and, therefore, I cannot guarantee their presence.  In any event, I recollect that they occur only in trace amounts and after a lengthy distillation period. They appear to occur also in bound form as glucosides, since they have been detected after emulsin hydrolysis of L. angustifolia extracts.

What other oils do you think are useful as immune boosters?  I’m not an aromatherapist, but.....

Interestingly, writes Sal Battaglia in The Complete Guide to Aromatherapy, it is often suggested that many essential oils are immunostimulants simply because they have bactericidal, antiseptic or antiviral properties. While the research and clinical evidence for the antimicrobial properties of the essential oils are well documented, the term immunostimulant has often been misused.

According to Dr. Varro Tyler [Herbs of Choice: The Therapeutic Use of Phytomedicinals] immunostimulants affect either the cellular or humoral immune system or both.  Of all the non-specific immunostimulants of plant origin, the most comprehensively researched is echinacea. Echinacea has no direct bactericidal or bacteriostatic properties; however, it is known to increase phagocytosis and promote the activity of lymphocytes.

Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt [Advanced Aromatherapy] says that genuine research into the immunostimulant properties of essential oils on the immune system is still quite limited:

Precise statements about the specific interaction between essential oils and the various functions of the immune system are not possible at this time.  It is probable that, with the increasing popularity of aromatherapy, in the near future a field known as “aroma -immunology” may arise because certain conclusions about the relationship between oils and their effects on the immune system can already be drawn. Immunoglobulin levels in the bloodstream, for example, can be positively influenced by treatment with essential oils.

Battaglia suggests that various terpene alcohols have the ability to correct pathologically elevated or depressed gamma-globulin counts to their proper level. For example, a depressed gamma-globulin level, as encountered with chronic bronchitis, could be corrected by using essential oils such as Thyme linalol, Spike lavender and Eucalyptus globulus.

Help desperately needed!
I would be most grateful if you could throw any light on this. If you can’t give any advice, do you know anyone who can?  I’m so desperate, wrote Barbara Snowball.

I was diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome nearly two years ago and was issued with latex wrist supports, which made my left hand flare up badly in reaction (irritation, itchiness, and redness). I had been using essential oils for a few years but, after this incident with the latex, I had a sudden reaction to geranium oil.  This had never happened before and, since then, I have bad reactions at regular intervals.  This has been going on for at least a year. Cuts open up on two fingers of my left hand. They are usually on my knuckles, which is worse, as they keep open for a good few weeks.  I’ve tried everything - Betnovate (which was no good) , Fucibet cream (which I don’t like using because it apparently thins the skin), borage, evening primrose, calendula (which bring only brief relief),and even Glucosamine hydrochloride for a few months (does it help skin tissue, do you know?).

I didn’t have to read any further, because I had grappled with this problem once before and failed.

Tom Cashman, who worked here a few years ago as a warehouseman, was drafted in one Christmas to assist with bottling. Diligently, he donned a pair of latex gloves.  He suffered almost immediately the same reaction as Barbara.  Unfortunately, I was not told of this at the time. After Christmas, he resumed his normal duties in the warehouse.  A few weeks later his hands were in the most awful state - open cuts everywhere. I suggested that he take a couple of weeks off and visit a dermatologist.

Upon return his hands were much improved.  However, within a few days, the cuts were back and seemed to be getting worse. Although he was extremely reluctant to do so, I sent him off again.  Same result!  By now I was taking a more than passing interest, because he was in such obvious discomfort. Amazingly he didn’t even have to touch a bottle of essential oil - inhalation alone seemed to trigger a reaction. It was all most distressing. We consulted the best in the land, but to no avail.  Although all oils would produce some reaction, Chamomile Blue (Matricaria recutita L.) was by far the worst. Sadly, he had to leave us.

I saw him the other day. It took almost six months to clear up completely, but he hasn’t had a recurrence.  Needless to say he doesn’t visit me in the office! 

There is one salient point, however, which I cannot get entirely out of my mind. Shortly prior to this unfortunate sequence of events Tom’s wife had died: they had been a devoted couple for very many years.  Could this have kick-started everything? 

Aromatherapy Consortium Update.
The Regulation work towards voluntary self-regulation of the aromatherapy profession is now well underway. At a recent meeting the Department of Health stated that it is “generally supportive of the AC’s direction of travel”.  Concerns expressed about full representation are shared by the Aromatherapy Consortium (AC) representatives who highlighted the work being done to bring the profession together.  The QCA and Skills for Health said that they “would continue to involve the AC in developing National Occupational Standards and in the process of accrediting qualifications” and this would also include other professional bodies.

A full transcript of these minutes is available on the Aromatherapy Consortium website <www.aromatherapy-regulation.org.uk>.


Shopping list for Japan.
It was probably a little impudent of me but when Michi Naomoto, our local practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, offered generously to look out for some oils for me on her recent trip back home to Japan, I prepared hurriedly a shopping list.  But where to start: I don’t know that much about Japanese essential oils.

Yuzu (Citrus junos Sieb. ex Tanaka) might not be a bad oil with which to kick-off, because several have requested it. A sort of sour orange grown in Japan, which probably originated from Central China, its fruits have a very pleasant aroma and are used for seasoning and as a raw material for vinegar.

Sugi (Cryptomeria japonica (L.f.) D. Don), which used to be one of the most important Japanese building and construction materials, has always fascinated me.  Since ancient times it has been used for making barrels for “Sake”, a Japanese alcoholic drink made from rice to which I used to be quite partial.

Although I believe that it grows wild and abundantly in the mountainous regions of Japan, it has also been cultivated. The major centres of Sugi production used to be on Shikoku Island, in the Prefectures of Kochi and Tokushima. Most Sugi oil, I think, is distilled from old roots and stumps, but some oil has been produced also from the leaf.

Shin-Yo-Yu, “pine needle oil”, seems to be the loose term applied to the essential oil from three pinaceus trees and, therefore, I thought that I had better try and help Michi out with some Anglicized Japanese names: Abies sachalinensis Masters (“Aka-Todo-Matsu”), Abies mayriana Miyabe & Kudo (“Ao-Todo-Matsu”), Picea jezoensis Carr. (“Kuru-Ezo-Matsu”).

Hinoki (Chamaecyparis obtusa Endl.) is another oil which is occasionally requested. Hinoki wood has been valued since antiquity for building temples, and the making of lacquered furniture. Natural hinoki forests, I believe, cover the mountainous parts of central and southern Japan, and of the Province of Tosa on Shikoku.  The wood and leaves of the hinoki tree contain an essential oil; however, the two oils are very different in odour, chemical composition and physicochemical properties.

Hiba (Thujopsis dolabrata Sieb. & Zucc.), which I think may grow particularly well in the Prefecture of Aomori, is another fascinating tree because it supplies a timber highly esteemed for its resistance to the attacks of certain fungi. The wood owes its fungicidal action to the presence of an essential oil.  The oil is obtained by steam distillation of trunk wood shavings and of saw dust. The leaves also contain an essential oil.

At the bottom of my shopping list I scribbled a quick note - It would be interesting to know if any of these oils are being produced commercially. If they are, are they available to therapists? If so, for what do therapists use them?  Obviously any information, and a small sample, would be most welcome! Poor Michi!

Shopping!
Hi!  I’ve managed to find some oils, but it wasn’t easy, e-mailed Michi from Japan.  The Japanese oils are not very popular - English/German imported oils are preferred - but I managed to find some very interesting aromatherapists who have been using some Japanese oils. Yuzu, Hiba and Hinoki are the most popular, and I’ve got you samples of Yuzu and Hinoki!

Originating from Shikoku - Aki, Kitagawa, Monobe in Kochi and Kigashira in Tokushima - the Yuzu oil is cold-pressed from the peel. It is reported to be anti-bacterial, bactericidal, deodorant, good for capillary dilation and overcoming lethargy, but it can be a skin irritant.

In Japan, they use it in the bath and in potpourri for its fragrance.  “Yuzu bath” is a traditional activity on the winter solstice in Japan.  By using Yuzu essential oil, instead of Yuzu fruits, the blood circulation is improved, warming up the body.   Its fragrance is strongest around November when the fruits are ripe.  It is one of the first indigenous Japanese oils and its popularity is increasing in Japan, as well as abroad.

The Hinoki oil is from Shizuoka, and it is distilled from the heartwood. It is reputed to be calming, bactericidal, deodorant, insect repellant and anti-bacterial but it, also, can be a skin irritant.
      
I’ve also found some very unusual oils imported from Taiwan, but I think that they might come originally from France - Green Bamboo, Green Tea, Mokuren and Rengyo. The Mokuren and Rengyo have several Chinese herbs mixed with them, and are quite expensive. Interested?  You bet!

After a bit of frantic devilling, I came to the conclusion that “Mokuren” might be Magnolia stellata (Siebold & Zucc.) Maxim., but I could be wrong because the more usual Japanese name for it is, I think, “Shide-Kobushi”. “Rengyo”, fortunately, rang a bell - literally! - goldenbells, or Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl. Very exotic! I could barely wait for the samples!

Meanwhile Michi was hard at work interpreting the labels..... 

Green Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris Schrader ex Wendl.), “Aotake”, apparently helps provide calcium for the body.  It is used for pain and stiffness of the back, arthritis, joint pains and inflammation, and also improves skin tone and condition. If used in a diffuser, it increases oxygen in the air, purifies the air, and removes unwanted smells.  I must admit that, having it before me now, it does smell most pleasant.  The Green Tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze), although a little different in odour, seems to offer identical benefits!

“Mokuren”, on the other hand, is suggested for unblocking the nose, purifying the air, and preventing nasal infection, which seems much in line with its actions and indications in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).  I must say that I quite like it.

“Rengyo” has an interesting aroma, which I can’t quite put my finger on, and is suggested for improving skin condition and lightening dark marks on the skin.  In TCM it clears heat and toxins and dissipates nodules, and is used for hot sores, carbuncles and neck lumps.

Analysing the basket!
Bill’s analyses of Hinoki and Yuzu are much as I expected, spot on!  The “Rengyo” is a plausible concoction of natural compounds, but I am a little worried about the presence of 2.41% nopyl acetate, which has a fresh-fruity-woody odour and is not found in nature I think!
 
The Green Bamboo and Green Tea are comprised mainly of dipropylene glycol, that well-known component of hydraulic brake fluid, cutting oils and textile lubricants, but, in all fairness, it has germicidal properties and can be used as an air purification agent!

“Mokuren”, for the moment, has me fooled because it could so easily be the real thing. All its chemical components have been identified in various Magnolia spp., but I just do not have sufficient reference literature to make a definitive judgement. Zounds!  More shopping!

Finally.....
I do hope that some of our Japanese customers will now take the opportunity to tell me more about their exciting, indigenous, essential oils - in English or Japanese!

Midorino hi wo otanoshimi kudasai!    




charles@essentiallyoils.com
 

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