Ep. 100: 100 Episodes of Vetiver Vibes:A Journey in Aromatherapy
SHOW NOTES
In this special 100th episode of the Vetiver Vibes podcast, co-hosts Nikki Fraser and Rachael Dean celebrate a significant milestone: six years of their journey in the world of aromatherapy and the release of their 100th episode of Vetiver Vibes. As certified clinical aromatherapists, we reflect on our growth, the challenges we've faced, and the evolution of our podcast over the years.
We kick off the episode by acknowledging the importance of surpassing the five-year mark in business, a time when many ventures falter. We share our feelings of accomplishment and security in our roles, having transitioned from a phase of uncertainty to one of confidence and independence. Our discussion highlights the importance of resilience and adaptability in both our business and personal lives.
Throughout the episode, we express our gratitude to our listeners, students, and community members who have supported us along the way. We emphasize how our podcast has become a platform for sharing knowledge and connecting with individuals worldwide, with students from over 50 countries engaging with our courses.
As we reminisce about our favourite podcast episodes, we highlight some standout guests, including Teresa Triebi, who discussed transformational breathwork, and Nikki Ojeda, who introduced us to the world of tarot. We also celebrate the popularity of our frankincense episode with Robin Kessler, which has resonated with many listeners due to the oil's significance and versatility.
In addition to reflecting on past episodes, we address frequently asked questions from our audience, such as the importance of diluting essential oils when using them topically, the reasons behind photosensitivity, and the necessity of using carrier oils in baths. We provide clear, informative answers to these questions, reinforcing our commitment to safe and effective aromatherapy practices.
Looking ahead, we share exciting news about the development of a new 200-hour aromatherapy course, which will cater to those who already have a background in anatomy and physiology. This course aims to bridge the gap for professionals seeking to deepen their knowledge of aromatherapy without repeating foundational courses.
As we wrap up this celebratory episode, we express our heartfelt appreciation for the journey we've shared and the community we've built. We invite our listeners to continue exploring the world of aromatherapy with us and to reach out if they are interested in joining us as guests on future episodes.
Thank you for being a part of our journey, and here's to many more episodes of Vetiver Vibes!
Episodes mentined in show
Ep. 35: The Benefits of Tarot Readings and Aromatherapy with Nicki Ojeda
Ep. 18: Certified aromatherapist student success story with Kenneth Wallace
Ep. 40: What's it like being a student with Essentria? with Nancy Labombard
Ep. 16: The many types and benefits of frankincense, and how to use them with Robin B. Kessler, CA
Ep. 59: One Bite at a Time: Our Personal Livy Method Experience
Ep. 30: How dowsing can help you in your aromatherapy practice with Jane Lawson
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00:00:00 - Welcome to Vetiver Vibes
Introduction to the podcast and hosts, Nikki Fraser and Rachael Dean.00:00:14 - Celebrating Milestones
Discussion of the 100th episode and the six-year anniversary of the podcast.00:00:35 - Growth and Changes
Reflections on the evolution of the podcast and the business over the years.00:01:45 - Business Longevity
Insights on business survival rates and the significance of reaching the five-year mark.00:02:45 - Student Support and Learning
The importance of applying knowledge after graduation and ongoing learning.00:04:10 - Global Reach of Essentria
Discussion on the worldwide student base and the accessibility of online courses.00:05:00 - Popular Courses and Student Engagement
Overview of the Intro to Aromatherapy course and student engagement over the years.00:06:01 - Gratitude to the Community
Thanking listeners, students, and community members for their support.00:06:14 - Podcast Origins
Nikki's idea to start the podcast and the roles of each host.00:07:17 - Guest Highlights
Discussion of favorite guests and episodes, including various holistic modalities.00:08:02 - Breathwork with Teresa Chai
Highlighting the episode on transformational breathwork.00:09:40 - Connecting Aromatherapy and Holistic Practices
Exploring how essential oils can be integrated into different holistic modalities.00:10:12 - Favorite Episodes Recap
Rachael shares her favorite episodes, including tarot and student stories.00:12:06 - Frankincense Episode Popularity
Discussion on the popularity of the frankincense episode with Robin Kessler.00:13:39 - Dowsing and Its Applications
Highlighting the dowsing episode and its relevance to aromatherapy.00:15:48 - Health and Wellness Journeys
Sharing personal health journeys and the impact of the Gina Livy method.00:16:46 - Weight Loss Success Stories
Celebrating personal weight loss achievements and the benefits of the program.00:18:32 - Nature and Wellness
The importance of connecting with nature for mental and physical health.00:19:30 - Reading as a Form of Escape
Rachael discusses her love for reading as a way to disconnect.00:20:10 - Popular Podcast Topics
Recap of popular podcast episodes and themes.00:22:14 - FAQ Segment Introduction
Introduction to the FAQ segment addressing common questions.00:24:37 - Essential Oil Dilution in Baths
Answering the question about using carrier oils in baths.00:25:35 - Importance of Dilution
Explaining why essential oils need to be diluted for safe use.00:28:28 - Photosensitivity and Essential Oils
Discussing which oils are not safe to use in the sun and why.00:30:45 - Sneak Peek of Upcoming Courses
Introduction to the new 200-hour aromatherapy course in development.00:36:12 - Course Details and Benefits
Explaining the benefits of the new course for existing health professionals.00:37:52 - Closing Remarks
Wrapping up the 100th episode and expressing gratitude to the audience. -
Rachael: Welcome to the Vetiver Vibes podcast, where your hosts, Nikki Fraser and Rachael Dean, certified clinical aromatherapists. We are excited to have you here on today's episode, where you know that you'll get the best essential oil scoop.
SPEAKER_01: This episode is brought to you by Essentria a leading online school for aromatherapy. If you want to learn more about how to become a clinical aromatherapist, check out the courses at www.schoolofessentia.com. Welcome to this week's episode of Better Vibes.Nikki: Nikki Fraser here with Rachael Dean.
Rachael: We are our 100th episode. And we're six years old. Like both things are amazing and all happened this month.
Nikki: Yes. And I feel like, well, I mean, if we're six, we're out of the toddler stage and now we're like real in getting independent and having more personality, which is what I feel like our personality has shifted over the last six years.
Rachael: Definitely. Definitely. We are more secure in what we're doing. We know how to run a business fully now. You know, like when we started, it was all just figuring it out and everything was new and different and you know, scary. You know, and I think like, to me, I know, like getting past that five year hump was like, super. Like, I felt accomplished. Yeah, you know, and like, we went through a lot of changes at the five year mark. And so like, the fact that we are like, still here still coming on strong. I love it. You know, we've had a great year to date as well. It just Yeah, it feels like we're doing the right stuff. I love it.
Nikki: Yeah and I know I don't remember the stats I wish I would have looked them up beforehand but I know there's a lot of businesses don't make it past the two-year mark that's one of the big dropping points and then the five-year mark is that second big dropping point that again a lot of businesses don't make it past that first five years and then I think the next one is seven years so as long so if we can make it through to seven which I have no doubt in my mind that we will Yeah, those are like some big milestone markers when it comes to business. And like you said, I remember when we first launched, it was scary, it was unknown. And we share this with our students often of when they graduate from our clinical program, you know like this is what this is the real work happens now yes you've spent the last months or years studying but the real work of applying and if i felt like it was the same thing for us of you know even if we've been practicing aromatherapy for years we're applying new things we're still learning and growing and and trying to support our students more so it was like just always yeah because like when when we started this i already had
Rachael: started my aromatherapy business I was already a couple years into that so like I knew how to do like my personal business like that was fine but this just felt like another step higher like it just you know like I had to work with people like you know like I had worked with obviously like you know like I've worked in the the corporate world and still do and everything but you're working with people, but I had to be in charge of things. And we had to like, make sure we agreed on things like I couldn't just do what I wanted to do.
Nikki: And so like, we didn't always agree.
Rachael: And we didn't always agree. And we had to figure out how we were going to resolve that in a way that we always still stayed friends. And we were still always respectful of one another and everything. And, you know, I think we've done a really good job of that, you know, like we did start with three, we're only two people now, but it was still a very respectful, Um, end of that, we was still, you know, we, yeah, it was a good transition and everything was smooth and great. Um, you know, life changes, you know, made me, you know, made that change happen, but we're still here and it's. It's great. Like, you know, I love teaching. I love doing this. I love our business. Um, and, uh, you know, I feel privileged to still be here. Yeah.
Nikki: And the fact that, like you said, we both had businesses before the school, but it's different when you're brick and mortar type thing in your hometown, right? Like where you live, you only have so far of a reach, right? People coming in for a massage, people coming in for consultations, things like that. They have to be within, you know, a reasonable distance versus now. We are worldwide. We have students literally everywhere. everywhere. As long as you have an internet connection, you can be our student. If that is through mini courses, clinical courses, level one, possibly other courses coming soon too. As long as you have internet, you can join Essentria and we do. We have I wish, again, I wish I would have looked up the newer stats, but I think we're in, like, over 50 countries.
Rachael: At least 50. Yeah, I was going to say, over 50 countries, at least 50 countries. We are definitely, people are finding us every day. Our intro to aromatherapy course, people are signing up for it literally every day. And then a lot of people use that as a stepping stone to see whether or not we are, like, the right fit, because there's videos in there and there's, like, it's the way that we present the information is all it's you can see how it will be presented to you. And then a lot of people are signing up after that. But also we have people who sign up the years later. Like I love seeing that someone took our intro course years ago. And then when they join our like clinical aromatherapy course, I'm always like, when did they first come find us? I always check that out. And I love there's lots of times where it's two years ago, three years ago, which means that they've been on like our email lists and everything and still enjoying learning from us and that just makes me feel really special that they still have chosen to come to us and and follow our journey and you know so. Thank you to everybody.
Nikki: Yes.
Rachael: Thanks for letting us be here.
Nikki: Thank you to our listeners. Thank you to our students. Thank you to our Facebook members, anyone who's listening to the podcast, like we wouldn't be here without you. So we appreciate you more than you would ever, ever know.
Rachael: Yeah, very true. And so six years, super exciting, and 100 episodes. This was Nikki's idea. This was something that she wanted to do. She wanted to like- This was a crash course. Not a crash course. This was a crash idea, a spontaneous thing that- Yeah, that you took on. And I was like, do we have time for this? I don't know. No, we didn't. And we definitely didn't have time for this. because it was Nikki's baby, like, from my perspective of, like, one of the partners, I was like, if you want to do this, like, this is a thing you have to take on, like, I will support it. Because I do, like, all the back end stuff. Yeah. After it's edited, Nikki does up to edit. And then I do everything else. I was like, I will take that on, that's fine. But like, you have to, like, run it and make sure it's happening and all of that. And Nikki, you've been doing such a great job being like the main host of this for the last couple of years like we're like three years in almost I think of Better Vibes I feel like that in August I think is our three year anniversary. But 100 episodes like that's that's a lot like you know like you've done lots of episodes we've had tons of guests on like we didn't get that stat either. But I'd say like, at least 30 guests, if not, maybe 40, probably over that time. And, yeah, for sure. Like, you know, so we're always trying to bring in like, lots of great, different people for everybody to learn from. And there's been a huge variety, like, that's what I love, like, like everything connected to aromatherapy or business, like, you know, holistic health, that kind of stuff. We've definitely tried to keep it focused for people in obviously the genre of what we are, you know, living and teaching and everything. But Nikki, you've had some great people on. Who are some of your favorites?
Nikki: One of my favorites was probably Teresa Chai because I just love breathwork. She was on episode 69 doing the Breathing New Life and it was all about transformational breathwork and I absolutely loved it because again it's something, it ties a bit into meditation but not quite. It was a different type of breathwork than meditation but it was just like a transformational session that I did with her and talking about it afterwards was absolutely amazing and I could have probably talked to her for an entire day just digging through and and Recalling how it was and and just exploring how the breath is really really powerful for the mind and body it is absolutely amazing how just simply breathing can change your life and I mean, we need to breathe every, we do breathe every day to stay alive, obviously, but how we choose to breathe can have such an impact on our day-to-day life.
Rachael: For sure. No, I think that was a great episode. I agree. And just sometimes being reminded to breathe is the important part as well. Like, you know, obviously, you know, the subconscious is making us breathe, but when we like stop and like settle and like sit down and like actually like think about it, I find that that's a way where like you can like breathe right into your toes it feels like right like in a way that like you're just not doing on the day to day through the rest of your crazy life, but when you sit down and just like do some breathing exercises I find it very grounding and do that within a grounding essential oil. Perfect.
Nikki: Exactly. And that's what I loved with our guests is that, like you said, we've branched out to so many different holistic modalities and showing how we can incorporate essential oils and aromatherapy into them, which this one you can very, very easily do. Who would you say was a guest that you quite enjoyed? Because I know you listen to the podcast. So as I do the podcast, you listen to them usually on your drive.
Rachael: I do, yes.
Nikki: So on your listening part, do you have a favorite guest?
Rachael: So many. I think some of my favorites, I loved the tarot card one, which was season two, episode 35 with Nikki Ojeda. Yeah. I love that and it's funny because I love all the ones where it feels like woo woo. And I say that because on my day to day, I don't go there. I don't. But when I sit down and just think about what I actually want to do, I do. I very much connect with all of those and I love a tarot card reading and I love Reiki and I love all of these things but I get so like busy in the day to day that I don't like actually sit down to think about what it is so like I love when you do those podcasts because it makes me think about and I enjoy it and I enjoy when we do like the readings and stuff because I feel connected to it in a way that just is like outside of myself in that way. So generally a lot of them are that. The student ones we've had, I've loved those. We've had a couple of students on. Kenneth Wallace was one, and Nancy Lombard was another. Loved those ones. I love hearing from our students. I mean, it's one of our favorite things we do regularly. We try to have Connection meetings with our students and I think that those were great but it's also great for other people to be able to like listen and see and hear so those episodes I'll just mention quickly episode 18 and episode 40 were those ones. Yeah, those are a couple of my top ones, I think.
Nikki: Nice, yeah. And I know we actually were looking up the stats for which ones were kind of the most popular ones. And frankincense with Robin is by far the most popular one. And it is. You hear about frankincense all the time. So it's great to have the queen of frankincense, which Robin is known for, on.
Rachael: Yes, that is episode 16. It's the many types and benefits of frankincense on with Robin Kessler. And she's great. and definitely the Queen of Frankincense and it's the top on both like the podcast stats and the YouTube stats so like it's like one in both places um which is kind of fun and uh you know where some of them are like the top five on like the podcast stats and then some are top ten or top five or ten on the the YouTube stats are a little bit different but Frankincense is, you know, everybody wants to know about frankincense and I'm sure it comes up a lot like around Christmas time and some of the, you know, different church holidays and stuff like that. Yeah. But it's a great episode and Robin's great.
Nikki: Yeah, she is. And she's so knowledgeable to go through the different types of frankincense because people don't realize like it's not just frankincense, which frankincense, there's so many different ones, which is what we try to tell people all the time of. This is why we need botanical names, just like saying you can't have like just use some eucalyptus. Which eucalyptus? Because there's over 700 species of eucalyptus. So same thing with frankincense, right? You can't just say frankincense when you're saying when you're looking up, you know, by frankincense well which one might be most ideal because they each have slightly different properties in them so it's important to to always be safe and know which one you're using as well. I was also surprised that we did a podcast because we both did the Gina Livy method Program about yeah, I I didn't sign up this round, um, but i'm doing it I i'm still committed. I actually started tracking and I do have her book and all that and i'm so i'm following it Myself this round. Yeah Uh trying to get back into Just a better mind frame and better health to go into summer. Um, I just find it's like a great reset so talking about just our own health and wellness journey of staying active, staying healthy, what we do day to day to stay healthy. I think it was great to see so many people want to hear about our own health journeys.
Rachael: I know, I don't know if I think I probably promised an update. And I don't think I've given one, but I'm down 55 pounds and feeling amazing. So yeah, it's I, I feel very strongly that the Gina Libby method is a great tool, you know, like if you are looking for something to help you work through the um, the mental side of weight loss. I think that Gina's program really delivers in a way that I've never experienced before. And I've done 20, 25 years of Weight Watchers and, and that, that's pretty much the main one I've done outside of Gina Livey. But, um, and I think that that's a good program and I've not just seen it at all. But when I moved to Gina, um, the Gina Livy program a couple of years ago, I found that it, um, her podcast when she goes through the 92 days or whatever it is that she brings on like a naturopath that talks through things. She talks about supplements in a way that, and she's not selling supplements. She's just talking about supplements. So it's just like explaining what they are and how they might be able to help. There's a naturopath that came on and talked about like menopause or perimenopause and stuff like that. Cause obviously a lot of women are struggling with their weight loss. There's sleep experts that come on. There's somebody that just talks to you about dealing with change and how to work through that and your mental health stuff.
Nikki: And a learning expert too on just how to learn new habits and things like that.
Rachael: Yes, exactly. They've had doctors on that talk about if you're pairing Ozempic with the method or that kind of stuff or just medications in general and how that can affect So like, I find that her overall program, like it's so much more than just like, hey, track your food and lose weight. And to me, the not having to count, weigh or measure is like the best thing because like now I'm mentally thinking about like, how much have I put in my bowl? How much is on my plate? Do I actually need to finish all of this? Like, you know, like in a way that I've never had before. And all of that is built into like the program too, like on week to week. So, so yeah, like I'm a huge, band still, um, you know, I just find that it's a program that I can definitely still stand behind and, uh, I'm looking. Yeah. So still working on it. Love it. Um, but, uh, you know, feeling I'm in a much better place, um, than I was before.
Nikki: So congratulations on losing all that weight. That's awesome.
Rachael: Thank you. Yeah. It's nice not to have to carry it around anymore. You know, I still, you know, I like how I feel, um, went paddling on the weekend and got to, oh my goodness, we went out and, It was our first time back on the water and we sat, not stood, stand on our paddle boards because the water's a little cold and we were afraid to fall in. But we did like nine and a half kilometer trip and it was awesome. Like, oh my gosh, like talk about feeling grounded in the water, in the, oh, just It was like the best afternoon. The weather was nice. It was sunny. The water was calm. I feel like I need to go up one day with you, just to try it out. I've never gone paddle boarding, but I know you go all the time and love it. Oh my god, you have to come. You have to come. I have an extra paddle board. You're welcome to come down one weekend and join us. And yeah, I just found my, thing. You know, like, I, like, I was never like a big person to, to do like workouts or to do, you know, like, I used to love to hike, I used to love doing things like that. I, my husband doesn't. So, you know, I just found like, I didn't have like that partner to do things with. So I still do some of that when I have time. But this just became the thing where like, I disconnect from the world. I love it. You know, and I literally I said something to my husband last year. And he's like, He's like, yeah, of course you love it. He's like, it's literally the only time when you don't, when you're not connected to work or the phone or whatever, like you just like, and I'm like, yes, that is it. I love it. And I get to hear the birds and I saw turtles and we saw like, you know, like we could see all the buds coming out on the trees and just like being in nature. Oh, just.
Nikki: love it yeah see and i often use reading as my disconnect but since i'm reading so many more ebooks now versus real books i still see the notification comes in of like when a student emails or different things like that and sometimes i'll like then go off my book and then it just like disrupts my peaceful escape and and I like and I mean I do go I go for a lot of walks also walking is my and that is more my disconnect when I can just go out walk through the forest and that type of thing but it's you know I don't do that in the winter I don't like cold so reading especially in the winter is my disconnect and and I find it's harder when I see all those notifications come in all the time it doesn't keep me in the zone. So that's absolutely when you're just surrounded by nature and you don't have electronics with you, then it's amazing to have that peaceful time.
Rachael: Yeah. I do have my phone with me because I like to take a lot of pictures. I take like 5,000 pictures while I'm out on the water. And then I have to delete a bunch of them because every time I go paddling, if it's every weekend, that's just a lot of photos that I don't really need. But I love them, so it's OK. But I'm not checking emails. I'm not checking text messages.
Nikki: Yeah, absolutely. Another really popular podcast was the dowsing one. So again, right, kind of going back into the woo. And you know, I really got into dowsing years ago, kind of through our my own aromatherapy studies, I had done a little bit before that, but that is when I did my own aromatherapy studies and I kind of started to look more into it and actively learning how to do it properly as well. And then we had Jane on who I did do a small learning session with Jane to really dive deeper into it. And then we had Jane on to talk about dousing and I absolutely love, love, love dousing. My pendulums are actually just out of reach. Otherwise, I would show I bought a metal one.
Rachael: I bought one afterwards. After I listened to it, I bought a beautiful like crystal one and
Nikki: A lot of my original ones broke. Usually any of my crystal ones would always break. I have, I think, three of them. I have a little dish full of crystals and I put my pendulums in there. And I have three of them where the tips have broken off and I have been so upset. I do have one crystal one that is still fully intact, functional. It is amazing. But I bought a metal one quite a while ago now and I absolutely love, love, love. I've been calling him Mr. Pointy lately. Part of it, I think part of it is, so I was a big Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan when I was, you know, when it was on. And I've been seeing a lot of Buffy stuff coming up over probably the last years and so, and lately because it's Pointy, I don't know, I've been calling him Mr. Pointy lately. So that's been, I've renamed him to that.
Rachael: I miss Buffy when it first came out, but when Clara was a baby, I like, binge watched all the seasons on DVD. Cause you know, it was before streamers and I had to, there was a guy at work who had them all. And so like, I would like bring in the baby to visit at work and then I would like transfer, like we, we, we would exchange trade off, but I felt like it was doing a drug deal every week as I bring in another one and be like, I need my fix. Like, please give me my next, my next season. Yeah. It was, it was fun, but yeah, it was one of my favorite memories.
Nikki: Yeah. Um, but yeah, I absolutely loved, I was saying, I use it often. I use it during Reiki sessions. I use it for myself. I've used it with clients in aromatherapy sessions. Um, so happy to see, you know, that was again, one of, in our top five, uh, podcasts.
Rachael: So, yeah, that is a, that was a good one too, for sure. So, I mean, ultimately I think we have a lot of fabulous podcasts we've done over the last hundred episodes. And I think that, uh, you know, people should definitely go back and check out some of the past episodes. We will definitely link some of these ones we've talked about in the show notes. So feel free to check that out so you can find them like right away. Um, and then, uh, yeah, it's just, I think that it's pretty cool that we've done this. I feel like, you know, like I said at the earlier, like it was doing the podcast was like not on my list of things to do as far as like adding more to, um, you know, my weekly extra things that we do for Accenture. But it's something I think that's great. I like, I love it. I think it's great that we have people on. I love meeting other people in our industry. Like, I love giving people a vehicle for being seen and heard and everything, you know, like, I think we could easily have more people on. So like, you know, if you're listening, and you're somebody that's interested in joining us, like, please, please reach out, fill out the form, you know, like, we definitely reach out to people regularly. But you know, if you're listening and interested, just like just message us like we probably would love to have you on and, you know, find an hour to chat with Nikki for a bit. She does the interviews, that's definitely her. You guys get me when I get out of my comfort zone and talk to Nikki like this.
Nikki: Yeah, I love being able to connect to people worldwide. So it does not matter where you are in the world, please reach out. Always happy to talk to you, but whatever your modality is, relaying it back to aromatherapy. We've also had quite a few questions come in. I mean, as a school, we do get a lot of different questions that come in. We decided to do a little FAQ segment for this. So we grabbed our top three questions that we have received quite a few times. as just, and we thought we would just answer them real quick on the podcast. And so the first one is, do I actually need to put a carrier oil when using essential oils in the bath? Yes. Yes. A resounding yes. And I have actually been lazy and didn't want to go downstairs and get my carrier oil because I didn't have, I usually have a bottle always in the bathroom for when I do take a bath because I take a lot of baths and I typically add essential oils. and Epsom salts and make a whole little blend. And the one time I was just being, a couple of times I was being lazy and I didn't want to walk downstairs to get my carrot oil. And within maybe two minutes of getting into the bath, like my skin started to tingle and burn. And they were all very, very gentle oils. Oil and water do not mix. No, and Epsom salt is not enough to emulsify them because that is often the debate out there. Is the Epsom salt enough? Things like that. No, it is not. Please, please, please dilute your essential oils even when in the bath.
Rachael: Yes. So speaking of that, another question we have is, why do we need to dilute the oils? And some people have read that they can be applied neat. So sure, there's always like an exception to every rule where there might be a reason why you can apply neat off the top of my head, it's usually lavender, if you've got a burn, you know, right away, you know, do that. But generally, no you want to dilute you don't need to have high dilutions you want low dilutions you know so check out our dilution guides online we have all of that free for you to download you can download um you know how to dilute safely different percentages for different percentages for your face for you know if you're doing a full massage all of that it's all available for you for children for um, for adults, for elderly, for teenagers, you know, we have all of that there and available for you. We've also done podcasts on it as well. So we'll, we'll link that to you in the notes so you can find those and you can listen to like that in more detail. But yes, you do need to dilute, um, especially hot oils, you know, like there's a lot, there's, there's lots of oils too, where like there's a dermal max, you know, and you want to make sure that you're not using it above that. Um, so. And.
Nikki: I was going to say, and when you're applying the essential oils without a carrier oil, they evaporate very quickly. They're volatile compounds. They evaporate quickly. So actually mixing them with a carrier oil when you're applying them to your skin, it allows it to stay on your skin and be absorbed before they evaporate in that way.
Rachael: Which means you're not wasting them. They're not just going up into the air and all that money that you spent on your essential oils is not just being wasted. I mean, obviously you still smell it and get the aroma part of it, but you're not getting the physical part necessarily the same way.
Nikki: Yeah, and we want to make sure that you can use essential oils for years upon years, because once you're sensitized to an oil, you're not necessarily only sensitized to that oil, but you have to then look at the chemical constituents And look, if it's something that is high in, Lionel will say, any other oil that is high in that, you could also then react to and you don't want to start breaking it into a rash every time you use essential oils because you've sensitized yourself to it. That's what we want to avoid is so that you can use essential oils for years and years and years to come But to do that, you can't be sensitized. So use them cautiously. Use them appropriately, I should say. And dilute your oils to what is safe. That 2% to 3% is absolutely a great spot. And like Rachael said, feel free to go to our website and download our free dilution guides. They're there for you.
Rachael: Yeah, dilution guides. We also have some free safety labels that will give you more information if you want to get More oils for the safety labels, you can buy those as well for a very small fee. I think it was $25 Canadian for like 77 of them or something like that. So, you know, it's a very small fee for that. But yeah, just check them out and definitely be using them. People are downloading those regularly too. So, you know, use them. cut out those little dilution guides and stick them in with your oils like I have a box and I just have it inside of there so I don't think too hard when I just grab my oils that's usually late at night and I just want to just Get it done.
Nikki: Yeah. And like you said, certain oils have max dilutions. So the safety labels are great for that. But thinking like bergamot, right? It has a 0.4% dilution. So you don't want to go above that. And that makes me think of the third top question that we often get. It's about photosensitivity and phototoxicity. And so why are, so the question we often get are, why are some oils not okay to use in the sun? And it's because the, the furicoumarins, which react to UV rays. So if you're going above that dilution percent, then your skin pigmentation can change.
Rachael: Yes, exactly. So you want to make sure that you're not applying things neat or too strong or sometimes you don't want to use the oils at all in those summer months so depending on where you live, unfortunately that might mean things you don't actually want to use at least topically, obviously you can still use them aromatically, enjoy them that way. A lot of them are citrus oils. So, you know, keeping that in mind, we do have a list of oils that we post on our social media. And we also have a episode about it too. So you could listen to that as well to learn more, but definitely important that you're keeping this in mind, especially going into like, you know, currently in Canada, we're going into the summer months, spring and summer and the sun is out. So, you know, keep that in mind as you're going forward, because things you used all winter might not be the best choice right now. And if you start noticing you've got little brown spots on your on your neck or your face or whatever, That could be why.
Nikki: Yeah, absolutely. And like you said, a lot of citrus oils but it's not just citrus oils. Angelica root is one that does have that photosensitizing aspect, but sweet orange is not. So if you're in doubt, look for our list. As Rachael said, we've shared it on social media. We'll be sharing it on social media again this summer. So check it out and just be cautious with that. If you stay under the maximum dilution, you can apply it topically and you won't get that UV… that reaction with the UV rays. But it's when you go above it, which is why we always say to stay below it though, then you do have to be cautious. And I still remember we were at a conference with Mark Webb, who we've had on a mini course and we cut part of that out to have it on the podcast. and where he shared a story about his student and he's in Australia so it's hot, it's very sunny, it's very hot and she would go to the course every day and she loved bergamot and he had shared that she applied it down her neck and all of a sudden they were seeing like these big streaks of discoloration on her neck and they figured out she was applying Bergamot Neat as perfume, which did leave these massive discolorations and I believe he said it took a couple of months for them to go away, or if not longer, for the marks to go away after she stopped using the oil.
Rachael: So I think Bergamot is also like the most photosensitizing oil. Yes. Yeah. So it's one like you have to be like the most careful with as far as
Nikki: using it um and how far between like applying it topically and then going in the sun you want so yeah um yeah so yeah if you were just use it aromatically right personal inhalers diffusers they're great just use them aromatically there is a version for some of them that you can get where they've taken that um your coumarins out yeah that thank you i totally didn't even think of that yeah usually you can see like bergamot um fcf and so that means they've The FC is for the furocoumarins, and then the last F is free. So furocoumarin free, which means that they've taken out that chemical constituent so that you can use it without that maximum dilution. Yeah, thanks for that.
Rachael: Yeah, so if it's one of those oils that you just need to use, like, because some of those oils are like those happy oils as I talk about them as far as like emotions that, you know, you can definitely find a way to use most of them safely still.
Nikki: So, yeah. And I think one last thing before we chime off for our 100th episode is a sneak peek into a few things we have coming up this year.
Rachael: So what have you been working so hard on, Nikki?
Nikki: Yeah, so we are developing a 200-hour course. So right now we have our 50-hour course, which is recognized as a level one with NAHA, and then we have our clinical aromatherapy certification course, which is recognized with the CFA and as a level three course with Naha. And we are currently working on a 200 hour course, which would be recognized as the level two course with Naha. And I know the CFA has been working really, really hard also on trying to get a 200 hour or a level two type course, intro course, I'm not sure what they're naming, anything like that, but I know they've been contemplating that for a while, so hopefully that comes in soon with the CFA also. But yeah, this 200 hour course is going to be, and this doesn't include the A&P, and I think this is what's going to be really, really great, is if you already have A&P. then you can take this course and you don't have to take another A&P because we get that so often of, I'm a massage therapist, I'm a chiropractor, I'm an osteopath, I'm a nurse. Do I need to take A&P again because I don't like A&P? I've, you know, I've taken A&P three, four times. I've done A&P numerous times. Do I need to take another anatomy and physiology course? And our unfortunate answer is always, yes, you do. So this would be a course that you could take and you would not need to redo that ANP. Now, you wouldn't be qualified as a clinical aromatherapist. It would be, you know, a step below. But you do still have, like, it's still 200 hours of Materia Aromatica, which is a great amount of hours.
Rachael: Yeah, so it's definitely something you could feel confident in using. And it would complement, I think, a lot of people going forward as far as if they already have those accreditation. Yeah, that. So yeah, so if there are massage therapists and stuff, I think it would complement it very nicely. But I do think our clinical aromatherapy course is still what people should be probably aiming for in most cases, especially if you do want to become an aromatherapist specifically and tie it to non other non-holistic methods that don't already have that strong A and P. So.
Nikki: Yeah. Like if you already have, like, I know my massage therapist, she has usually just a few essential oils that she'll choose from. So, you know, if you have that 10, 15 oils that, and you don't branch out from there, you're not formulating on the spot for clients. You aren't formulating products to make. you aren't you know doing full health histories just related to aromatherapy but you're just adding aromatherapy to your already existing business clientele and just using those handful, two handfuls of oils.
Rachael: And want to feel really secure in making sure that you're actually giving the right information to your clients and keeping yourself secure and safe, both liability wise and obviously for your clients.
Nikki: So yeah, I think that's where this course will be very handy. But like you were saying, if you really want to dive into the aromatherapy, you want to do consultations, you want to start blending, you really want to do that extra deep dive, our clinical course will be what will be most important, right? It's 475 hours is what our course is. And so, you know, that is a big difference. And that does include A&P, but that is a big difference in study hours. And if you start at the 200 and want to bump up to our clinical, you can also do that once we launch our 200. So that has been… Yes, exactly. Our big baby for 2025. We don't have a release date yet, but it is coming. And especially now that we have put it out there, it is coming that much more.
Rachael: I expect it'll probably release sometime in the summer is my goal. That's my guess.
Nikki: That's our goal, summertime. So if you want to learn more about it, feel free to email us and we can add you to a wait list too for when that is available.
Rachael: For sure. Yeah, so 100 episodes and six years of Accentria. So here we are. This is great, Nikki. I appreciate everything you do for this course.
Nikki: Well, and I thank you. You do all the back end, like you've said. I don't do technology, and I am very, very clear on this. I do not do technology. Technology and I do not get along. And I always think it's funny when we do those personality tests, because, and I absolutely love those personality tests, because I get to learn about myself.
SPEAKER_03: Me too, I love those.
Nikki: And it does always come back that technology and I do not get along. And it is, Very true to me. Mercury retrograde is always happening. Always. Because it just doesn't mesh with me, which I'm okay with. I have come to accept it. I have embraced it. And this is where I bow down to Rachael when I'm like, can you update this? Can you do this? Can you do that? Which is why I do more of the front end stuff and she does more of the back end stuff because that is her area of expertise that I am so grateful for.
Rachael: Yeah. So people, if you're looking to find a business partner, find someone that has slightly different expertise than you, and it can be a great partnership. Absolutely. Absolutely.
Nikki: So I think this is a great spot to wrap up our 100th episode, six year anniversary. So thank you again to all of our listeners. And we appreciate you and have an amazing day. Thanks for tuning in to this week's episode of Vetiver Vibes. Bye.
Rachael: Thank you for spending your time with us here at Vetiver Vibes. This episode was brought to you by Essentria a leading online aromatherapy school. Don't forget to check out some of our free resources at www.schoolofessentia.com.
SPEAKER_01: If you love this episode or you got a lot of value out of it, please make sure you share it with someone in your community who you think would enjoy it too. If you haven't already subscribed or reviewed the show yet, you can go on over to your preferred streaming platform and hit subscribe, then leave a review. This is the best way to help support us and we appreciate it. Email us with a screenshot of your review and we will send you a free guided meditation as our way to say thank you.
Rachael: This podcast is for information purposes only. We are certified clinical aromatherapists and holistic health professionals. If you have a medication concern, please refer to your health team. Everyone's health is unique to themselves, so the topics and suggestions stated may or may not apply directly to you.
Helpful Links
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This podcast is for information purposes only. We are certified clinical aromatherapists and holistic health professionals. If you have a medication concern, please refer to your health team. Everyone’s health is unique to themselves, so the topics and suggestions stated may or may not apply directly to you. Please reach out to an aromatherapist to work with or consider training to become one yourself!
Show music: Happy Dreams - By David Fesliyan
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