Best Practices in Aromatherapy with Jenny & Karen

Jenny & Karen Williams
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We're Jenny and Karen, and this podcast is our live classes, recorded as they happen. We blend on camera, share the recipes we make along the way, and answer the questions people ask in the chat. Most weeks it's Tea Time with the Natural Living Club, where we spend the hour with one oil you may never have met. Some weeks we replay a favorite class from our Thrive archive. The show comes from the companies we run together. Aromahead Institute is where we teach aromatherapy, from first classes through certification. Aromatics International is where we source and bottle the essential oils we use in class, with a GC-MS report behind every essential oil lot. Thymely is our aromatherapy research assistant that answers from our own library and shows you its sources. Whether you're opening your first bottle or have been blending for years, pull up a chair.

  1. 2d ago

    Tea Time: Cardamom - Warm Spice, Smarter Dilution

    Recorded live with our community in the Natural Living Club. 📝 Heads-up: the perks in this class (free jars for watching live, half-price Cardamom, a Chai Spice hydrolat deal, gift cards) expired with the broadcast. Every Tea Time has its own deal on that week's oil, so join us live in the Natural Living Club: https://www.skool.com/natural-living Cardamom is the queen of spices, and Jenny makes the case for it on your workbench. The oil comes from the seeds of a ginger-family plant whose flowers and green pods grow along the ground in the shade, each pod picked by hand a few days before it ripens. Batch CAM-116, steam distilled in India from unsprayed seed, carries two chemical families in close proportion: α-terpinyl acetate, an ester, at 38.56%, and 1,8-cineole, an oxide, at 29.79%, which helps explain why cardamom can feel both soothing and clearing. Jenny makes a Cardamom, Grapefruit and Copaiba Balsam diffuser blend, then tries a no-melt Chai Cafe Whipped Body Butter live for the first time. She closes with Thymely Lite and Thymely Premium side by side, and news about the hydrosols at Aromatics International: clear bottles, and a new word, hydrolat. In this episode: Cardamom belongs to the ginger family and grows 6 to 15 feet tall from a rhizome in the warm, wet, shaded forests of southern India. Its flowers and green pods grow along the ground from the base of the plant, and each pod is picked by hand a few days before it ripens, because a ripe pod splits open and releases its 15 to 20 seeds. The oil is steam distilled from those seeds.Most oils lead with one chemical family. Cardamom carries two in close proportion: in batch CAM-116, α-terpinyl acetate, an ester in the same family as linalyl acetate, is 38.56%, and 1,8-cineole, an oxide, is 29.79%. That pairing helps explain why cardamom can feel softening and quieting while it also feels fresh, bright and opening.Keep track of your batch number. CAM-116 was steam distilled in India in October 2025 from unsprayed seed, with 29 components and a 5-year shelf life, and a 2021 batch from Guatemala reads differently. The farm and the growing season move the numbers.Cardamom safety: fresh oil matters, because an oxidized oil that contains cineole can irritate. If you are blending for someone whose breathing is sensitive, have them smell the cap first and check for any tightness in the chest. Keep it away from the face of children under 10, leave it out of their steam blends, and use caution from ages 5 to 10 because of the 1,8-cineole.Diffuser blend: 3 drops of Cardamom, 2 of Grapefruit and 1 of Copaiba Balsam. Copaiba is thick, so stir the drops together on top of the water before you turn the diffuser on, or mix all three in a small bowl first.Chai Cafe Whipped Body Butter, one 4-ounce batch, no melting: let 3 ounces of shea butter soften at room temperature (or warm the bowl in your hands), mash it with a fork, add 2 tablespoons of jojoba and whip with a hand mixer for 2 to 3 minutes. Add 20 drops of Cardamom first and mix, then 16 of Sweet Orange, 8 of Ginger and 4 of Black Pepper. Jenny used vanilla-infused jojoba, and a little more jojoba softens a butter that is whipped too stiff. Whipping nearly doubles the volume, so use an 8-ounce jar or two 4-ounce jars.The hydrosols at Aromatics International are moving from amber to clear bottles, which makes a bloom easier to spot, and you will hear hydrosol and hydrolat used interchangeably; hydrolat is the more precise word for the water from a distillation. For a while an order may arrive in either bottle.Chapters:0:00 Welcome to Tea Time: uncap your Cardamom and name its aroma in one word1:48 Today: a diffuser blend, a whipped body butter and news about hydrosols3:25 What everyone is sipping5:33 Relaxes us, yet firms our resolve: Gabriel Mojay on cardamom7:08 The plan: where the pods grow, two names on a batch report, and three questions8:23 Diffuser blend: 3 drops Cardamom, 2 Grapefruit, 1 Copaiba Balsam8:55 Two ways to get a thick oil like Copaiba into a diffuser12:19 Carrot Seed homework winners14:31 Where the homework and the Cardamom page live in the Club16:32 The heart of cardamom: start every blend with your intention18:41 Cardamom personified: a neighborhood cafe in the desert19:12 Karen's cardamom waffles, and a month of cardamom in The Thriving Aromatherapist19:47 The plant: ginger family, 6 to 15 feet tall, pods along the ground20:30 Hand-picked pods, and seed from India and Guatemala21:01 The queen of spices: a Sumerian tablet, kyphi at Edfu and Arabian coffee22:38 The earth element, sattva and prana, and is it warming or cooling?24:24 The science: α-terpinyl acetate at 38.56%, an ester26:20 1,8-cineole at 29.79%, an oxide: two families in one oil27:58 Batch CAM-116: India, unsprayed seed, 29 components28:33 Why batch numbers matter: India 2025 next to Guatemala 202129:07 Tracking your batches in the Thymely Premium pantry31:25 Cardamom safety: fresh oil, a smell test first, and care with children33:42 Meet Thymely: what kinds of cardamom oil are there?35:23 True green cardamom, and why black and false cardamom are not aromatherapy oils35:55 The pantry: your whole shelf in one place, and blends from what you have37:33 That rumble is the parking lot being repaved38:11 Thymely Lite or Thymely Premium: the same question, side by side40:18 Chai Cafe Whipped Body Butter: shea, jojoba and four spice oils41:24 A confession: the no-melt method, tried live for the first time42:25 Soften, mash, whip: the method43:31 The gift for watching live, and half-price Cardamom in any size45:06 Chai Spice Hydrosol, and claiming both at checkout49:59 Plot twist: vanilla-infused jojoba52:45 Whipping: shea that starts solid needs less time53:31 Whipped too stiff? A little more jojoba softens it54:40 The drops go in: 20 Cardamom, 16 Sweet Orange, 8 Ginger, 4 Black Pepper57:33 It nearly doubles: why a 4-ounce batch wants an 8-ounce jar58:40 A holiday gift idea, and the texture on a spoon1:01:25 Melting or no melting: about two thirds of the time saved1:02:28 The 7-day leaderboard and its $25 gift cards1:03:29 Next week: Copaiba, tapped from the trunk of the tree1:04:08 News: the hydrosols at Aromatics International move to clear bottles1:05:51 Hydrosol or hydrolat: why the word is changing1:07:05 This week's homework: make a blend with Cardamom, and signing off Links:Recipes from this episode + 2,000 more in the Aromatherapy Recipes app: https://www.aromatherapy-recipes.comJoin the Natural Living Club — members get our Aromatherapy 101 course free: https://www.skool.com/natural-livingWatch the class replay: https://youtu.be/iYEYejXpp48Shop Cardamom essential oil: https://www.aromatics.com/products/cardamom-essential-oilMeet Thymely, our aromatherapy research assistant: https://askthymely.com

    Tea Time: Cardamom - Warm Spice, Smarter Dilution

  2. Sep 30

    Tea Time: Carrot Seed, Two Ways - One Plant, Two Reports

    Recorded live with our community in the Natural Living Club. 📝 Heads-up: the perks in this class (free dropper caps, a free Carrot Seed or Rosehip gift, gift cards) expired with the broadcast. Every Tea Time has its own deal on that week's oil, so join us live in the Natural Living Club: https://www.skool.com/natural-living Carrot seed on a label can mean two different oils. Karen hosts this week and puts them side by side: the garden carrot, Daucus carota subspecies sativus, whose seed is harvested in the plant's second year, and the wild carrot, Queen Anne's lace, subspecies carota. It is one Latin name with two very different reports: carotol leads the garden carrot at 71%, while geranyl acetate, an ester, leads the wild carrot at 33%. Karen smells the two side by side, sorts carrot seed oil from carrot seed carrier oil and macerated carrot root oil, and makes a Roadside Calm diffuser blend, a one-drop Carrot Face Moisturizer and an Ember Glow Grounding Balm. She closes with a tour of Thymely Lite and Thymely Premium. In this episode: Carrot seed on the bottle is only the beginning of the story. The garden carrot is Daucus carota subspecies sativus; the wild carrot, Queen Anne's lace, is Daucus carota subspecies carota. Many sellers print only Daucus carota, so read the GC/MS report, or smell them.The garden carrot smells strongly of carrot: warm, earthy, softly sweet and lingering, and carotol is over 70% of it. The wild carrot is lighter, fruitier, gently floral and green, and geranyl acetate, an ester, leads it at 33%.Three different things come from the carrot: the steam-distilled essential oil from the seed, pale yellow and very aromatic; a cold-pressed carrier oil from the seed; and a macerated oil from the root, which is the orange one. For the root oil at home, dry shredded carrots, grind them to a powder and let them infuse in olive oil for a couple of days.Carrot seed is not a sunscreen: the 38 SPF you may read online has not been proven. It is usually avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and when in doubt, choose an alternative.Carrot Face Moisturizer: fill a 1 fluid ounce bottle with argan and rosehip seed oil, about half and half, then add 1 drop of the garden carrot seed. Jojoba works in place of either carrier. Label it with what is in it and when you made it.Ember Glow Grounding Balm, 1 ounce: melt 3 grams of beeswax, add apricot kernel oil, then 5 drops each of Wild Carrot, Cedarwood Atlas and Red Mandarin. Cedarwood Deodar can stand in for Atlas, and a vanilla jojoba changes the aroma of the whole balm.Both oils are strong, so 1 drop goes a long way (maybe 2 of the wild carrot). The chemistry sets the shelf life too: about 8 years for the garden carrot, about 4 for the wild carrot.Chapters:0:00 Welcome to Tea Time: Karen hosts while Jenny travels0:33 What everyone is sipping2:15 Inside the Club classroom: the Carrot Seed page, the recipes and Jenny's workbook3:21 Roadside Calm diffuser blend: 3 drops Wild Carrot, 2 Xanthoxylum, 1 Vetiver Green8:47 The plan: two carrot seeds, two GC/MS reports, two makes9:52 The garden carrot and Queen Anne's lace: one Latin name, two subspecies11:34 From seed to oil: two years in the ground, and the flower head that curls into a nest12:38 Carrot seed oil, carrot seed carrier oil and macerated carrot root oil13:47 Make your own macerated carrot oil at home18:08 Smelling them side by side: warm and earthy, or light, fruity and green19:12 The garden carrot's GC/MS report: carotol at over 70%21:31 The wild carrot's report: geranyl acetate at 33%, an ester22:32 Side by side: grounding and lingering, or lifting and bright25:16 One drop is enough, and a shelf life of about 8 years or about 426:32 Is carrot seed a sunscreen? And pregnancy and breastfeeding28:05 Carrot Face Moisturizer: argan, rosehip seed and 1 drop of Carrot Seed30:45 Ember Glow Grounding Balm: 3 grams of beeswax on the tea warmer33:01 Apricot kernel oil, Wild Carrot, Cedarwood Atlas and Red Mandarin, and the swaps36:46 From the chat: Carrot Seed hydrosol, and where the recipes live in the Club38:24 Spritz a hydrosol first, and carrier oil, essential oil and hydrosol explained38:56 The drops go in: 5 Wild Carrot, 5 Cedarwood Atlas, 5 Red Mandarin40:45 What to take home: two very different oils, so read the whole Latin name42:21 Karen's deep dive, and a Thrive Live that goes further with Carrot Seed43:24 Meet Thymely, the aromatherapy research assistant: Thymely Lite and Thymely Premium46:17 This week's gift with a $40 order, and the gift for watching live50:14 The Skool leaderboard and its $25 gift cards51:19 Xanthoxylum homework winners, and a diffuser blend with a hint of warm peach55:17 Inside Thymely Premium: the pantry, and asking about the Roadside Calm blend59:42 askthymely.com, the two plans, and the tool Jaren built1:01:34 From the chat: what Thymely Lite can answer1:02:04 Signing off, and the finished Ember Glow balm Links:Recipes from this episode + 2,000 more in the Aromatherapy Recipes app: https://www.aromatherapy-recipes.comJoin the Natural Living Club — members get our Aromatherapy 101 course free: https://www.skool.com/natural-livingWatch the class replay: https://youtu.be/f0w2XOwUyFUShop Carrot Seed (garden carrot): https://www.aromatics.com/products/carrot-seed-essential-oilShop Wild Carrot Seed (Queen Anne's lace): https://www.aromatics.com/products/wild-carrot-oilMeet Thymely, our aromatherapy research assistant: https://askthymely.com

    Tea Time: Carrot Seed, Two Ways - One Plant, Two Reports

  3. Sep 24

    Tea Time: Nutmeg - Karen's Thrive Live, Replayed

    Recorded live with our Thrive community in November 2023, and replayed in full as week three of Tea Time: The Oil Less Traveled. 📝 Heads-up: this is a replay of a members' class. Upcoming classes, workshops and member perks mentioned on air are from the original broadcast. It's for education only, not medical advice, so please talk with your doctor before using essential oils alongside any medical condition or medication. Karen and Jenny make a warming diffuser blend with Nutmeg, Cardamom and Peppermint, open the fruit to show where nutmeg and mace each come from, remember a nutmeg distillery tour in Grenada, and read the GC/MS report for the one line, myristicin, that decides how much nutmeg a blend can carry. Then comes known safety, the drop math for a 0.5% dilution, and a topical blend in jojoba with Nutmeg, Ghandi Root and Jasmine, made at the table. In this episode: Nutmeg and mace come from the same fruit: nutmeg oil is distilled from the seed, and mace from the red-orange covering wrapped around it.The ethers, myristicin above all, set how much nutmeg a blend can carry, and the amount varies a lot by country; Grenada is known for a low myristicin content. Read your batch's GC/MS report before you blend.A 0.5% dilution works out to 3 to 4 drops of nutmeg in an ounce of carrier. Nutmeg is strong, and even 1 drop tucked into a blend is noticeable.With pets, watch for sneezing: if a cat starts to sneeze, turn the diffuser off.Nutmeg keeps about 4 to 5 years, the shortest shelf life in the topical blend, and a blend keeps changing over its first 24 hours.Chapters:[0:00] Welcome, and what this class covers[1:18] The diffuser blend: Nutmeg, Cardamom and Peppermint[4:34] Bergamot Mint as a swap in the blend[5:50] Meet the plant: the fruit, the seed and the mace[6:59] Where nutmeg grows, and a distillery tour in Grenada[8:38] The chemical families: monoterpenes and ethers[9:19] Mace oil and nutmeg oil[10:26] Reading the GC/MS report[12:12] Myristicin, and why it sets how much nutmeg a blend can carry[13:24] Nutmeg in the kitchen[15:46] What the research looks at in nutmeg's components[19:17] Safrole, sassafras and the original root beer[22:50] The emotional side: inner strength, support and self-worth[29:45] Nutmeg in Chinese medicine[31:30] Known safety, and nutmeg around pets[32:37] Methyl eugenol, and working out a safe dilution[34:21] The drop math: 0.5% is 3 to 4 drops per ounce[36:29] Making the topical blend in jojoba[38:23] Shelf life, and finishing the blend with Ghandi Root and Jasmine[40:35] How a blend changes over its first 24 hours[41:09] Questions from the class Links:Recipes from this episode + 2,000 more in the Aromatherapy Recipes app: https://www.aromatherapy-recipes.comJoin the Natural Living Club — members get our Aromatherapy 101 course free: https://www.skool.com/natural-livingWatch the class replay: https://youtu.be/wfsErNKe7yQThe Thriving Aromatherapist is now Thymely Premium, with monthly live classes like this one: https://askthymely.com/

    Tea Time: Nutmeg - Karen's Thrive Live, Replayed

  4. Sep 16

    Tea Time: Xanthoxylum - The Nepal Berry With More Linalool Than Lavender

    Recorded live with our community in September 2026, week two of Tea Time: The Oil Less Traveled, a year of Wednesdays spent with one lesser-known oil at a time. 📝 Heads-up: the perks in this class, a free 5 ml of Xanthoxylum, free amber bottles, a half-price anxiety workshop, gift cards, expired with the broadcast. Every Tea Time has its own deal on that week's oil, so join us live in the Natural Living Club: https://www.skool.com/natural-living Xanthoxylum is distilled from the sun-dried red fruit of a thorny tree in the citrus family, wildcrafted in the Himalayan foothills of Nepal. This batch reads 47% linalool, more than lavender, with almost 26% d-limonene beside it. Jenny's shorthand is lavender meeting a citrus in one bottle. She opens her new Blend Planner, reads the GC/MS report line by line, runs a Mountain Calm diffuser blend, and pours a Quiet Evening Massage Oil on air, then closes with a tour of the new Thymely Lite and Thymely Premium. In this episode: This batch of Xanthoxylum, batch 109, distilled in 2024, carries 47% linalool, more than lavender, almost 26% d-limonene, and about 12% methyl cinnamate, the warm component that gives it a faint cinnamon edge. Jenny's shorthand is that it is what you would get if lavender met a citrus.Xanthoxylum keeps for 5 years, and an oil gets richer and more nuanced across its shelf life, robust until the moment it is not. A 2024 batch still has years in it.The Blend Planner: name the intention and who you are blending for, choose 2 to 4 oils, confirm them with the chemistry, then let one anchor oil carry the main purpose while the supporting oils reinforce it. Science, then art, then heart.When Jenny reaches for it: rest during cold and flu season, anxious days (Karen keeps it in a panic inhaler and an evening lotion), and a muscle and belly comfort blend, because it is antispasmodic. Grounding and uplifting in the same bottle.Mountain Calm for the diffuser: 3 drops of Xanthoxylum, 2 of Sugandha Kokila, 1 of Blue Tansy. To Jenny the oil smells sweet and uplifting with a slight peppery note; chat heard licorice, geranium, and a sour grassy edge.'Quiet Evening Massage Oil, about 2%: 2 ounces of apricot kernel oil and 2 of jojoba, then 18 drops of Xanthoxylum, 12 of lavender, 6 of Frankincense Sacra and 4 of Blue Tansy. Oil into oil stays blended; only a water base like aloe or a hydrosol needs something to bind them. Divide everything by 4 for a 1-ounce bottle.In the bottle the blend reads a little like dill; on the skin it turns sweet, because skin changes an aroma and it lands a little differently on everyone. Chapters:[0:00] Welcome to Tea Time, and a new way to say Xanthoxylum[2:43] Inside the Club classroom: the Xanthoxylum page, the data sheet, recipes and workbook[4:16] The Blend Planner: the intention, who you are blending for, and the anchor oil[7:30] Pairing the planner with Thymely Premium, and the Blenders Guild[9:51] Back to the slides: a berry oil from Nepal, and what everyone is sipping[12:05] The Blue Tansy homework thread, and a 5 ml Xanthoxylum with any $40 order[15:03] Members' Blue Tansy blends, and the body butter that melted in the car[17:28] Why meet Xanthoxylum: the Himalayan foothills, the floods, and the distillers[19:11] A 5-year shelf life, more linalool than lavender, and three recipes to start with[22:55] Mountain Calm diffuser blend: 3 drops Xanthoxylum, 2 Sugandha Kokila, 1 Blue Tansy[25:48] Chat describes the aroma: sweet, peppery, licorice, geranium, a sour grassy note[28:00] The plant: red sun-dried fruit, timur in the kitchen, and sustainable wildcrafting[30:06] Reading the GC/MS report: batch 109, 47% linalool, almost 26% d-limonene[34:01] Science, then art, then heart: what each component brings, and letting the person smell along[38:14] Karen's Xanthoxylum inhaler and evening lotion, and her 90-minute workshop[39:35] Time to blend: the live gift, a 4-pack of 4-ounce amber bottles[41:16] Apricot kernel oil: the monks' orchards, and the distiller who chooses Aromatics every year[43:57] Half jojoba, half apricot kernel, and a sourcing trip to Thailand in November[45:37] The oils go in: 18 Xanthoxylum, 12 lavender, 6 Frankincense Sacra, 4 Blue Tansy[47:54] A blue drop suspended in the carrier, and why oil in oil stays blended[48:58] Dill in the bottle, sweet on the skin, and scaling the recipe to 1 ounce[51:21] The gift for watching live, the $40 Xanthoxylum, and the Tea Time Kit[54:13] The workshop closes; a tour of the new Thymely Lite and Thymely Premium[1:00:01] Out of beta: Thymely Lite, and the perks for app and Club members[1:03:01] Chat says the bottles will not add, so Jenny walks the checkout live[1:04:46] Next week: the Nutmeg replay while the team is at the AIA conference[1:05:53] Leaderboard prizes, two things called Thymely Lite, and a grace period[1:09:32] The Blenders Guild kicks off October 1, and goodbye Links:Recipes from this episode + 2,000 more in the Aromatherapy Recipes app: https://www.aromatherapy-recipes.comJoin the Natural Living Club — members get our Aromatherapy 101 course free: https://www.skool.com/natural-livingWatch the class replay: https://youtu.be/3SJvQxr285QShop GC-MS tested essential oils: https://www.aromatics.comMeet Thymely, the aromatherapy research assistant Jenny tours in this episode: https://askthymely.com

    Tea Time: Xanthoxylum - The Nepal Berry With More Linalool Than Lavender

  5. Sep 10

    Tea Time: Blue Tansy - The Oil That Turns Blue in the Still

    Recorded live with our community in September 2026 — the first episode of Tea Time: The Oil Less Traveled, a year of Wednesdays spent with one lesser-known oil at a time. 📝 Heads-up: the perks in this class — free jars, half-price Blue Tansy, gift cards — expired with the broadcast. Every Tea Time has its own deal on that week's oil, so join us live in the Natural Living Club: https://www.skool.com/natural-living Blue Tansy is distilled from a bright yellow flower and comes out of the still deep blue. Jenny opens the series with the chemistry behind that, reads this batch's GC/MS report line by line, and whips a Blue Tansy body butter on air, frozen bowl and all. In this episode: The flower is yellow. The oil is blue because matricine turns into chamazulene in the heat of steam distillation, and German chamomile and yarrow get their blue the same way.On this batch's GC/MS report camphor and sabinene each sit just under 16%, beta-pinene at 7%, and chamazulene at only 5.74%. A small percentage can still define an oil.Blue Tansy has a strong middle note, a little apple and a little dill. Lavender softens it, Frankincense Sacra gives it a resinous base, sweet orange or yuzu brightens it. It tints a butter or lotion a soft blue but does not tint your skinReach for it on hot, itchy, irritated skin, in massage oil for muscles and joints, and where things are congested. Pairing it with German chamomile puts two blue oils to work on the same deep ache.The whipped body butter: 56 grams of shea butter, 28 grams of mango butter, 1 fluid ounce of jojoba, then 6 drops of Blue Tansy, 18 of lavender, 10 of Frankincense Sacra and 6 of sweet orange. Ten minutes in a frozen bowl was enough to whip it.Sweet orange is never phototoxic, and neither is yuzu. Grapefruit takes 25 drops in 1 ounce to become phototoxic, bergamot only 3, so check the guideline before you swap a citrus.Chapters:[0:00] Welcome to Tea Time, and the year ahead[2:18] The gift for watching live, and the jar the recipe goes in[4:15] Inside the Club classroom: building out the Tea Time course[6:57] The recipe PDF, the data sheet and the workbook[10:18] The workshop opens: a yellow flower from Morocco[12:04] "The road not taken", and the working lineup for the year[14:00] Bright Confidence diffuser blend: yuzu, lavender-infused frankincense, Blue Tansy[17:10] Blue on the orifice reducer: matricine becomes chamazulene[19:53] How the weekly gift and the half-price oil work[21:02] Melting the butters: 56 grams of shea, 28 of mango[25:34] The heart, the art and the science of an oil[28:15] Reading the GC/MS report: camphor, sabinene, beta-pinene and 5.74% chamazulene[30:06] Yellow flower, blue oil: the distillation chemistry, and the other two blue oils[31:21] Blending with Blue Tansy: apple, dill, and what to tuck it in with[32:56] When Jenny reaches for Blue Tansy, and does the blue stain?[35:42] Enrollment week: the Blenders Guild and the 12-month study group[38:58] Jojoba goes in, Larry drops by, and the frozen-bowl trick[41:16] Claiming the gift and the half-price Blue Tansy, step by step[46:00] Dropping in the oils, and the phototoxic line for citrus[48:11] Into the frozen bowl, then questions from the chat[50:17] More body butter recipes, the app, and asking Thymely[53:09] The Club classroom, a drop on white, and leaderboard thank-yous[56:36] Whipping the butter: purple foam to peaks[1:00:50] Over-whipped? Add jojoba back[1:02:03] On the skin, and counter or fridge?[1:04:12] Ten minutes in the freezer, the homework thread, and goodbye Links:Recipes from this episode + 2,000 more in the Aromatherapy Recipes app: https://www.aromatherapy-recipes.comJoin the Natural Living Club — members get our Aromatherapy 101 course free: https://www.skool.com/natural-livingWatch the class replay: https://youtu.be/tg_DhT8Vr0sShop GC-MS tested essential oils: https://www.aromatics.com

    Tea Time: Blue Tansy - The Oil That Turns Blue in the Still

  6. Sep 2

    Simple Natural Skincare: Clay Masks, Hydrosol Mists & Salt Scrubs

    From our live class archives — recorded live with our community in March 2026, as Week 2 of our Natural Living Makeover. That six-week pop-up group has since closed, and all of its content now lives inside the Natural Living Club. Heads-up: this class was packed with live-only perks. All of them have expired with the original broadcast. For current deals, browse our Sale Bin: https://www.aromatics.com/collections/on-sale In this episode, Jenny picks up where our Essential Oil Foundations class left off and puts it to work on skin. Natural skincare is where most people start — but it only works once you understand formulation and dilution. We get into what actually makes a formula function, then blend two recipes start to finish on camera. In this episode: Every carrier oil behaves differently — texture, absorption rate and fatty acid profile all change how a blend lands on skin.Hydrosols carry the plant's water-soluble chemistry, not concentrated essential oil — which is why they're gentle enough for a baby's diaper rash or an open scrape when an essential oil isn't.The shelf-life rule: the shortest-lived ingredient sets the shelf life for the whole blend. One citrus oil drops a 20-year jojoba blend to 1–2 years.Preservatives matter for water-based products, not oil-based ones — and small fresh batches usually mean you don't need one at all.Extraction method decides it: steam-distilled Lime is not phototoxic, cold-pressed Lime is.Estimating is fine for a clay mask or a salt scrub — not for a therapeutic blend.Two recipes blended live: a French green clay Glow & Ground Mask, and a Citrus Forest Polish shower scrub.Chapters:[0:00] Welcome — Week 2 of the Natural Living Makeover[1:03] Leaderboard Thank-You Gifts and a Community Tour[6:56] The Natural Living Club Support Circle[12:15] Quiz Round — Five True or False Questions[12:49] Every Carrier Oil Behaves Differently[15:00] Fatty Acid Profiles: Jojoba, Argan and Apricot Seed[17:42] Do Hydrosols Hydrate Because They're Full of Essential Oil?[19:18] A Word on Essential Oils in Food[22:00] What a Hydrosol Actually Is[23:02] Why Hydrosols Are Gentle Where Essential Oils Aren't[25:44] When Preservatives Genuinely Matter[27:54] The Shelf-Life Rule for Oil-Based Blends[28:57] Water-Based Products, Mold and Natural Preservatives[33:16] Linalool and Skin-Soothing Properties[37:04] Substituting an Oil by Chemical Family[41:21] Cooling, Warming and Hot Oils[45:42] The Five Week 2 Skincare Recipes[49:59] Blending Live: Glow & Ground Clay Mask[56:25] Why a Clay Mask Tightens as It Dries[57:29] Blending Live: Citrus Forest Polish Shower Scrub[1:04:58] Wipe Down the Shower — a Real Safety Note[1:09:48] Closing, Winners and Next Steps Links:Recipes from this episode + 2,000 more in the Aromatherapy Recipes app: https://www.aromatherapy-recipes.comJoin the Natural Living Club — members get our Aromatherapy 101 course free: https://www.skool.com/natural-livingWatch the class replay: https://youtu.be/Dm9InQL4O90Shop the oils, hydrosols, carriers and clays from this episode: https://www.aromatics.com

    Simple Natural Skincare: Clay Masks, Hydrosol Mists & Salt Scrubs

  7. Aug 27

    Essential Oils & the Summer Sun: Phototoxic Oils to Know (+ Cooling Mist Recipe)

    From our live class archives — recorded live with our community in July 2026. 📝 Heads-up: this class was packed with live-only perks — free spray bottles for anyone ordering during the broadcast, free hydrosols on $75+ orders, member gift picks, homework giveaway winners, the 7-Day Leaderboard and a Fourth of July sale. All of it expired with the original broadcast. For current deals, browse our Sale Bin: https://www.aromatics.com/collections/on-sale In this episode, we explore how furanocoumarins in cold-pressed citrus oils like Bergamot and Lemon can increase skin sensitivity to UV light, leading to phototoxic reactions. We discuss safe alternatives, such as using Lemon Verbena hydrosol, which offers a citrusy aroma without the phototoxic risk. Listen in for insights on safe summer blending and how to enjoy your favorite citrus scents under the sun. In this episode: Furanocoumarins in cold-pressed citrus oils can be phototoxic — and they don't show up on a GC-MS report, so you work from known safe dilutions.Phototoxic oils are not off-limits, they have a ceiling: roughly 2 drops of Bergamot, 12 drops of Lemon or 24 drops of Grapefruit per ounce of carrier.The extraction method decides it: cold-pressed Lime is strongly phototoxic, steam-distilled Lime is not — and the Lime we carry is distilled.Sweet Orange, Blood Orange, Mandarin, Petitgrain and Bergamot Mint are not phototoxic. Bergamot Mint is a mint, not a citrus.Beyond citrus, watch Angelica Root (max 0.8%) and Cumin (max 0.4%).Lemon Verbena hydrosol gives a bright citrus lift with none of the sun risk — the base of the Sun Smart Cooling Body Mist blended live in this class.Chapters:0:00 Welcome to the Summer Skin Series1:03 Special Offers and Gifts5:07 Natural Living Club Updates13:21 Respecting the Sun16:39 Understanding Phototoxic Reactions23:00 Phototoxic Essential Oils28:08 Angelica Root and Safety Tips35:08 Safe Sun-Friendly Oils40:33 Peppermint Hydrosol Gift48:12 Sun Smart Cooling Body Mist Recipe57:19 Multifaceted Products and Usage1:05:06 Fourth of July Sale and Closing Remarks Want the chemistry behind all of this? The Blend by Chemistry series is here in the feed — linalool, d-limonene, linalyl acetate, 1,8-cineole, α-pinene and β-caryophyllene, one component per episode. Links:Recipes from this episode + 2,000 more in the Aromatherapy Recipes app: https://www.aromatherapy-recipes.comJoin the Natural Living Club — weekly live classes and member gift picks: https://www.skool.com/natural-livingWatch the class replay: https://youtu.be/imHS368F6xAShop GC-MS tested essential oils: https://www.aromatics.com

    Essential Oils & the Summer Sun: Phototoxic Oils to Know (+ Cooling Mist Recipe)

  8. Aug 20

    β-Caryophyllene: Deep Support and Restoration (Blend by Chemistry, Week 6)

    Recorded live with our community. 📝 Heads-up: mentions of free gifts, gift cards, giveaways, or workshop offers were specific to the original broadcast. For current deals, browse our Sale Bin: https://www.aromatics.com/collections/on-sale This episode dives into beta-caryophyllene, a sesquiterpene with a 15-carbon structure, making it a heavier, slower-evaporating component. Found in oils like Copaiba and Black Pepper, it adds depth and longevity to blends. We explore its chemistry and how it supports more balanced, grounding aromatherapy experiences. In this episode: Beta-caryophyllene is a sesquiterpene with 15 carbons, making it heavier and a base note.Copaiba Balsam is the richest beta-caryophyllene oil on the shelf, and Black Pepper leads with it too.Understanding chemical components allows for confident oil substitution in blends.A salt inhaler is a simple DIY project that's practical and accessible.Beta-caryophyllene's slow evaporation rate enhances the longevity of essential oil blends.Chapters:0:00 Welcome2:43 Thanking the community6:04 What the six weeks were building toward8:16 Week 6 opens, and the warm-up diffuser blend11:39 Why Jenny built this series21:24 The arnica infusion, and a harvest they had written off28:49 Giveaway winners and the Pinyon Pine workshop33:03 Beta-caryophyllene: fifteen carbons, not ten34:38 Copaiba Balsam, and why it is not for sale yet35:52 How much of a component is actually enough36:18 Hops, and what it really smells like42:08 This week's gifts44:44 Thrive, and the monthly oil workshops46:59 Next Wednesday: the pathways open house50:20 Jenny's Thank-You Blend, made start to finish55:37 Where the lessons live after September 101:05:20 After hours: testing the salt inhaler Links:Recipes from this episode + 2,000 more in the Aromatherapy Recipes app: https://www.aromatherapy-recipes.comJoin the free Natural Living Lab: https://www.skool.com/natural-living-makeover-nowWatch the class replay: https://youtu.be/fCZPErcLVf0Shop GC-MS tested essential oils: https://www.aromatics.com

    β-Caryophyllene: Deep Support and Restoration (Blend by Chemistry, Week 6)
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About

We're Jenny and Karen, and this podcast is our live classes, recorded as they happen. We blend on camera, share the recipes we make along the way, and answer the questions people ask in the chat. Most weeks it's Tea Time with the Natural Living Club, where we spend the hour with one oil you may never have met. Some weeks we replay a favorite class from our Thrive archive. The show comes from the companies we run together. Aromahead Institute is where we teach aromatherapy, from first classes through certification. Aromatics International is where we source and bottle the essential oils we use in class, with a GC-MS report behind every essential oil lot. Thymely is our aromatherapy research assistant that answers from our own library and shows you its sources. Whether you're opening your first bottle or have been blending for years, pull up a chair.

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