Grateful Aromatics

08/14/2026

A Registered Aromatherapist (RA), as designated by the Aromatherapy Registration Council® (ARC), promotes the delivery of the safe and effective practice of Aromatherapy.

✅️ They have met the ARC eligibility requirements including the completion of a minimum of a 200 hour professional aromatherapy course and passed the ARC Registration Examination in Aromatherapy. The ARC exam is an independent proctored examination (composed of 250 multiple-choice questions) administered at various testing locations around the world.

✅️ RAs are committed to continued personal and professional growth in the practice of aromatherapy and are required to complete a minimum of 100 continuing education credits every 5 years or retake and pass the then current exam.

✅️ RAs also abide by the ARC Code of Ethics for Aromatherapists, and have demonstrated they possess a standard of knowledge requisite for registration.

Registration assures employers, the public, and members of other professions in the assessment of them as an Aromatherapist.

To find a Registered Aromatherapist, or to learn more about how to become one, visit:
https://aromatherapycouncil.org/

08/11/2026

08/11/2026

There are those that believe hydrosols (also known as hydrolats) are nothing more than watered down essential oils, but that is definitely not the case. Even if essential oils were able to be diluted by water, (they aren't by the way, at least not without help from a proper solubilizer) you still would not end up with a hydrosol.

That is because, in addition to miniscule amounts of essential oil constituents, they also contain the volatile, water-soluble constituents from the plant that are not present in the essential oil. Even out of the volatile aromatic compounds that they do share, the ratios are not the same in both products because some of those chemical constituents are more water-soluble than others.

So for the most part, hydrosols do not smell like their essential oil counterparts and it is very possible to hate the aroma of one, but love the other.

Here are some examples:

🌿 Due to the fact that the main chemical constituents of Rose essential oil and the hydrosol are completely different, the EO does not have that rosey aroma that many people expect. However, the hydrosol smells much more like fresh roses due to its Phenylethyl Alcohol content. It also reminds me of the bath oil beads my Grandmother would put in the tub for me as a child.

🌿 If it were not for the label, I would have never been able to identify Roman Chamomile hydrosol because it smells nothing like the essential oil.

🌿 Neroli hydrosol has a sweeter smell than the EO and it reminds me of Tea Olives (Osmanthus fragrans) when they are in bloom.

🌿 I hate the smell of Geranium essential oil but love the mild and sweeter floral aroma of the hydrosol.

Additionally, because they are chemically different from their essential oil counterparts, there are even things they can do that essential oils cannot.

Another plus is, due to their very gentle nature because they only contain a fraction of a percent of aromatic volatiles, they are a safer option to use with young children and pets.

What hydrosols do you love or hate?
Let me know in the comments.

Learn more about aromatherapy at the link below:
https://aromaticelements.com/what-is-aromatherapy/

08/10/2026

Agree wholeheartedly!

How often do you see people telling you to use essential oils to clean naturally online?

I see it all the time.

But the recommendations I see on places like social media or Pinterest usually do one of the following:

1) They don’t actually clean, sanitize, disinfect etc. as they claim to.

2) They recommend using DIY products that are going to end up full of germs themselves or ineffective due to poor formulation choices.

3) The DIY recommendations end up being no more than essential oil waste.

None of that is good.

For anyone who prefers to clean without the use of synthetic chemicals and has been looking for information on how to do so, the Formulation Practicum piece linked in the comments may be helpful. It discusses natural cleaning, its constraints, and matters to consider before taking it on. It also includes 5 aromatherapy formulas—actual formulas—that can be scaled to your needs in freshening your home. These formulas and the recommendations for use and storage fall in line with the scope and philosophy of the Practicum as has been previously described in its introduction.

You may also find that essential oils play a different role than you’ve been lead to believe.

Formulas included:

1) Lemon & Peppermint Himalayan Salt Crystals
2) Tranquil, Woodsy Diffuser Blend
3) Lavender Linen Spray
4) Garden Bouquet Aromatherapy Sachets
5) Refreshing Room Spray

I hope everyone enjoys their Friday. 🩵

08/05/2026

I find common myths as frustrating as the rest of you, and this one has been around seemingly forever and comes with significant risks that can't be ignored.

The question we need to be asking, however, is why? Why do myths like water being a suitable diluent for essential oils persist?

The answer is more complex than a Facebook post can cover. But knowing how and why misinformation develops helps us to understand how to counter it, and there is a lot we can do to fight against misinformation online.

This Substack piece will show you why water doesn't dilute essential oils. But it will also show you the mechansims that allow such misinformation to develop and spread, why it's difficult to get rid of, and offer a path forward for how to help stop myths like this from keeping the grasp they do on people.

The link is in the comments below. Thank you to all subscribers helping to support this work. 💙

08/04/2026

I saw that worrying
had come to nothing
and I gave it up
and took my old body
and went out into the morning and sang ~ Mary Oliver

Artist Alireza Karimi Moghaddam

08/03/2026

If you were a w**d, who would you be?