The Basics of Aromatherapy and Quality Essential Oils

Liza Docken 0:00
We really have an interesting view of Aromatherapy in the states we, we were introduced to aromatherapy through English aromatherapy primarily, which is typically based on scent formulation for how it smells and then applying it to the body with massage or something like that, which is beautiful. And we obviously love that as well. But pronto really comes at it from French medical aromatherapy, which is choosing an oil based on its constituents, and its scent, but the constituents are the primary focus.

Brian Strickland 0:35
You’re listening to the nutrition world podcast, a show about navigating the intricacies of holistic wellness. We’re a natural health food store located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and we believe that optimal health and peak performance should be accessible to everyone.

Cady Kuhlman 0:58
Hi, Eliza. Hey, thanks for joining us today on our podcast. We’re delighted to have you on here and dive into essential oils and aromatherapy today. Thanks for having me. Yeah, you’re welcome. So I know you’re a certified aroma therapist. And you’ve been doing this since the 90s. So tell me what really got you into this idea of holistic healing and, and essentially what got you into essential oils.

Liza Docken 1:20
Part of it for me, as a child, I had digestive issues that were always treated symptomatically. And there wasn’t a lot going at the cars. And my dad introduced me to the health food store in the neighborhood. And that was really how I started seeing this integrative approach with medicine. And I’ve always loved being outside, and I love plants. And so those two things came together pretty naturally for me, because in my mind, plants have so many stories to tell. And in this industry, one story is herbalism. And one story is aromatherapy and another is homeopathy or flower essences, but how they can help us to bring the body back into balance in one way or another is really exciting for me. So my first job at health, that was the health food store I started working at, and I just started learning, obviously every day and having people come in and asking questions and seeing how beneficial treating the cause was really inspired me. And so I just kept going. And so here I am 20 plus years later, and aromatherapy probably speaks to me the most in terms of that balance piece, it really is something that speaks to balance in a way that I’ve not heard other schools of plant medicine talk about it. And maybe that’s because it just spoke to me in the right way. Yeah,

Cady Kuhlman 3:00
oh, that’s a beautiful story. I love when you get into you know, your career and you’re in your ultimate job based upon a passion, I think then that makes the job, you know, not be so much of a job, but instead sharing this that, you know, is true and real and wholesome. And you’re we were speaking before, even before the podcast about how, you know, the the future of our world depends on getting to the root cause and getting to get people to live their best life through getting back to those root causes. And those not just treating a symptom, not a pill for an ill. And so, you know, that’s our mission and nutrition. We’re all that’s our mission on this podcast is to share those things. So to get back to what can we do to help with the actual root cause. And so I think a lot of people don’t know, the actual benefits of essential oils, they may not know how therapeutically their dose, they may not realize that 1000s and 1000s of flowers go in to make one bottle and you could probably speak a little bit more to that but just start diving in a little bit on the potency of essential oils and, and a little bit more about that.

Liza Docken 4:08
Yeah, aromatherapy gives us probably the most concentrated plant medicine that’s available. Because as you mentioned, it’s 2000 pounds of lavender flower and a gallon of essential oil. And if you think about the landmass required to grow 2000 pounds of lavender, which is a lightweight flour, you get a better sense of really the potency available, but also then offers maybe that glimpse into Okay, I need to respect that concentration. I don’t need the whole bottle. I only need one drop, at least to start right because you can then say oh I can always add more but it’s really hard to take away once you add something in so it’s you At the potency is I think one of the biggest aspects that speaks to aromatherapy as its own branch of phytotherapy. Rather than taking along or trying to catch up, we really have an interesting view of Aromatherapy in the states we, we were introduced to aromatherapy through English aromatherapy primarily, which is typically based on scent formulation for how it smells and then applying it to the body with massage or something like that, which is beautiful. And we obviously love that as well. But pronto really comes at it from French medical aromatherapy, which is choosing an oil based on its constituents. And its scent, but the constituents are the primary focus. And so the concentrated nature is important, but also knowing the constituents within that concentration, and then how to apply those is where we come into the conversation. And that sets us apart from most companies. So yeah, I think that there’s, there’s so much more to explore in that area, and a lot to illuminate for people because they’re starting to see this difference and wanting to know more about it. So I’m glad we’re having this conversation, too.

Cady Kuhlman 6:14
Yeah, I definitely am. And I know, you know, I spoke last night with you about this and the group that we had for our seminar. But when I found out about prana room, which we’ll touch on as a brand and a whole, you know, how amazing is this company, but when I first is introduced to prana room, we had carried other brands within our store. And I was so highly impressed by the science and the purity and how far they took the education behind the oils. And honestly, there’s a handbook that you know, is released through prana room. And you may speak to that, but when I was when I looked through and and each individual plant was broken down into how to use it, the constituents within it, is it safe for pregnancy, breastfeeding, like all of this extensive work within aromatherapy and essential oils, I was blown away, I really was blown away. And I actually immediately said, we have to get rid of our other brands in our store. And we have to move to prana realm and you know, that matches our model of our store is to just have the best of the best. And to me prana realm is the best of the best in the essential oil world. So I guess speak a little bit more to the company itself and how it got its origins and what it’s like in other countries because I know it is a

Liza Docken 7:30
Yeah, yeah, our origins are in Belgium, actually. A Belgian pharmacist and aromatherapist formed the company in 91. So we’re more than 30 years into it in terms of innovation research and development. But as a pharmacist, he was of course drawn to the French medical method of aromatherapy, where in his past life, as I call it, using constituents to make medicine, the plants create those constituents naturally, we don’t need to synthesize them. And they can be used as medicine. So in Europe, internal use happens to prescription of essential oils, which is fascinating. And as prana, Rome has grown, they’re the number one essential oil company in Europe. They have now moved into other markets, including obviously here in the United States. And as the number one organic essential oil line, I think we’re just we’re just at that start of really getting people to see how wonderful these things can be in terms of an a scientific approach. And sometimes that word can be off putting to people. But I think if we can open up the conversation to constituents in a way that feels welcoming, that’s all we need. Because as soon as people feel welcome to use a product, it’s, it’s smooth sailing after that, so opens the door for him. Absolutely. Yeah. I know, as someone who you know, in the early years of working in health food stores, it’s daunting, there’s so much information, and especially with aromatherapy. I’m often asked questions, and people would love to have a yes or no answer or a one stop shop answer and that doesn’t exist in aromatherapy. And it’s based on those constituents. Every oil has between say three to 300 constituents depending on the oil. Some are more active than others. And that in itself can be a lot of conversation, but it speaks to how we can use the oils. It speaks to its safety. It speaks to who can use it, what populations it’s appropriate for. So there isn’t a set answer in terms of Is Aromatherapy okay for children? Well, yes. And let’s talk about how we safely do that. Same for Pets, immune compromised folks all kinds of things to consider. And so it’s a very rich, rich world of information. Yeah,

Cady Kuhlman 10:11
I love that I really do. And I think when, when people maybe have used another brand, and this would be never to shame, or we’re not going to speak about, you know, down on another brand, but if people have used another brand that may be not as concentrated may not be organic, may be different, I’ll often hear that they’re dousing themselves in, you know, 10 drops of this, and they’re, they’re mixing, you know, this into their diffuser, and they’re just blasting through their house. And one thing that immediately set private room apart for me, was I legitimately do one drop into my diffuser, and I’m more of a sensitive smell kind of olfactory person, I suppose. So I, you know, one drop, one drop, if I was to rub it on, one drop on my foot, and the bottle lasts me forever, but I’m dosing it so that I actually am getting an effect. So I’m not just trying to be cheap and save the money, it truly is so concentrated that it’s working on that level. And I think another, you know, big thing for me is I have two little boys. And I just adore the fact that there is a line of baby and kids safe products from prana realm so that for the person that maybe doesn’t have the time to dive in and go into each individual oil at that moment in their life, they’re able to see those three, you know, blends the purify the sleep, and the play, play. And it’s just a wonderful, I’ll just do a couple drops, depending on what we’re using it for in the house and feel safe about it and also feel like, yeah, I just feel so good about it when I use it. And you know, I know essential oils came kind of big into the the health food space, I remember probably 10 years ago, maybe the other brands were growing and I was seeing it in Walmart’s and targets and kind of everywhere. And my concern when something gets big like that is Oh no. Is it being used properly? Are people understanding how to use it? And when I saw pronto, Rome, I thought that’s taken care of there they are understanding how to use it.

Liza Docken 12:09
Yeah, there’s so little regulation in terms of what can be labeled an essential oil. And that is why, well, part of why organic certification is so important to us. Because that does allow us to say something, make a claim and stand by it. But it’s true. You find essential oils everywhere now. And when you walk into TJ Maxx, and they have essential oils, and they’re very, very affordable. Very you go, Oh, I would love to use this. But there’s no way to know what’s in it. Because they don’t actually have to list. Okay, if there’s synthetics or adulterants in it, they can simply label it essential oil. And that’s that. So that makes it tricky, right? It does. But there’s also so many layers to aromatherapy, in terms like as you mentioned, scent sensitivity. One drop is actually enough for most people, whether they’re scent sensitive or not. The olfactory system is fascinating to me. Every time you breathe in an essential oil, you’re sending messages with those molecules, those sent molecules to your brain. So the olfactory nerves are hanging down into the nasal cavity. They take in those sent molecule messages. It crosses the ethmoid bone into the olfactory bulb, and carries it to the limbic system. That’s amazing. Your eye, hypothalamus, the hippocampus, the amygdala, this is all part of the limbic system. And they’re responsible for monitoring your autonomic nervous system, your memories, your emotions, your hormones and things like that. So simply smelling an oil is having an effect physiologically to some degree or another. And of course, there are levels of scent ability, right? Some people have a really strong sense of smell. But there’s still something happening there. And it’s just it’s this, it’s the most beautiful, subtle layer, right? And then you can get more nuanced or less nuanced and to more of a gross application, but it’s, it offers a world of options. And again, that’s what I love about aromatherapy is that there is not one answer. There is not one application, there is not one oil, there are so many options. There’s so many applications. But starting there simply smelling it even out of the bottle is a great way to become more familiar with a scent to notice how the body responds. So for example, grab one of these bottles. What I love doing with people is having them take a moment with a bottle. And what I mean by take a moment is if you’re willing to close your eyes Bring the bottle to the nose and then breathe in. Notice where in your body responds to breathing in that sense, even if it’s a combination of three, four oils, somewhere, and your body’s gonna respond, and that oftentimes speaks to where the oil is going to help you. So our sense of smell is huge. Even if it’s not that strong, breathing in something is still going to light up some part of your body as to where like, oh, yeah, my body loves it in my, you know, the chest cavity or in the back of the neck or something like that. I mean, every time it’s different, so that what

Cady Kuhlman 15:41
kind of came to my mind with that is almost strengthening our own intuitions for what is going to work for each individual person. And I was thinking that this morning, weighs on my mind a lot that to me, and I don’t want to get too into this. But there’s a loss of intuition, it seems sometimes in our culture, and a loss of wisdom and trust, I think in our own body for healing, but also in our own. I kind of witnessed it in in those years of young motherhood with some, you know, other mothers where they’re, they’re confused. What do I do with this? Should we do this? Should we do this? And I’ve noticed if I can breathe and center myself, I normally know the answer to move forward as a mother. So that’s another thing. But with essential oils, that might be a thing to walk up to the shelf. And actually, if you’re feeling what overwhelmed, what do I do, close your eyes smell, and then see what you feel, you know what I mean? And that sort of things. That’s what you’re kind of saying is like stepping into your own body, your own awareness in your own self, and then seeing how that made you feel?

Liza Docken 16:41
Well, what’s fascinating about constituents is that they’re not just therapeutic, they actually affect the smell of the oil. And so they really will tell you how they can be helpful. Because it is overwhelming to stand at a display and go, Okay, where do I start? What should I do? But at the end of the day, it really is it’s aroma therapy. And so it is about smelling, so I highly encourage people to set aside some time coming in, in nutrition world, and just spend the day if you can smell your oils, right I mean, who has time for a whole day, but in my in my world, that sounds like heaven. So really taking time to take in the aroma is the first step to understanding how is this oil going to help me and how does it will and does my body want it? Because intuition, like you said is, is key.

Cady Kuhlman 17:36
So tell me a little bit about lavender because I know we all know about lavender, but you guys have different types of lavender. And I actually know that lavender I’ve heard is being used in a couple of hospitals. I don’t know if you could speak to that a little bit. But they are seeing the effects of calming and healing per se with lavender.

Liza Docken 17:55
Lavender is really the panacea of aromatherapy. There’s a reason why it’s the most popular it’s three there’s a reason why most people know lavender first before they know most other essential oils. Lavender has been treasured for ever. It feels like it was brought to England by the Romans for their baths. It’s been used in washing. It’s been used for healing. Hospitals absolutely love it in terms of its ability to help people stay calm. The anxiety of surgery or just being in the hospital is a lot and lavender absolutely will help soothe that has an aroma therapist there’s always the joke like well when in doubt use lavender if there’s if there’s a if there’s a cause or a reason to use aromatherapy start with lavender. It will likely help it has so many applications but there are different types. So Brian Rome has three we’ve got the RS true lavender, which is love and doula angustifolia that’s the lavender most people are familiar with. That’s your I want to relax, I want to calm down or I’ve got a burn or I’ve got a bug bite or I’ve got sunburn, something like that. We have lavender reserve, which is also love and doula angustifolia but it is grown in a slightly higher altitude, okay. And it’s a beautiful heirloom seed. It’s grown in Earth that has only ever grown lavender. Wow, it’s a really special product and it’s that it’s reserved for a reason the same way you would use a bottle of wine that’s reserved you save it for a special occasion maybe. So it has probably a little more floral aroma, a little less earthy green quality to it. But some similar applications. Although the different altitude will affect the constituents of the oil, so taking the same plant and growing it in different places will change the constituents that are produced by the plant when an essential oil is distilled. But then lastly we have spike lavender. This is love and doula spicata. And it smells like lavender and rosemary had a baby. It’s gorgeous. That’s cool. And while it does have lemon law and some, some amounts of linalool acetate, those are the two main constituents for the true lavender. It’s going to be a little bit higher in Sunil one, eight, Sunil and camphor. So it’s a little bit more stimulating. It’s a little bit more huh. You know, it’s an it’s a lavender you would use if Respiratory Care was your primary concern. While true lavender would be helpful to some degree. That cineole effect in the spike lavender is going to have a little bit more and so

Cady Kuhlman 20:52
Okay, what about for testing anxiety that kind of came to my mind? Like, would you use that type of lavender,

Liza Docken 20:58
I would use true lavender, lavender. Okay, I like spike lavender when there’s something more. If you need a slightly stronger approach, okay. It can be used for sunburn in the way true lavender is used. It can be used on bug bites, it can be used with acne, it’s great on actually some of those deeper cystic acne experiences rather than the more superficial. But it’s not interchangeable. So for little ones, lavender is often the go to for moms. I’m a mom too. So I love lavender. But due to the constituents of Simeon, camphor, and it’s energizing quality, it’s not what you would choose, if you were trying to calm down the house at the end of the day, it’s going to energize a little bit more. And while they’re both great for muscle joint support, the spike lavender is going to be a little bit more of that in terms of you know, you’ve just worked out at the gym, maybe you hit it a lecture hard, or you ran a marathon for the first time and your muscles are saying oh my gosh, the spike lavender might be a little bit more potent in that application, then the true lavender would be Gotcha. Yeah,

Cady Kuhlman 22:09
that’s wonderful. I truly had no idea the differences between all those and I didn’t know that one could be a little more energizing, because you do think of lavender and you automatically think of calm relaxation. But then that’s really neat to me, you could still have some of those properties with a mix of the energizing you know ability with it. So on the constituents. It’s so fascinating. And you said constituents can go between what three and up to 300 and each type of oil, or you have a plant. Okay?

Liza Docken 22:37
Yeah. It’s yeah, the range is probably even more varied than that. I think of wintergreen essential oil. It has methyl salicylate in it, okay. That’s its main constituent, it is actually 99% methyl salicylate, it is one of the only essential oils, at least that I’m aware of, that has such a high percentage of one single constituent. Methyl salicylate is something that you’ll find in things like Icy Hot or been gay, right? So wintergreen is a natural ingredient for our romaji zyk line for the muscle and joint cream, the spray. But when you have something like that, obviously, there’s a little bit more safety concern involved. Sure. So you’ve got something like wintergreen and then I’m trying to think of one of the oils that has black spruce is not the best example. But it has at least 135 constituents in it. Wow. And obviously, some are going to be higher in percentage, but that’s when that’s pretty well diversified in terms of its constituents. And so, you know, when we talk about, I mean, I’m just going to make an analogy to tumeric. This is my favorite way to talk about constituents when we talk about tumeric. We know that curcumin in turmeric is really great for inflammation. But there are many other the entourage effect of these other constituents in tumeric. And I always think about okay, we knew Tumeric was helpful, because we saw people whose diets were rich and Tumeric had better inflammation response in the body. They weren’t extracting curcumin from the root of tumeric. Right. And so what happens is that those other constituents they’re finding are inactive until your body needs them, and then they become active for your body. Wow. So while black spruces, 135 constituents may not all be active all the time, some element in there is going to light up when you need it, if that’s the oil that you’re using, right so they’re active when they need to be so to mess with nature that has all of these perfectly laid out options for us, you know, to say like, well, we don’t need these right 134 other constituents I just want this one. I always think, well, what how do we know that? I know I I

Cady Kuhlman 25:00
feel that way. Yeah, I know there’s, you know, different opinions on that, as well as

Liza Docken 25:03
I take curcumin extract sometimes if I’m injured but sure, yeah, typically it’s the whole route.

Cady Kuhlman 25:08
I feel that way too. Yeah. All the part of the plant, right. So the way we’ve always known and done for 1000s of years, and that’s the way nature knew how to grow it. So we stick with that it

Liza Docken 25:16
has survived a very long time in that way.

Cady Kuhlman 25:18
Yeah, yeah, exactly. So I know with prana Rome, this was pretty fascinating to me, these three that you had brought in a strong roots when a natural shine and a beard oil. So this may be takes us almost to what would the word be not superficial? But you know, somewhat of a, how can we kind of enhance our hair enhance our beard? And we can do that with essential oils? So it’s kind of the bridge there of right. Yeah, so talk to me a little bit about those,

Liza Docken 25:47
the strong roots is a formulation that we came up with to support follicle function, and scalp health. And when those two things are functioning in their most optimal way, our hair is gonna grow more quickly, more easily, and really more full, head of hair will be grown. And so we wanted to help people, a lot of times people will come in asking for, I mean, I’m thinking of my retail days, you know, I would like something for my scalp, I would like to my hair to grow more full more all the time, right, I would like my hair to be more shiny. And that really starts at the scalp and in the follicles. So that’s what the strong roots is

Cady Kuhlman 26:32
for. And how would you apply this like, before you shower at night after before you

Liza Docken 26:36
shower, either a half hour before or the night before? Gotcha. So a whole range of options, but at least a half an hour, I like to what I do is I warm the oil between fingertips. And then you want to massage into the scalp and Tiny little circles. So circular massaging really helps to boost circulation in the scalp as well. So it’s a win win there. And then let it sit for half an hour or overnight. If you’ve got a warm towel, you can wrap that around the head, give it a little boost that heat will really help to absorb the oils in a way that it might not have.

Cady Kuhlman 27:09
Cool. Yeah, yes, all the time, ladies with hair it is falling out. And yeah, you know, I do address their their diet and their thyroid and their iron levels and these other things that can kind of be underlying that. But they are always wanting a topical, you know, aid in potential solution as well. And I speak oftentimes about cleaning up toxins within their haircare and their shampoos and conditioners. Because if they’re using something that’s just completely, you know, laden with stripping, chemicals and chemicals that are not going to create a strong healthy follicle, then we’ve got to remove that. But I think that goes perfect in conjunction with adding something that could stimulate those follicles. So I love that it’s very unique. It’s a

Liza Docken 27:53
beautiful product it’s made with rosemary, that’s one of the essential oils that are present. And Rosemary is great for boosting circulation for while Rosemary is great for memory and clarity as well. So I love massaging you into the scalp because you’re getting that aromatic experience while you’re also getting the therapeutic benefit. So

Cady Kuhlman 28:14
that’s really neat. Yeah, that’s so neat. And this one natural shine, Go Natural Shine

Liza Docken 28:18
is a blend, um, they’re all blend of carrier oil and essential oil and the natural shine is purely just to bring some extra shine to the hair, your hair is incredibly shiny. So you would not need this product, I love your hair. But for those who maybe have, you know, when there’s product build up, if your hair is being stripped by shampoos that maybe have chemicals or sulfates in them, um, you’re gonna lose some of the shine, and heat styling, of course, we’ll always do that. But the natural shine just really helps boost the natural health and the shine of the hair.

Cady Kuhlman 28:54
Cool. Yeah. And that’s when you would apply it the same way

Liza Docken 28:57
that is warm between the hands. And then I tend to only apply it from a few inches away from the roots and down makes sense. It’s you always want to start small, smaller the amount, the better. And then you can always add later as I always say start small, you can always add more. And the beard oil is really about nourishing not just the hair on the face, but also the skin underneath. Especially when beards get thick and long. That skin that’s hiding underneath there gets forgotten it can become dry, irritated. So it speaks both to the hair of the beard the skin underneath it, but it can also be used as a razor glide if you’re cleaning up around the beard. Gotcha with the razor.

Cady Kuhlman 29:43
Oh, that’s nice to know. So tell me I guess as we you know, kind of drawn near the end here. I always like to give people you know the journey of 1000 steps begins with that for 1000 miles begins with that first little step and when people feel like they they need the first direction to start, I think you gave him a great tip of come in and just begin by smelling the oils to kind of figure out which way to go. But I also, you know, I know that we do have some of these booklets and I kind of wanted to share that if you don’t mind. Yeah, of course. So you know, this scientific aromatherapy, the guidebook and the chemo typed essential oils. So this from prawn arome, diving into each oil and its constituents, whether it’s safe to be diffused internal topical use, we do always keep these next to the Parana realm on our shelf. So this is a great guidebook, I think to for people to know they can come in as a reference and, and dive deeper. Like I said, I don’t I would never want someone to feel so overwhelmed that they’re like, I don’t know where to begin, because we do know where to begin if we kind of draw into our own intuitions and self and our own smells and and start in that place. Do you feel like people have to have a diffuser? Do you feel like it’s enough to smell you know, to breathe them in? Or what’s your opinion on

Liza Docken 30:57
that? I think the diffuser is the next step after getting familiar with an oil straight from the bottle. And well, lavender might seem. For some they’re like I’m so sick of lavender. Well, there’s a reason we’re using it so often. So lavender is a great way to start simply by building a relationship with oil. How do I respond to this oil? How do I feel when I smell this oil. But yes, the diffuser is the easy next step, because the diffuser allows you to bring an aroma into your environment, with very little effort, you add some water, you add a drop or two of your essential oil, you turn it on, and then you can go about your day, whether you’re working for home, you’ve got it at the office, or you’re just having a day at home, you then have that environmental shift from that aroma bringing into it right. So the atmosphere is shifted, and then you get to experience what that’s like, as you take in the scent throughout the day. And then from there, you can, of course move into topical uses and things like that. But smelling the oil really is the first step in a relationship with aromatherapy.

Cady Kuhlman 32:09
Perfect. And then what do you feel about, in your opinion, as aroma therapist and also maybe mixed with prana realms but ingesting essential oils? Because we will get that question all the time. And as a store, we’ve always been a bit cautious about saying that we could do this, I do refer to this book, you know as to what it says based upon Could this one be ingested or not. But what’s your what would be some guides for that for people.

Liza Docken 32:36
The first step in my opinion would be to start with a pre, a pre diluted encapsulated option, we have seven single notes available as mini caps. The reason I suggest that as a start is that you don’t have to do the proper dilution, you don’t have to figure out which carrier oil you’re going to use, you don’t have to encapsulate it, that can be a lot of work. And you really want the essential oil to get down into the system to then disperse itself through your system. And the reason that this is so important is that essential oils as an oil, they are hydrophobic. So if you’re adding them say to your water, it’s going to stay on the surface, it’s not gonna disperse through your water. And while they’re oils, they actually act more like a gas. And that means they want to absorb into the first tissue they come in contact with. So if it’s on the surface of your water, you drink the water, you’re absorbing all that essential oil into the tissues of your mouth and the esophageal tract. That’s not where we’re looking to put a concentrated plant medicine, necessarily. Sure, there’s some mouthwash recipes I’ve seen in some gargles right that you would want to do that with but if you’re simply trying to get this essential oil into the body for some health benefits, we offer lemon, lemongrass, lavender, ginger, peppermint, ravensara, and oregano. Those are really the most sought after. And that makes easy. No muss, no fuss. Yeah, I agree, usage. Beyond that this booklet is wonderful, because it does talk about the need for it to be in an oil, or even honey or yogurt. But it needs something that’s going to help carry it into the body. Water is not the vessel.

Cady Kuhlman 34:21
Okay, that’s wonderful. Yeah, cuz I know for a while peppermint became very popularized, and people will be coming in saying I’m adding drops to make this a mint. Peppermint smoothie, you know, kind of a, and I was thinking, Oh, I don’t I don’t know about that. It doesn’t feel quite right. And so you kind of hit the nail on the head there. You guys do have a peppermint, little gel cap or whatnot, but it’s diluted properly, it’s going to get down to where it needs to go. And it’s not going right here in the mouth.

Liza Docken 34:47
Exactly. I mean, one drop of peppermint, I think is at least 18 cups of tea. Whoa, that’s a lot of peppermint. So really, truly. One One drop is a perfect place to begin.

Cady Kuhlman 35:02
Wow. That’s amazing. I just I’m always taken aback by essential oils once I dive back into them and hear all of these facts. And I think a humbling thing for me is that if it’s taking this much land to grow this amount of oils, it’s such a high respect that I have for the plant itself and for your, you know, the company of prana realm to be doing such ethical practices and all organic because I can’t imagine if we were just blasting lavender everywhere that wasn’t sustainably harvested or farmed correctly. Knowing that 2000 pounds has to go into a gallon you said and so yeah, a humbling experience to know that these concentrated things are, you know, being used properly through the company and through its users. Yeah, yeah. So thank you so much for having us and thank you for being a part of our, you know, our podcast and going over all this. It’s been wonderful.

Liza Docken 36:02
I’m having a wonderful time. Thanks for having me.