Check out the new blog!

This blog continues, integrated, on the new Boline Apothecary site.

Catch our latest posts, products, and classes there!

One Year Anniversary!

Boline Apothecary has had its doors open for a year now, and we decided to celebrate! Party! Woo!

Coal Fired Bicycle played music

Let's look at our growth this past year:
We have grown mightily in this past year to include many new in-house products. (Last year at this time we did not have a nipple cream, a lymphatic massage oil, a Urinary Tract tincture, nor a Wrinkle Serum.)

We also have expanded our locally made offerings to include more men's grooming, mineral makeup, bath bombs, aromatherapy candles, and hair care. We continue to favor local over nationally distributed products, because they are better for you (no shelf stabilizers, excessive preservatives, and homogenizers needed when your lotion isn't trucked over the continent exposed to temperature fluctuations and the like! We also lessen our reliance on fossil fuels and add to the local economy when we shop local and choose locally made.

Schwag bags being taken!

We have had dozens of classes and workshops and attendance and demand has increased each month.

We have increased our bulk offerings each month and have many hard-to-find medicinal herbs as well as tea blends, smoking blends, and other items in bulk.

After the looming sale of our retail storefront's building threatened, we moved to a newer (and better) location and are thriving in our new spot.

We have a lot to celebrate! You can celebrate with us by taking advantage of our anniversary sale! Come on down between now and Friday!

Business update!

The building as it is now.

Since we successfully moved from Beechwold to Clintonville, we have seen a marked increase in foot traffic an expect that trend to continue, especially when the Clintonville Farmer's Market, which takes place outside our door, starts. We are blessed!

We have started making the new building our own- the inside has been painted, new flooring installed, and we had a utility sink installed as well. We are getting a dishwasher for sterilization hooked up in the next week.

Our corner sign, so people know where to
turn to find us. Isn't it lovely?

When the weather improves, the outside of the building will be painted, we will get new awnings, and the rest of our building signage will go up. We even have beautification projects planned that include murals, raised beds of flowers, and mosaics by local artists!

We are also teaming up with more instructors this year, giving more to charity and the community, and joining more farmer's markets to expand our reach. Lily has started writing a regular column for Fit magazine (her first article, on bitters, is available here).

We will be expanding our efforts to bring you medicinal seeds and seedlings from local growers this spring and have started to create a line of tools for herbalists (starting with our percolation cone set for tincture making). Our tonic club already has regular members and the offering there are expanding and changing with the seasons.

Now is the time to expand our product offerings, too and make our store more meaningful to herbalists and herb enthusiasts alike.

The apothecary looks even better now.

So we are seeking a silent partner. A small investment in the business will allow us to get more product lines into the shop, get a permanent bookkeeper, expand our essential oil offerings (arguably already the finest lines in the city- now we need to carry more oils in the lines!), and get some more signage and retail furnishings to make the shop grow and develop.

I have created a simple plan that I can show interested parties that asks for a 5K investment in return for 15% of the business. At the end of two years, if both parties are amenable, more of the shop can be purchased (and revenue shares begin). Conversely, if we wish to part ways, the initial investment turns into a loan with pre-defined re-payment terms. Either way, an investor is helping this unique business grow at a crucial time without losing the initial investment.

Are you interested? Email Lily for the partnership agreement and to set up an appointment to talk!

Foundations of Western Herbalism Class

Starts January 2016! Enroll now, class is limited to 10 students.

People’s Medicine
Interested in herbalism? Becoming an herbalist or owning an apothecary? A holistic practitioner of some sort wanting to add to your healing repertoire? This class is for you!

The Curricula
Theories of healing and the body

Systems of the body

Health conditions and their symptoms

Herbal classification and actions in the body

Cultivation and wildcrafting

Harvesting and processing

Medicine making

Materia medica (learning about individual plants)

and an introduction to other overlapping systems of healing: TCM, Ayurveda, aromatherapy, homeopathy, flower essences.

In this class, we will balance hands-on time outdoors (in the warm months) and in the apothecary with "book learning”.

The Commitment
We will meet monthly, with independent studies in between (and students can feel free to contact me or come into the store in-between at any time). 


Currently we are looking at Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday evenings and will decide on a specific day each month when the students enroll.

The class would involve 2 hour class sessions every month as well as homework and independent study. It would also involve intermittent classes not on regularly scheduled days (weekend days in gardens or wildcrafting, for example). These days would be scheduled in advance with students present to make it possible for a good attendance. (This course is designed for working adults with life commitments.)

The Cost
I firmly believe that herbalism is folk medicine- that is, it a skill that belongs in the hands of the people. To that end, I am working to make the cost of the class as affordable as possible- both to students investing in their education and to me, giving lots of time and attention to the class.

The cost of the class is $1000, which includes a binder of information we will cover (handouts are accumulated as we go into each unit) and you will work from, class instruction time and outings, guest lecturers, and a 10% discount in the store (to help pay for extra books, herbs, and materials).

Payment Options
For some, the class can be paid for in full. For others, installments are necessary. We have a few options for you. A non-refundable deposit of $200 is required to hold your space in the class.

After the $200 deposit has been paid, you can choose to pay in three, five or seven installments:
3 installments: $200 deposit plus 3 payments of $275
5 installments: $200 deposit plus 5 payments of $175
7 installments: $200 deposit plus 7 payments of $150

Payment for the class must be made in full by the third class (March 2016).

Choose your option:

Payment in full:

Name of Person Attending Class

Deposit, and a note about which payment option you choose:

Name of Person Attending Class

3, 5, or 7 Month Plan?

A Note about Herb Schools
There are plenty of schools out there that promise a "master herbalist certification", but there is only one objective certification that is nationally recognized by everyone: Master herbalist certification from the American Herbalists' Guild. They are focused on standards of education to train clinical herbalists (people who treat patients one-on-one). They have a list of schools on their website that meet their criteria- all of these schools have clinics attached for you to do internships. If the school is not listed on their website, it does not meet their criteria and has not been certified. There are no AHG accredited schools of herbalism in the state of Ohio. There are however, several qualified teachers. This class is not focused on teaching you to be a clinical herbalist, but instead prepares you to be a community herbalist, one who feels confident treating friends and family, learning about the amazing human body and plant world and how they support one another, or perhaps going on to a Master's Degree from a healing school that does have a clinic.

Required Texts

Medical Herbalism, David Hoffman
Medicine Maker's Handbook, James Green
Earthwide Herbal (Volumes 1 & 2), Matthew Wood
Edible and Medicinal Plants of the Midwest, Matthew Alfs

You can get these books on your own or use your 10% discount and get them through the shop.

We are moving! Help!

Well, the search and angst is over- after months of searching, I have signed a lease. On February 1, 2015 Boline Apothecary moves into its new digs at 15 W. Dunedin Road. We are busy up until the day before the move, teaching classes running events, and attending farmer's markets. So we need your help to make this happen smoothly!

How can you help support a fledgling business make this important move?

1. Sign up for the email list to find out when we are back open for business. We hope to only take 3-4 days, but as we are doing this on a shoestring, we may have to take longer! Email list signup is on the right here on the blog.

2. Come buy things from our clearance table- things left from the holidays or discontinued items that we do not want to move.

3. Drop off boxes in the shop prior to January 31. We will be packing, packing, packing and can use them!

4. Volunteer to pack or help us move! We are packing starting at 1 PM on Saturday, January 31, and moving all the boxes Sunday, February 1st. We need folks with strong backs and vehicles to help schlep boxes from place to place on Sunday the 1st. We also need handy people with tools to help us install our shelving in the new shop February 2!

5. Donate to our crowdsourcing campaign! We need to set up new accounts, print new collateral with the new address, paint the building, install new signage, and a lot more. Your contribution will help us (and get you some pretty nifty schwag)!

What Does the Herbalist Do when Sickness Threatens?

Last night, I got home later than usual (The shop closes at six, but last night I gave a talk at the Columbus chapter of the National Herb Society!). My four year old was already in bed, asleep. As I sat downstairs, I heard him cough, over and over. Eventually, it woke him up and he hollered downstairs, "Daddy? Is Mommy here yet?" I yelled back, "Yes, I am- come downstairs, sweetie!"

He scrambled down his ladder (he is the bunk bed king) and downstairs and came running for a hug. "I'm coughing a lot, Mommy." I responded, "I know, hon- I bet it woke you up, too. Does your throat hurt? Are you sick anywhere else?" We determined that he was congested, but it was the common seasonal congestion that is not (yet) an infection, clogging his sinuses and making him cough up phlegm. (If you didn't already know, the color of your mucus is one way to tell if you have an infection or not- seasonal allergies and congestion will be clear, but infections will be yellow or green.)

The winter weather has been weird here in Ohio this year. One day it will be in the 60's, then below 20's . Many people get sinus pressure and congestion with the seasonal changes in air pressure, and if you nip it in the bud, there's no reason for it to get any worse or turn into an infection. So as an herbalist with lots of natural remedies at my disposal, what did I do with my 4 year old?

First, I gave home some Elderberry and Horehound syrup that I made for us. I tend to make an Elderberry Thyme mix for the shop called Stop the Crud, which is an all-around good anti-microbial. But he and I both are susceptible to sore throats and earaches. So we always have this syrup (Horehound is awesome for sore throats) and Earache Oil in the house. Since he had been hacking for well an hour, the coughing was slow to stop, as his throat was sore and irritated.

Next, I put on the kettle. He loves his Sick Kid Tea. (Yes, it is a tea that I first made for my son, and now I sell it for all kids. It is safe and gentle, even for infants (for babies, serve at room temp with a syringe for tiny ones).) I added some local honey to his tea and while he waited for the kettle, I did one more thing.

I always keep a jar of honey in the cabinet that has a large amount of cinnamon mixed in (it is thick and brown and delicious and it is great for sore throats). I gave him a spoonful (and who wouldn't want to eat that?!) which stopped his coughing, stat. He loves licking that spoon. I make cinnamon and elderberry honey seasonally, called Purple Paste that kids love.

Then he drank his tea while I stroked his hair and we shared information about our days. The tea lulled him into drowsiness again and then we went to bed at the same time. The tea helps with calming sick kids down as well as with yucky symptoms of illness. So it works like a charm.

This morning, just to be sure, I gave him another dose of Elderberry Horehound syrup and a dose of Lemon Balm Glycerite in some juice. No infections will be able to survive now!

Holistic Links of Note

I have collected a few links here that are interesting to people who like to read about herbalism and holistic healing and health.


Gingko Supplements may interfere with HIV medication (efavirenz, aka Sustiva).

Curcumin may help depression, too! Is there nothing that Turmeric cannot do?

"Chasing Fairies" in herbalism Defending multiple viewpoints in herbalism.

Natural pain relief in childbirth So many methods!

Herbs or Essential Oils? Which one should I use? I like this article, because so many people only look to one method, cutting themselves off to the full spectrum of plant healing.

Learning Herbalism is an Embodied Experience

As some of you know, I have been leading an 18 month class called "Foundations of Western Herbalism" at the shop. The idea is to create an appreciation for herbalism as a method of healing, to create a group of informed folks who are empowered to help themselves and others in this holistic method of healing, and to learn and grow myself (I learned herbalism in California, and the native flora there is quite different from the natives here. I get to become a student all over again and learn the powers of what grows here and how to use them with my existing knowledge!)

Currently, I have 10 students, meeting every two weeks. We started with learning some herb basics, like how to choose a high quality herb, endangered plants to avoid wildcrafting or instead to cultivate yourself, and the medical actions herbs have in the body. We now are in the midst of our third body system (we started with the immune system, went on to respiratory, and are now on digestive). We spend a month on each system: extensive readings on each system and the herbs that support it, one lecture on the anatomy and physiology, one lecture on the diseases and treatments for that system.

To learn all about herbalism, there is lots of lecture (and lots to memorize!). That can get rather, um, boring. I often try and find illustrative videos to show the workings of anatomy and physiology- it helps the visual learners take an otherwise dry subject and bring it to life. But there is a balance that needs to be achieved, in my opinion, about what we learn and how we learn it when it comes to this subject. Lectures cannot be avoided, but there must also be hands-on learning, working with others and the plants, getting out-of-doors and being in nature (cultivation, wildcrafting, plant identification, harvesting).

One of the less common "herb school" experiences, is in my opinion, one of the most valuable: I have my students ingest herbs as we learn about them. I give them an herb or formula for a two week period and they take it in ever-increasing doses and report back about how it affected them. Nothing like a truly embodied experience to reinforce the actions of a given herb!

And if one day you are going to recommend someone you know take this herb for a specific reason, I believe that you yourself should have taken it as well- know what side effects it can have, both positive and negative. Hear from other students with differing biochemistries how it affected them (it will affect them differently, you know.) I want these students to have their herb learning to be an embodied experience.

If you took herb classes, how did your education differ from what I talk of here? Did you enjoy the experience?

Skin Care & the Products We Choose, Part Two

In part one of this series, we talked about what we do carry in the shop (organic, ethical, pronounceable, and effective remedies and body care). This section is going to talk about what ingredients you should avoid if you wish to avoid ingesting toxins through the skin. As profiled in the last blog post, you need to avoid toxins that have a molecular weight lower than 750 to avoid absorbing the toxin.

FD & C Colors/Pigments: 

These are synthetic colors made from coal and tar. Side effects range from skin irritation, to oxygen depletion, and even death. All those colors that have been tested have shown to be carcinogenic. Molecular Weight: 792.84

Talc: It's in baby powder, it can't be that bad, right? Wrong. (And for the record, it is often in mineral cosmetics, eyeshadow, and body powders, too.) Environment Canada (the EPA of Canada) has talc on its list of ingredients "expected to be toxic or harmful". Why? It's known to cause ovarian cancer. Molecular Weight: 379.2657

Polyethelene Glycol: 

This contains ethylene oxide, which in very small concentrations cause uterine and breast cancers. The products it is most commonly found in are baby products, women's personal care products, and sunscreen.
Molecular weight of this product varies with application from 300-6000.

Phthalates: 

These are endocrine disrupting chemicals used as preservatives in many personal care and cosmetic products. They mess with your hormones: they have been linked to early breast development in boys and girls, cause birth defects and low sperm count.
Molecular weight 300-600 is typical.

(So-called) Fragrance: 

By law, phthalates must be put on the label as such if they make up 20% or more of the ingredients. Unless, of course, they are part of a "fragrance". Fragrance does not have to list any ingredients at all. If your product simply lists "fragrance" without disclosing the ingredients of that fragrance, you may be getting a very high and undisclosed toxic load. Read more about phthalates here.
We cannot give you a molecular weight without knowing actual ingredients, and by law, a company does not have to give one.

Siloxanes and methicones (these products have ingredients that end with -siloxane or -methicone as part of the word):

These are used as moisturizers in hair and beauty products and are endocrine disruptors that are linked to infertility and uterine tumors. They are also not biodegradable.

Molecular Weight: varies based on which formulation, but 300-600 is typical in cosmetic applications.

DEA (diethanolamine), MEA (monoethanolamine), & TEA (triethanolmine): 

These are hormone-disrupting chemicals known to form nitrates and nitrosamines, often in conjunction with other chemicals present in a product (cocamide DEA, or lauramide DEA). They are almost always in products that foam: bubble bath, body wash, shampoo, soap, facial cleanser. All three of these chemicals are hormone disruptors that are linked to cancer. Research indicates a strong link to kidney and liver cancer.
Molecular weight of DEA: 105.14
Molecular weight of MEA: 61.08
Molecular wight of TEA: 149.188

Parabens: 

These are those ingredients that start with methyl, ethyl, propyl, and butyl in their names. These are found in 90% of personal body care products on the market today. 99% of the breast cancers that have been sampled have paraben esters present. You read that right. The vast majority of body care available in the US have strong links to breast cancer. These are in anti-perspirants and shampoos and much more.
Molecular weights range from: 152.15 to 194.23.

Propylene Glycol: 

Colorless and odorless, it is used in massage oils and deodorants and... anti-freeze. If the EPA recommends gloves and goggles to anyone handling this ingredient in the workplace, should you be putting it on your skin?

Implicated in contact dermatitis, kidney damage and liver abnormalities; can inhibit cell growth in human tests and can damage membranes causing rashes, dry skin and surface damage. May be harmful by inhalation, ingestion or skin absorption. May cause eye irritation. Exposure can cause gastro-intestinal disturbances, nausea, headache and vomiting, central nervous system depression. (Material Safety Data Sheets)

Propylene Glycol causes a significant number of reactions and was a primary irritant to the skin in low levels of concentrations. -The American Academy of Dermatologists,  January 1991

Molecular weight: 76.09

Mineral Oil: 

Hilarious that both mineral oil
and talc are on this list.
Advertising at its worst.

The original baby oil, right? What could be bad about this? Actually, this is classified as a skin irritant by the EPA and comes from petroleum. It contains PAHs (polycydic aromatic hydrocarbons), which can cause cancer.
A molecular weight cannot be determined, because there are many formulas to make a mineral oil.

Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS) (Also known as sodium dodecyl sulphate, dodecyl sodium sulphate, lauryl sodium sulphate, sodium laurylsulphate, sodium lauryl sulfate, sulphuric acid, monododecyl ester, sodium salt): 

This is another ingredient in 90% of personal care products found in the United States! Known side effects include: depression, breathing difficulty, diarrhea, skin irritation, and death.

SLS can damage the immune system; causing separation of skin layers and inflammation of skin. --Journal of the American College of Toxicology; Vol. 2, No. 7, 1983 

To prevent canker sores, avoid Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) which is often used in toothpaste. --Brad Rodu, DDS, Oral Pathologist, University of Alabama At Birmingham School Of Medicine, in "BottomLine Personal" 

"Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), the most widely used detergent in toothpastes, has been reported to cause adverse effects on oral soft tissues. This double-blind cross-over study indicates that sensitive patients may contract mucosal irritation through SLS in toothpastes. Less toxic detergents,..,are desirable in oral hygiene products." --Herlofson BB, Barkvoll P., Department of Oral Surgery and Oral Medicine, Dental School, University of Oslo, Norway. "Oral Mucosal Desquamation Caused By Two Toothpaste Detergents In An Experimental Model," Eur J Oral Sci 1996 Feb

SLS denatures proteins of eye tissues - impairing eye development permanently. --Dr. Keith Green, PHD, D.Sc., Medical College of Georgia 

SLS is a mutagen. It is capable of changing the information in genetic material found in cells. SLS has been used in studies to induce mutagen in bacteria. --Higuchi, Araya and Higuchi, School of Medicine, Tohoku University: Sendai 980 Japan 

The molecular weight of SLS is 288.38 which can easily pass into the cells.  In studies, it has been found lodged in the heart, lungs, liver and brain up to five days after initial exposure.  Seeing as we have multiple exposures a day, SLS accumulates and is constantly present until we stop using products containing it.  In fact, SLS is often added to medicines to transport the active ingredients into the body.

Aspartame: 

is an artificial sweetener found in an ever-increasing number of foods and toothpastes consumed by adults and children alike. Over 75% of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are due to aspartame.  Many of these reactions are very serious, resulting in seizures and death and worsen or create dozens of other conditions such as migraines, muscle spasms, MS, fibromyalgia, and diabetes.
Molecular Weight: 294.3

Fluoride: 

Sodium Fluoride (NaF), a constituent of most toothpastes, has been used as the active ingredient in insecticides, wood preservatives, fungicides and rat poison.  It works on rats by causing lesions in their stomachs (which eventually result in the rat bleeding to death). So why would we put this in our mouth and possibly swallow it?

If you have children, you probably find it difficult to stop them from ingesting some of their toothpaste, especially as it has been made to be tasty to encourage brushing. But what could it be doing to their bodies?

In 1998, Dr A K Susheela of the India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi, presented a report of her research entitled "Scientific Evidence On Adverse Effects Of Fluoride" to MPs in Westminster. She discovered that "fluoride from these toothpastes enters the circulation within minutes". Given the evidence of how toxic this product can be, this is troublesome:
In 1992 a randomized double-blind study was conducted in which healthy male volunteers were given either sodium fluoride or sodium monofluorophosphate (MFP) tablets (both common ingredients in toothpaste) for seven days.
Before the trial, both sets of volunteers  had their stomach linings assessed.  This was repeated again at the end of the trial.
Those in the MFP group showed no significant changes but seven out of ten in the Sodium Fluoride group had significant stomach lesions, including acute haemorrhages and free blood in their stomachs. (Gastroenterology 1992; 30: 252-4)

Sodium Fluoride is a hazardous waste by-product from the aluminum smelting process. It can also be derived from the pollution scrubbers of the phosphate fertilizer industry. This by-product is too toxic to be dumped in the environment and it is classified as a poison. It is found in toothpastes in concentrations of up to 1500 parts per million (ppm).
Molecular Weight: 18.9984

Skin Care & the Products We Choose, Part One

Your skin is your body's largest organ- and it absorbs 60% of what you put on it. This includes the water from our baths and showers, soaps, topical medications, and body care products. At Boline Apothecary, we only carry and make products that are "organic, ethical, pronounceable, and effective." What do we mean by this?

Organic:

This is actually a legal term. Organic means that the ingredients in a formula are grown or raised not using synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, and in the case of animal products, it also means no hormones or antibiotics are given. In the United States, in order for a processed product to qualify as organic, 95% of the ingredients must be organic. We accept organic products or ethical products in their stead.

Ethical: 

While not a legal term, we mean specific things by ethical here at Boline:
When it coms to botanicals, if a cultivated plant is not legally certified organic, it must be grown using organic methods. This means a small family farm who cannot afford the annual fee for organic certification may still have organic soil (pesticide-free for 7 years) and may still use sustainable and pesticide and petrochemical-free fertilizer, but not be legally "organic".

At Boline, we actually prefer local-and-ethical to shipped-from-abroad-and-certified-organic. We believe in supporting the community, family farms, and the power of bioregional herbalism. So we will choose a non-certified organic and ethical plant from an Ohio farm over a certified organic plant shipped using fossil fuels multiple times around the globe from a national herb distributor.

If it is a wildcrafted herb, it needed to be cultivated in a sustainable way- not just away from roads and other sources of toxins for the end-user, but sustainable for the plant itself- harvesting only 10-15% of a patch and leaving plenty of rhizome for the plant to make a go of it next year. No ringing trees for their bark, no taking endangered plants from the wild.

When it comes to bee products like wax, honey, propolis, and pollen, there are great producers and not-so-great ones. We all know that local and raw are best when it comes to honey and our personal health. But humans do not exist in a vacuum, and at Boline, we believe that selecting a honey that is best for the bees is best for us. So we choose a bee producer that does small batches over rampant production.

Pronounceable: 

OK, we get a few chuckles about this one- here is what we mean. Lots of chemical isolates have long names and most of the time, they are not necessary to the formula (they are there as a carrier, a foaming agent, a stabilizer, or a preservative). We are going to get into some of the less pronounceable ingredients that you should be avoiding in part two of this topic.

Effective: 

The most common question that I get from people wanting to use natural products (be it deodorant or a migraine remedy) is, "Does it really work?" Because they have tried myriad products in the hopes of switching to something better for them, only to be disappointed in the product. At the shop, we try out things and carry effective formulas.

Why do we have more stringent standards than many other places (like Whole Paycheck, for example) for our body care and remedies?

Until quite recently, scientists believed the skin was a total barrier.  They now know that it allows substances of a low molecular weight through. What is a "molecular weight"?

If you think of the skin as a mesh like a tennis racket, as in the diagram opposite, you will see how some molecules can pass through and others cannot.

Scientists have graded the hydrogen atom as 1 for molecular weight and have discovered that any molecule below 3000 can enter the skin, a molecule below 750 can enter the skin cell, and a molecule below 150 can enter into the bloodstream.  

This discovery is being used increasingly with the introduction of transdermal patches like Nicotine, HRT and pain relief.  (They are popular because entry through the skin bypasses the stomach where many drugs can be altered by the stomach acid.)

This means ingredients that if you are unwilling to swallow and live on some of the ingredients in your shampoo, you should not be using them to "clean" your body either.


Part two of this blog series, appearing next week, will detail toxic ingredients in body care formulas and how to avoid them.

Herb Quality

So as many of you know, I am working hard to create a patchwork of small family farms, homesteaders, and gardens in Ohio to get herbs from (for my remedies as well as the bulk bins).

Sourcing locally (for what can grow here) is superior to buying from Frontier, Mountain Rose, or Starwest (the big 3 national distributors of bulk herbs) in many ways:

Marshmallow Root I
bought from a national
distributor before I found
a local source.

1. Potency: Herbs that are picked and processed within 24 hours mean a more potent product for the end user. I make higher quality teas, tinctures, and remedies because my herbs are sourced locally. When I process them, I also leave much bigger (and therefore more potent) pieces than nationally distributed "retail ready" herbs.

2. Cost: Ohio is rich (in botanicals, that is)! So many things grow here easily and and can be cultivated without struggle. Likewise, so many potent medicinals are native to the area: Goldenseal, Black Cohosh, Wild Ginger, White Ginseng. If I can work with local folks to cultivate and wild harvest sustainably*, we will have a steady supply that will cost less than the herbs available elsewhere. I intend on cultivating my own eventually, as well.

3. Economy: The local economy benefits when we spend our money locally- I carry locally made products over national conglomerate ones when I can find a source. I source from Ohio farms and homesteaders to support them in their endeavor, and they supply me to support mine. I carry local lotions instead of nationally distributed ones. Not only are the local ones better for you, they aren't made in China! Think you are buying a natural, safe product when you buy Burt's Bees**? Think again.

A close up of that
Marshmallow root.

Did you know that spending $100 locally puts $68 back into the local economy, but shopping at a big box or chain only puts $43 back (and shopping online puts $0 back)?

4. Fossil Fuel Dependency: When you get your inventory from national distributors, you are feeding into a fossil fuel dependent economy and having to get your stock shipped to you from another state (not to mention that they had their inventory shipped to them from another state or country to begin with!) I would venture to guess that the Goldenseal I got from Mountain Rose came from Ohio in the first place- so it was shipped from Ohio to Oregon and back again. Doesn't make much sense, does it?

5. Bioregional Herbalism: I am a firm believer that what we need for tonics and remedies are right underfoot. There are many herbs growing wild and abundantly here in Ohio that many people are not using, because they know about a more popular one. So I am carefully bringing in locally sourced herbs that may not be popular (yet) and educating people about choices.

Locally sourced
Marshmallow root.
See the large pieces?

6. Teaching: I have 13 herbal students who are learning all about Western herbalism and materia medica- and what better way than hands-on? Handling the plants in all the stages of its life and during medicine making makes a better trained herbalist. My students have made infusions, decoctions, strained tinctures, and help to dry the plants as they come in fresh in just the two months they have been studying so far.

In short, I am really excited about the possibilities for a bioregional apothecary and what we can accomplish here in Columbus. If you would like to be a part of it, come by for a class or pick up some locally sourced remedies, body care, or botanicals!

Nationally sourced
Red Clover. Small
pieces, shredded.

Locally sourced Red Clover.
Large intact
blossoms.

Locally sourced Raspberry
leaf. Big potent chunks!

---

*I only carry herbs cultivated using organic methods or wildcrafted using sustainable practices.

**Burt's Bees is a national company, owned by Clorox and its products are made in China. Some of their products have been randomly tested and found to contain unsafe and dangerous things in them.

July Workshops

This month, we have two workshops available to those that love hands-on learning! Pre-registration is required, so get online here and send your payment!

Wildcrafting and Wilderness Medicine
is going to be led by Jonathan Tepperman of Dirtlab Bush Craft. He is going to take us on a walk to seek medicinal plants. If we are lucky, we will be able to collect 15 or so! Once we have completed our walk, we'll build a fire and process some into instant medicine! Learn survival skills, how to identify medicinal plants around you, and how to ethically harvest them, all in the span of two hours!
Thursday, July 24th 7-9 PM @ Camp Mary Orton; $25

Digestive and Cocktail Bitters
is co-led by Lily of Boline Apothecary and Mykie of The Bitter Wife (a local Columbus cocktail bitters maker). Peter, the Spirits Manager at Weiland's Market will be on hand to let us sample some wares from their astounding bitters collection.
We'll be learning about the importance of bitters in the diet, the history of this medicine-turned-cocktail-additive, and sampling lots of wonderful blends courtesy of Weiland's and Strongwater (the bar we are using for the workshop- they are providing soda for sippin'!). Then, you get to make two pints of your own to take home- a digestive blend and a cocktail blend.
Saturday, July 26th, 3-5 PM @ Strongwater Bar (401 W. Town Street); $35

Product Profile: Wellness Tea

Wellness Tea is a great brew to stay healthy and vital. It is a combination of highly nutritious herbs (Nettles, Red Clover, Oatstraw), antivirals (Lemon Balm), mild liver detox (Dandelion), and an adaptogen to help you cope with stress, climate changes, and the like (Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil).

Think of this tea as a delightful, tasty, stress tab vitamin! Drink it iced or hot in lieu of water!

Boline Apothecary teas are potent, because they come loose in larger pieces than bagged teas (those plants have been chopped so fine, they have lost many of their essential oils before they ever get steeped!). Many of our ingredients are locally sourced, offering you a more potent and fresh brew than anything commercially available on a national scale. We are working to source as many of our ingredients locally as possible in the long term.

We provide a non-chlorine beached cotton bag to use over and over to make your infusion. Each package of Boline Apothecary tea makes 6 gallons of tea if you make large batches (less if you brew by the cup)!

Bitters!

We all learned in school that we had taste receptors on our tongue: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter. As Americans, we have studiously avoided the bitter and have an over-fondness for the sweet. We also eat less unprocessed foods than other cultures and more refined flours and sugars. All of this has taken its toll on our collective digestion, skin health, and immune systems. (1)

What if I told you there was a general tonic we all should be taking that would make us healthier? That it helped regulate blood sugar, energy levels, the immune system, and more? That our bodies were built to have it, but as a culture we have denied ourselves this tonic in our food and now we need to take extra measures to replace it in our diet? This tonic we all need is bitters.

What is bitters? Bitter is something that simply tastes bitter in flavor: dandelion, gentian, coffee, dark chocolate and greens are all bitters.

Many traditional cultures around the world believe that it is important to have all 5 flavors within the diet and that each flavor has a specific effect on the body. The flavor of bitter is very much associated with the digestive system. As human beings we evolved eating tons and tons of bitters- bitters greens, bitter roots, bitter barks. The majority of food growing in the wild has an element of bitterness to it. Even the ripest wild blackberry is not purely sweet; it also has a little sour, a little bitter to its flavor profile. Early humans rarely consumed sweets-honey was like food of the gods!
Fast forward to modern times, as a culture we consume an immense amount of sweet, salty and processed food and we have a severe lack of bitterness. But our bod­ies are built for bitter flavors! Bitter engages and excites the digestive system. Bitter challenges the body, alerting it through taste that a complex food is being ingested, more complex than heavily processed food. It is very important for the body to have enough challenge—challenge keeps us strong, on our toes, ready for action! Bitters are like the gym for the digestive system, they help to keep it toned. Our brilliant tongue is like the doorbell to the digestive system and when we taste something bitter it rings that doorbell, “Ding-dong! Time to eat, time to wake up, time to digest!” All the digestive organs get “turned on”—excited. They start to secrete digestive juices in preparation for the incoming food! -Urban Moonshine Website

"Herbal digestive bitters begin working as soon as they reach the taste buds in our mouth. The bitter taste has a reflex action on our stomach and pancreas, stimulating the production of digestive juices. Bitters also stimulate the liver and prepare the gall bladder for the release of bile. Using bitters before eating has always been a good idea, but the need for additional bitters has become a necessity as most people have eliminated most of the bitter foods from their diet."- Herb Pharm Website

Bitters are a true tonic that should be taken regularly over time in the same way that bitter foods would be consumed (if we Americans consumed them, that is). Continued use of digestive bitters is not only safe, it is the most best way to use them! The positive effect of bitters on digestion actually increases with time and the full effect is seen only after continued and prolonged use. We have started making our own line of bitters for the store using local hops, local dandelion root, local burdock root and gentian. We add three carminatives to the mix: cardamom, orange peel, and cinnamon for a great tasting all-around digestif.

Did you know that the benefits of bitters extend beyond digestion? As I indicated above, skin and immunity can benefit from regular use, and bitters also increase the tone of the autonomic nervous system (the system that energizes the digestive organs). This effect on the nervous system extends beyond the digestive organs and helps reduce anxiety and overall stress (and who doesn't need that?).

In July, we will be offering a bitters class with some special partners! Stay tuned for news about that!

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(1) Digestion, skin health, and the immune system are closely linked. 90% of the immune system is in the gut, and the skin is an organ of elimination- toxins that we ingest come out through the skin as well as the digestive tract.

The Building of a Store

Shawn shows me the vacant storefront.

 Let me tell you a story. It is how the brick and mortar location of Boline Apothecary came to be- it's a long and winding road. It's the story of how small businesses happen. It's full of tiny triumphs and setbacks and I own every one of them.

In the beginning, there was me, Lily. I had spent my teen years and adulthood dabbling in holistic remedies and herbalism and finally attended an herb school in California in my thirties. I moved to Ohio in 2011 (and Columbus in 2012). Once settled in the Capitol City, I started helping friends one--on-one with small maladies and remedies. Never one to make a little of this or that, I made large batches of my remedies and found myself with a surplus of "leftovers". So I started selling online and started to attend a farmer's market (400 West Rich).

That pink!

One farmer's market led to another and another, and soon I was selling out of my remedies and adding products based on what folks asked of me in clinical visits and at the farmer's market booths.

In the meantime, I decided to enter the healing profession full time. So I began to take a master's program traditional Chinese medicine (thinking that it complemented the western herbalism quite well). I also started delivering Boline orders to small independent retail establishments. One of those establishments, City Folks Farm Shop, asked me to teach classes and so I did. I got to know the proprietor better and became friends with her. It was shopkeeper Shawn of City Folks, who cajoled me into looking into renting the retail space next door to her shop. But I was skeptical. I did not think my little business was ready for such a step. I mean, I sold well at the farmer's markets- but to fill a whole shop? That seemed more than a little daunting.

Painting progress!

I didn't think that I could afford such a venture and I did not think that anyone would lend me the money to start such a project, anyway. But Shawn had kindled a spark. I realized I could make the shop bigger than me and my line- it could be a sustainable community project! I realized that Columbus could have an actual apothecary- one that it was ready for! I fantasized about dried bulk herbs and high grade products that are hard to find all in one place. I realized that we could connect the farms in Ohio with the city folks who need medicinal herbs. In short, I started fantasizing on Facebook about the idea of not just a place for my products, but a much larger vision.

My first furniture.

Every major city (and plenty of smaller ones, too) she had visited had an herb store/apothecary, but Columbus had none. Yes, the City of Gahanna has the Herb Education Center (yay!), and the local coops have bulk dried herbs from hither and yon. But there was no place like Scarlet Sage in San Francisco, Moonrise Herbs in Arcata, CA, Rebecca's Herbs in Boulder, CO, or Flower Power in NYC. A place that was an epicenter for herbal healing and education with a variety of products and services available to the populace. A place to get eco friendly and holistic health care, toiletries, and supplies. And Columbus needed one, I thought. While my line was popular at the markets, if I combined forces with other local artisans, herbalists, and farmers the store could serve so many!

Funding!

So the vision expanded from a shop of Boline-made products to a shop that included other amazing local and national lines of remedies and body care- as long as they met my criteria of "organic, ethical, pronounceable, and effective".  And I decided that I would carry things like dried bulk herbs, therapeutic grade essential oils (so hard to find here!), flower essences, and the like. But I thought, "we can do better than than that, after all, Ohio is rich in family farms!"

So I dreamed big- not just dried bulk herbs, but the majority of them grown right here in Ohio, supporting non-profit gardens and small family farms! Not just the same national lines everyone else carries, but a specialty place focusing on local artisans and healers! So I started reaching out to growers, producers and artists. And in my conversations, I heard about a way to make it happen:

Starting to take shape
with temporary furnishings.

One of the friends I have made on this journey was from the first farmer's market I did (400 West Rich Street): Jen. And Jen was now working for ECDI, a non-profit that helps grow businesses. They had a loan program. She was encouraging and pushed a little. So I went in and met Kevin, the loan officer and he explained the process- that was January 2014. I went to work. I filled out the huge paperwork packet and wrote a business plan and submitted it within two weeks. And then I waited. And waited. And waited.

And at the end of February, I got word that she was most likely approved, but no guarantees. But there was trouble on the horizon! The retail space that would be so perfect for my vision, the one that was affordable and next door to City Folks, was in demand suddenly! After being vacant for four months, there were a couple others that wanted it and unless I could come up with a deposit and sign a lease, I was going to lose it, even though my loan was so close to coming to pass.What's an herbalist with a vision to do? I started a crowdsourcing campaign. If I could raise the security deposit, I thought- I'll take the risk of signing a lease, even without the loan. (Gulp.) I crowdsourced enough for the deposit and a friend came forward with a short-term loan until the loan came through. This allowed me to put down the deposit and start work on the space, buying paint and hardware.

Scrap lumber = steeping shelf!

So sign on the dotted line I did. It was terrifying. A couple weeks into work on the space, I got the news! I was approved and in a week or so, I could close on the loan and get the money! Huzzah! In the end, they even split up the closings into two- so I could get half the money right away (from a women's foundation and the Small Business Administration) and the second half (from the City of Columbus) could take its bureaucratic time.

The first adventure in owning a store was painting and construction (not exactly an herbalist's forté). The store has been left an unfortunate pink and black combination that required lots of primer and paint. But eventually, the store became that signature green with brown trim.

As soon as I got the loan money, I hit the ground running, buying starting inventory, furnishings, and packaging. As it arrived, I was able to make more products. As I worked in the store, I invited more and more artisans to put their wares in the store. It started getting fuller and fuller. So many people came forward to help in some way- donating furnishings, their labor and hours of toil, and their expertise to making the retail space possible. There is no possible way that I could have applied in January and launched in April without the blessings and help of so many. In more ways than one, this store is a community effort and is richer for the hands and minds of myriad folks from different parts of the community.

The walls were my bane.
Plaster over cinder block
means special tools and a lot
of sweat and tears to install
shelves!

Now that the store was open, I had a lot of work to do to get it to where I envisioned it. I needed to find suitable jars for the bulk section, make labels for each and every herb coming into the store for sale, research which essential oils to carry, make opening orders without maxxing out my micro-loan capital, get a new insurance policy, and so much more.

I am now in my second month of business. I still do the farmer's markets as promotion for the store and still supply small independent retail. But now I have a much bigger project to juggle. I hope to hire a part time staffer, get another day off a week, and eventually pay myself (hopefully by the end of the year). We shall see.

I am offering classes and workshops, tastings and events to bring folks in. So you should come in!

The story of the store continues every day. I am open for business and each week brings new exciting challenges and items in the door. Come by and see what is new and say hi!

Temporary furnishings.

Eric, who helped install shelves.

Eric again! So helpful!

My first signage.

My first farm delivery!

Seasonal Display!

New labels!

Happy herbalists male things.

A seasonal offering of seedlings.

Why We Carry Oshadhi and Tisserand Essential Oils

This is part two in a series on essential oils at Boline Apothecary. Part one can be read here.

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 At the store, we have selected two lines of essential oils to carry on a regular basis. Since they are less familiar to many folks in the area, I wanted to introduce them and explain why I selected them. The two companies that I selected are Oshadhi and Tisserand.

Both are European companies, not US companies. Oshadhi is German, and Tisserand is British. Both companies were started by world renown aromatherapists who started this science in the 1970's. As someone who believes in both "organic, ethical, pronouncable and effective" remedies -and- locavorism in what you ingest, why on earth did I go with foreign companies, you may ask?

Because the United States has little to no effective regulations on essential oils and the ones that they do have favor companies, not consumers. The EU is much more stringent on what ingredients are allowed, what processes can be used, and how things are labeled. I wanted that level of scrutiny on a product that I put on my skin or inhale. (1)

When selecting essential oils, there are a few things you need to consider:

1. How are the plants sourced? Does the company know the cultivator, or do they own the land themselves? Oils are only as good as the plants. So the cultivation and harvest methods should be overseen by the company. Companies like doTerra do not have land or relationships with cultivators nor do they distill their own lines. In order to ensure the oil is pure, a good aromatherapy company has no choice other than to source essential oils direct from the grower/supplier, and to build a close relationship with those farmers who cultivate healing plants to the highest standards. Through this personal contact we know that they practice methods of cultivation which are in accordance with the natural rhythms of the land, and that they utilize methods of distillation which do not damage the pure essences from the plants.

2. How are they distilled and processed into oils? Most people "into" EOs know enough to choose companies that use steam distillation over chemical solvents when possible (some plants cannot be extracted by steam distillation). But there is more to it than that. Are the oils high quality, single source plants, or is it a blend that includes low quality cheaper oils and spiked enough with higher quality ones to "test well"?

Only about 5% of the total global production of essential oils is ultimately destined for therapeutic use. Most essential oil production is bound for the fragrance or flavor industries, and (let's be clear about this) they have less exacting standards of purity(2). It's from these various sources that doTerra gets its oils, because they do not have relationships with growers. Yes, they claim to test them to be ensured of potency (but these oils are likely blends of many species from all over the world, some lesser quality mixed in with some higher quality). Industrial production generally attempts to obtain a specific standardized reproducible note of fragrance, or an identical active ingredient. These oils will generally not appear in price lists under a specific botanical name. The reason for this is that those oils are produced either from different species of lesser value, from mixed crops or from mixing with synthetic components. This is why you will see "Frankincense" on many commercially available oils, but not where or how it was sourced. It is a conglomerate of sources, all mixed together. It is not pure and some of the lesser quality oils are mixed in with enough of the higher grade ones to "test well".

3. How are they tested? It is important to perform careful laboratory testing for purity using gas chromatography and - if necessary - mass spectrography. This guarantees that essential oils are 100% pure. Comprehensive analyses and quality controls, supported by on-going state-of-the-art laboratory tests should be done including:

Optical rotation
Density
Refraction
Gas chromatography analysis
And, if necessary, mass spectrography

doTerra makes the claim to have the highest grade testing in the United States. Anyone familiar with US law regarding cosmetics, drugs, and body care knows- all the power is in the hands of for-profit companies and the government does little to no regulation on consumer health and body products. So that "best in the US" claim is not worth much. No one is enforcing their claim. But in the EU, the standards are much higher than in the US for these products. This is how doTerra gets away with creating their own certification (that is meaningless) and makes the claim that they are the only ones who have it. The US does not enforce standards.

3. How are they labeled? Is it clear and accurate as to source, extraction method, date bottled, and the latin name for each botanical (so you know that you are getting one specific plant instead of a blend of related plants from different parts of the world)?

4. Is the oil adulterated? For therapeutic use, we want to have a pure, clean, unadulterated oil with a good energy value and a clear fragrance. The more exact the description of the essential oil, the less risky it is for the buyer to purchase something impure. A company who can inform its customers about its oils and where they come from (species as well as geography) shows that it is better connected to the plant source and therefore the chances of adulteration are minimized.

All oils for therapeutic use should be unadulterated: 100% pure natural products. This means no chemical additives; no diluting with alcohol; no thinning with other oils unless necessary for certain purposes (i.e. access to the product because too solid, or specifically for the creation of new products, blends, etc.) Essential oils should not be peroxidized, decolorized, nor deturpenated.

The most common methods of adulterating essential oils (and most cheap oils and commonly found ones like Aura Cacia, Now, and the like) are:

• Dilution with vegetable carrier oils, alcohol, and synthetic oils (which are cheaper).
• Blending with cheaper oils of the same plant but from another country. For example: Bourbon Geranium with Geranium from China; Moroccan Myrtle with Myrtle from the Balkans; Siberian Fir with Chinese Fir.
• Mixing with cheaper essentials oils of the same plant but extracted from a different part of the plant. For example: Clove bud with Clove leaves; Cinnamon bark with Cinnamon leaf; Angelica root with Angelica leaf.
• Dilution with cheaper essential oils of plants of similiar species. For example: Thyme (thymus vulgaris) with wild Thyme (thymus mastichina); Lavender with Lavandin; Ceylon cinnamon with Chinese Cassia.
• Adulteration with cheaper essential oils of different plants or of species with a similiar name. For example: East Indian with so called 'West Indian Sandalwood' (Amyris); Lemongrass with Litsea; Patchouli with Eucalyptus; Verbena with Lemongrass; Frankincense with turpentine; Rosewood with Ho oil; Melissa with "Indian Melissa" (Lemongrass etc.); Clary sage with Lavender; Mandarin with Orange; The so called 'white' Thyme  with turpentine...
• Mixing with isolated natural or (semi-) synthetic compounds. For example: Lemon with citral and Orange-terpenes; Peppermint with menthol; Eucalyptus with cineol; Geranium with geraniol or citronellol; Patchouli with clove bud terpenes; Rosemary with camphor; Thyme with thymol or carvacrol; Cardamon with terpenyl acetate; Elemi with Orange terpenes; Clary sage with lynalyl acetate or synthetic linalool; Clove bud with eugenol

Yes, these adulterations happen all the time. It's likely happened to the oil you have right now.

4. Are they respected internationally? What do certified aromatherapists worldwide think of the company and their practices?

5. Do they "train" their own sales reps to tout a company line, or do they rely on independently certified professionals to tout their products for them? MLM companies like doTerra and Young Living train their reps themselves - and often spread misinformation as a result. doTerra and Young Living, against the common sense and expertise of every certified aromatherapist out there, has products they recommend for internal use and even train their reps to talk about their oils as "food grade". No essential oil should ever be ingested without supervision of a trained professional, period.

You can guess where I am going with these leading questions. Most oil companies out there cannot answer these questions very well at all. Let me tell you about Oshadhi and Tisserand:

Oshadhi: Experts on rare and organic oils 

Oshadhi sets the standard for meticulously produced, pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils, worldwide. They not only have furthered the study and research in aromatherapy by investing in new and rare oil production (there are now 650 botanicals in their line), but have set the standard in how to work with growers and producers when making a healing product. The company was founded by Dr Malte Hozzel, an internationally respected expert on medicinal oils and educator.

If you are going to make a botanical product that you claim is pure, you should know the source of your botanicals. Oshadhi works with farmers directly:

"Our 'treasure hunt' for the best essential oils goes on and on, never ending, always more surprising, always more demanding. This is a challenge we relish. During our quest, we have established strong ties with over 100 farmers of medicinal plants throughout the world. These farmers are committed to the wise and prudent treatment of the soil and have demonstrated a deep respect for nature. Many do the same work as their father and grandfather did, often using traditional stainless steel or copper stills which provide the optimum conditions for the full aroma of the essential oils and maintenance of the active ingredients." -Oshadhi UK website.

They work with farmers employing responsible ecological farming methods:

"There has been ever-increasing degradation of soil due to the misuse of natural resources. This is specifically due to the clear-cutting of plants, over-harvesting, the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and fungicides, and monocultural farming. Unfortunately, few farmers are aware of the dramatic consequences of these widespread practices. Oshadi promotes organic farming (both with certified growers and those using organic methods that are uncertified- ed.)."

They respect the plants. Here the founder talks about that topic:



Oshadhi has a range of 650 finest quality, organic, natural essential oils. They are sourced directly from farmers and handled without any electronic or mechanical filling equipment -that's right, oils are bottled by hand to ensure purity. Oshadhi sources oils only with farmers who work in harmony with nature, and who share their ideals of organic agriculture. The wildcrafted plants are ethically sourced. The non-organic (Select) lines are raised with no pesticides and is raised with organic practices, but the soil has yet to receive organic certification.

For the sake of transparency and clarity, Oshadhi labels their essential oils with:

• the exact botanical name- so you are not getting a blend.
• the country of origin- so you know where your oil came from
• the part of plant used for distillation- Did you know that many companies label their cinnamon bark only to have it tested and actually be cinnamon leaf. This may be deliberate or it may be an honest mistake. When you rely on big distillation conglomerates to keep things straight for you, it may get mixed up.
• the mode of cultivation- certified organic, wildcrafted, or standard (means organic methods with no certification)
• the major biochemical compounds inside, so you know that it was tested.

Every tiny blue Oshadhi bottle has this. Does your essential oil company do that?

Tisserand: consistent quality and testing

Tisserand is the line of Robert Tisserand (the man credited with starting aromatherapy as a science and is the foremost consulted expert on essential oils worldwide). When you study aromatherapy at an independent institute for certification, you will read his texts and learn all about how he is called upon to test and further the research of this new science called aromatherapy. The fact that his name is on every bottle is a huge testament to the quality of oil in every bottle.

If you are just getting into essential oils, you might want to give Tisserand's line a look. They make high quality oils (also certified organic, farmed with organic methods but uncertified, or ethically wildcrafted - just like Oshadhi).

They have a smaller single oil product line (they have 30 botanicals in their line) than Oshadhi (but who doesn't?) and give you a larger 9 ml bottle to start, so they are often more economical. While I trust them to be pure (and testing bears that out), they do not label some of the things that Oshadhi does (country of origin and part of plant used specifically).

They are the UK's #1 therapeutic brand and work hard on environmental causes, too. (In addition to sourcing their oils ethically and sustainably, they plant trees to offset their carbon footprint as a company.) They make personal care products in addition to essential oils, and their line is ethically and naturally sound as well.

We carry many of their singles as well as blends in roller ball form, for ease of portability. They also have some wonderful starter packs (like the Tea Tree, Lavender, and Eucalyptus trio for $30!)

No matter whether you choose Oshadhi or Tisserand at Boline Apothecary, you are getting some of the finest essential oils on the planet.

If you are interested in a mini course on aromatherapy, we plan to offer one this summer. Sign up on our email list to make sure you hear about registration for that.

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(1) Please note that I did not say ingest when referring to how to use essential oils. No matter what a company tells you, EOs are *not* to be ingested unless you are working directly with a certified aromatherapist on a specific therapy. To sell a product like On Guard (or to train our reps to add Eos to smoothies and other food) like doTerra does is deliberate malfeasance and shenanigans. They say that to get you to buy more and go through more product.

(2) Did you know that "vanilla" and "raspberry" flavors are often not from those plants but from beaver anal glands? Eew.

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