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Featured Busines - Organic Skin Care Ranges
In this section of the website I have included articles about
various organic skin care and organic baby products companies.
Hoping this will give you, the consumer more information about
these tyles of products that are offered, and why its best to
go organic. 
NHR Organic Oils
The importance of Using Certified Organic
Aromatherapy Oils
By Kolinka Zinovieff
More and more professional aromatherapists and everyday users
of aromatherapy are appreciating the potency and purity of certified
organic aromatherapy oils. But for the many who have not used
them or do not know about the benefits of using certified organic
aromatherapy oils, this article will attempt to explain the importance
of using organic oils compared with non-organic ones.
 It
is vital that the oils have been certified by a recognisable body.
For example The Soil Association, because there are many companies
who claim their oils are organic but with no certification to
prove it, usually it is a false claim!
Most aromatherapy essential oils on the market are of very low
quality: they are often synthetic or 'perfume grade'. This means
they have little or no therapeutic effect – in other words
they simply do not work. This unfortunately confirms the sceptics
view that “aromatherapy has no effect whatsoever”.
In contrast, the reason that pure, high grade organically grown
oils have such strong therapeutic qualities is because they contain
a multitudinous variety of natural chemical components which remain
pure and intact – whereas the low-quality oils have been
adulterated to such an extent that these components are no longer
present.
Organic Essential oils do not contain any pesticides, herbicides
or chemical fertilisers and any other man made chemical residues.
This makes the oils both purer and more potent in their healing
effect. Also, as the plants are grown to organic standards they
are healthier and more vibrant, therefore resulting in more powerful
and richer oils.
6 reasons to use organic oils...
There are many reasons for buying organic oils, one is simply
that the aroma is much richer and fuller, but there are also sound
health reasons for doing so. It has been shown in studies to be
more potent and have a fuller range of trace elements etc. than
conventionally grown oils, and of course it will not have been
treated with any noxious chemicals.
- It is safe, nutritious, unadulterated
- It does not use artificial chemicals, pesticides and fertilisers
- It is environmentally friendly
- It is produced without GMOs, which are prohibited within the
Soil Association Standards for organic food and farming
- It reduces dependence on non-renewable resources
- It relies on a modern and scientific understanding of ecology
and soil science, while also depending on traditional methods
of crop rotations to ensure fertility and weed and pest control.
Many individuals are not aware of the critical importance of
the quality of organic essential oils; they simply go to their
health-food shop, chemist or mail order catalogue and buy whatever
is available. They can hardly be blamed for this. The enormous
growth in the aromatherapy industry world wide – from millions
of dollars turnover only a few years ago to a multi-billion dollar
affair today - many suppliers are jumping on the bandwagon selling
low-quality cheap oils; they rely on the un-educated and non-discerning
customer.
Happily, things are changing and there are some shining exceptions
amongst the suppliers of essential oils: these few aromatherapy
companies have carried out meticulous, painstaking research to
find the best sources of high quality organic essential oils,
and have selected only the purest and most potent oils from these
specialist organic growers and suppliers.
HOW TO TEST THE ORGANIC OILS IS ORGANIC AND OF PURE QUALITY
For suppliers to be certain that the oils are sourced from the
highest organic quality, suppliers need to follow some stringent
rules: They should build up a very close relationship with the
source i.e. farm and distillers where the essential oils are produced.
Below is an outline of how we at NHR organic oils test all our
organic oils before we choose a particular oil, for example we
may have 10 different organic Lavenders to test before we choose
the best one.
NHR Organic Oils organic testing procedure:
 Include
the use of the most up to date GC-MS (Gas Chromatography - Mass
Spectrometry) laboratories in the UK and in France. Which can
detect down to 0.001% trace substances.
Each oil is individually tested and analysed to detect the exact
proportion and quantities of correct components. For example when
choosing an organic Lavender, it would be checked the oil contains
a proportion of esters "exprimes" in linalyl acetate
varying between 35 and 55 p 100. on the GC-MS chart verifying
a clinical grade oil.
Organic Quality checks
All oils are checked for any adulterants present or chemical
residues of any sort, guaranteeing that the source of growing
is from a certified organic farm.
Reports of extraction methods, and farming techniques, keeping
a close check on the crop quality and harvest over the whole season.
Finally each organic essential oil is selected from numerous
samples and reports, and are then meticulously examined for:
Colour Consistency
Highly important as it indicates just how pure and balanced the
oil is, a lost art in the aromatherapy world, due to the use of
brown glass bottles that hide the oils’ colour.
Viscosity
How the oils feels on the skin. Texture and consistency Indicates
the quality of the extraction method and therefore quality of
the oil.
Aroma
Carefully evaluate the aroma for its full note range. Using our
professional experience to select the purest and most balanced
oils amongst the batch being tested.
How to find the best organic oils yourself?
For individuals who want to buy the best organic oil, there are
several points to be aware of;
First of all, they must be discerning in choosing a supplier
and only buy from a trustworthy source.
Secondly the supplier must be one who has carried out the relevant
research and can produce reliable organic certification for example
the soil association.
At the same time they should trust their own sense of smell and
the therapeutic effect of the oils they are using. Here it should
be added that one of the primary reasons for only buying organic
essential oils is that these oils do not contain any pesticides,
chemical fertilisers, artificial preservatives, adulterants or
– especially now – do not come from genetically altered
plants. It is true that such pure oils might cost twice as much
as impure oils, but they so much more effective, and therefore
more economical to use.
BUYING ORGANIC ESSENTIAL OILS
Until now, organic essential oils have been very expensive, only
available from a few outlets and usually restricted to trained
practitioners. NHR Organic oils aims to provide the purest organic
oils at affordable prices by buying in large bulk quantities ad
passing on the saving to the customer
THE SOIL ASSOCIATION STANDARDS
 NHR
Organic oils has one of the largest selection of certified organic
essential oils in the world and they are certified organic by
the Soil association, one of the few companies in the UK to have
their oils certified by them.
When a certified body like the Soil Association covers a company,
they are scrutinised with great detail, for example every single
invoice and organic certificate for each oil is examined and cross
checked. Also Regular spot checks on stock levels and accounts
by a Soil Assoc inspector.
On top of this a detailed log of every single time a bottle of
organic essential oil is filled, every time a container is used
to fill an oil and every item/oil that arrives and is dispatched
has to be timed, dated and logged. It ads to the paper work, but
should be reassuring for all customers that the Soil associations
standards are refreshingly high. Even non-organic oils that we
stock e.g Wild grown oils have to have GMO free certificate and
are checked if used in an organic blend for example.
By choosing organic agriculture your are supporting the environment
and your own health.
Certification of Organic Essential Oils
It is important to establish that your oils have been certified
organic, as this certification process is a good safeguard against
many of the unscrupulous practices that go on in this industry.
There are many good certification bodies to choose from both in
the U.K. and worldwide, Ecocert International covers the EEC.
In the UK the Soil Association is one of the better-known bodies.
NHR only sources certified organic oils where possible, over 95%
of nearly 100 oils of our range are certified organic, there are
a few oils that are impossible to certify because they only grow
wild or in farmed conditions, for example the Boswellia tree resin,
which Frankincense is made from. In these cases we always source
from wild grown or untreated sources, and label accordingly. Meaning
no pesticides or chemical fertilisers have been used.
Organic Certification: Professional Standards
Organic farming is a carefully devised system of production defined
by EU law and is based on the following principles:
• Building soil fertility;
• Minimal use of non-renewable resources (no chemicals);
• Minimise pollution and damage to the environment;
• Working with, not against, natural systems;
• Respect for animal welfare;
• Minimal processing or additives
Organic farming is governed by EEC Regulation No. 2092/91, which
defines the basic standards of production and processing and the
requirements for control and policing. This Regulation is implemented
in Britain by the UK Register of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS).
The statutory requirements are:
• Two-year conversion period prior to full organic status
is achieved;
• Adequate physical and financial separation of organic
and non-organic units under the same management;
• Application to, inspection by, and certification with,
an approved inspection body, such as Soil Association Certification
Ltd;
• Maintenance of adequate records to demonstrate compliance
with the standards;
• Annual monitoring and inspection by the approved certification
body;
• Strict requirements for labelling and for the use of additives
and processing aids.
Source: The Soil Association
COSTS
Organic essential oils are usually priced at 50% –100% higher
than normal high grade essential oils, but there is no rule as
yet. The average price one should expect to pay for organic lavender
oil is between £7 and £14 per 10ml depending on the
type. It is expected that, from 2001 onwards, there is going to
be a world shortage of many organic essential oils, especially
Lavender. Demand simply outstrips supply and the demand for organic
oils is growing twice as fast as the supply!
MAGAZINES
Aromatherapy magazine Essential Guide 0207 331 1000
Positive Health: Tel. 0117 983 8851
Caduceus: Tel. 01926 451 897
DIRECTORY
ATC Aromatherapy Trade Council Tel/fax 01473 603 630
ECOCERT International: sülte 20a 37520 Osterode, Germany
Tel: 00 49-5522-951161 fax: 00 49-5522-951164
email: ecocert@compuserve.com
The Soil Association: Tel. 0117 929 0661 email: soilassoc@gn.apc.org
NHR Organic Oils (Kolinka Zinovieff:), organic essential oils:
Tel: (UK) 0845 310 8066 Tel (USA) 1800 510 9642. Tel. (International)
+ 44 20 8746 0890 email: organic@nhr.kz Web Site: www.nhr.kz
BIOGRAPHY
Kolinka Zinovieff qualified as an aromatherapist at the Institute
of Clinical Aromatherapy and studied a postgraduate course in
‘Molecular activity and the therapeutics of organic essential
oils’, based on the work of Pierre Franchomme, at the Institut
des Sciences Phytomédicales (Body Treats). He also trained
as a craniosacral therapist with the Cranial Osteopathic Association
(CrOA) and the Upledger Institute. He runs a company called NHR
Organic Oils, the main purpose of which is to sell pure, high
quality, organic essential oils at affordable prices. (See Directory
for more information). Tel .uk 0845 310 8066
NHR ORGANIC OILS
5 COLLEGE TERRACE, BRIGHTON BN2 0EE (UK)
TEL.(UK) 0845 310 8066 FAX.(UK) 0845 310 8068
Tel Toll Free USA: 1866 816 0195
International Tel. +44 1273 236 524 Int. Fax. +44 1273 622 779
EMAIL: lucie@nhrorganicoils.com
WebSite: www.nhrorganicoils.com
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