Essential Oil Market Update and Radiation Suggestions

Here we are again and its a new year and nature is taking a toll on us with a vengeance. Earthquakes, tsunamis, flooding, snow, hurricanes, winter freeze, tornadoes, droughts, and now radiation.  It would seem Mother Earth is trying to kick us kids out of its home. All these devastating catastrophes are effecting crops worldwide. Orange and Grapefruit crops appear to be down due to winter freezing temps in the US. Dry weather in Argentina is effecting Lemon production. China is still under producing Geranium, Eucalyptus, and Citronella and can't meet current demands. Bulgarian Lavender is for the third year in a row coming up short with current yields down 60% from previous years. Extreme wet weather in the Pacific Northwest is effecting Peppermint yields. Cinnamon is coming up short due to wet weather in Sri Lanka. Cardamom is still at a high price and appears to be remaining flat. Coriander has also stabilized but at a slighter higher price. The rains in Indonesia have forced harvesting to be halted resulting in higher prices. These are just to name a few oils that we see changing but in general we are viewing up tick in prices across the board on all essential oils. 
Now for another subject: Radiation. Our hearts go out to our friends in Japan and all their families during this very difficult time. We are getting a lot of calls about what essential oils are good for protection again radiation. We recommend several oils: Tea Tree or Niaouli (both are in Melaleuca family), Cypress and Myrtle.  Tea Tree and/or Niaouli are good on the skin to protect against radiation damage. Cypress helps with white blood cell production and repair. Myrtle boosts thyroid function which can help absorb more Potassium Iodide which assists in protection against absorption of radioactive isotopes of iodine. Hopefully , you will never need to use these oils for this issue but we wanted to communicate to everyone just in case. Until we post again, take care.

Essential Oil Market Update

Price increases still coming in for several of our popular oils. Bulgarian Lavender still increasing in price and is now nearly triple the costs of over a year ago.  The 50% shortage in production highly driving the price up.  Lemon is now moving upward in price due to a worldwide shortage of 12.5%.  Grapefruit, Orange, and Lime are still holding steady at this time in spite of low yields. Tangerine may also be going higher due to small supplies. Geranium has doubled in price due to the drought causing a 40% reduction in China.  Ginger, Citronella and Eucalyptus are also effected by this and continue moving up in price.  Cardamom has also doubled due 20-30% reduction in production. Clove production is also down by 15%. Finally, Black Pepper oil may be increasing as well due to supply constraints.  We continue to try and stock all these oils but are experiencing delays due these shortages and price fluctuations.

Essential Oil Market Update

It appears that prices for essentials oils are on the rise again.  Due to the worldwide recession, reduced production, limited stock and dramatic strange weather all these factors are combining together to trend upward on prices for most oils.  Lavender, Orange, and Cinnamon oils are being effected in particular at this time. We will continue updating as more information arises.

Essential Oil Market Update

2010 is starting out to be a year where weather dramatically effects essential oil crops and production. We already are seeing higher prices for many of the essential oils from China due to the drought effecting the crops growth and the government prohibiting water from being used at the distillation facilities. This effects Eucalyptus Globulus, Geranium, Ginger, Litsea, and Valerian. The Eucalyptus crop alone is seeing a 40% drop in availability compared to last year. Rains and frost have had a large impact on the citrus crops this year and are effecting Petitgrain, Orange, Lime, and Lemon oils, which are all seeing slightly higher prices. Grapefruit is also slowly drifting up in price even though there is low demand. Tangerine oil is holding flat in price in spite of the El Nino effect but Clove is increasing in price because of a shortfall in production by 15%. Bulgarian Lavender has been effected by poor weather and disease which is resulting in production being 50% of normal, thus raising the prices for the shortage. We also are seeing higher prices due to conditions not related to weather such as higher production costs in Indonesia. This is effecting Clovebud, Nutmeg and Patchouli oils. Lemongrass is trending higher because of adulteration coming out of some of the facilities in India. India's production shortfall of 20-30% is effecting Cardamom but prices seem to be holding steady at this time. Coriander, Cinnamon, and Rosewood are all likely to go higher because of shortages in supply. As we receive further updates we will post changes.

Health Care Reform and Essential Oil Therapy

Today President Obama signed the new health care reform act increasing coverage to millions of uninsured citizens of the United States. This legislation does not go as far as universal coverage for all americans but it is a step in the right direction and does start the ball rolling by at least getting many citizens the needed care they deserve and could not previously afford.

Last night on Larry King Live they had a panel that included Andrew Weil discussing some of the bill and both the good and bad points.  As Mr. Weil clearly pointed out this is more health insurance reform than actual health reform.  This bill does not change the heavy focus of doctors on using costly prescription drugs when there are cheaper (and safer) alternatives nor does it focus action to prevention rather than disease management.  Prevention is the key to bringing down medical costs and  improving quality of life.  That is why many are turning to alternative medicine practices and treatments.

Essential oil therapy and essential oils are still at this time an underused modality that can give great care and benefit to patients.  We have seen that the use of essential oils in hospice care and cancer treatment have a big impact to the patients quality of life and that is to just name a few areas where it is used medicinally.  We also have to look at the health benefits essential oils bring to the massage and spa community clients. Essential oils are being researched and case studies taken to build a more comprehensive view on the preventative and restorative medicinal value of these items.

As this health care debate moves further forward in the next few years hopefully more inclusions to the alternative medicine and prevention aspects will be addressed to improve everyones health care more so than just their health costs coverage.

Medical Use of Essential Oils

Over the past few years essential oils have begun to take shape in hospitals, hospices, and palliative care units as well as dental offices. Essential oils are not just for ambient scent like synthetic fragrance oils. These oils are truly finding a place in the medical field and assisting with healing and calming of patients, nurses, and healthcare workers.
At the Columbia University Medical Center Integrative Therapies Program for Children with Cancer they are finding great results with our Peppermint essential oil easing nausea from chemotherapy. They also find these oils to be beneficial in the hospital setting Lavender (calming), Roman Chamomile (to aid in sleep), Black Pepper (pain), Bergamot (uplifting), Lemongrass (appetite stimulant), Lemon (immune system), Eucalyptus (antiviral), and Ginger (nausea).
At Sloan-Kettering hospital they did a study and found that Lavender helps patients remain calm in the claustrophobic confines of a MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imager) machine.
Dental offices have also begun diffusing Orange and Lavender essential oils to soothe their patients while waiting for treatment and during treatment.
At Pathways Hospice of Sunnyvale California they are using essential oils of Lavender, Grapefruit, Vetiver, and Peppermint and a therapeutic blend made by Elizabeth Van Buren called Transitions blend. This blend helps to comfort those transitioning from this life and their families connect. It is a blend 7 essential oils in a jojoba oil base. The essential oils used are Cedarwood, Grapefruit, Rose Absolute, Sandalwood, Geranium, Spikenard and Frankincense.
Essential oils are even beginning to be used in some emergency rooms during triage.
May 6-12 is National Nurses Week and is a perfect time to share essential oils with the staff and get them to see the benefits of using these wonderful tools.

Essential Oils and the Economy

In troubled times comes troubling actions. In order to stretch dollars further in this economy companies are turning to short cuts in order to save money and sustain their revenues. These kinds of actions take place in every industry and practice.
Right now we are seeing many essential oil companies and suppliers taking actions that leave us stunned. Adulteration of essential oils is on the rise and so is the increase of synthetic fragrances claiming to be pure essential oils. The public is purchasing these essential oils thinking they are getting true therapeutic products when they are not. This is not just effecting peoples pockets but in some cases are truly effecting peoples health.
Adulteration effects the healing actions found in pure therapeutic grade essential oils so much so that many consumers using them never see any kind of benefits from their use. Synthetics oils are worse than adulterated oils in the sense that they are being linked to people getting allergic reactions and in some cases even cancer.
We at Elizabeth Van Buren understand these issues and will not compromise our position on therapeutic grade oils. That is why we test each and every batch by Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometer to insure our oils do not contain these materials. We also stand by our customers and vendors and will not accept or sell these poor oils even if it causes us delays or effects our revenue. Our company has always believed what benefits you, will in the long term, also benefit us.
Most of all whether you purchase with Elizabeth Van Buren or some other company be sure to investigate your oils before purchasing. Make sure they are GC/MS tested on every batch, that there are traceable lot numbers on the bottle and that your pure single note oils are not cut with carriers oils (unless they are clearly labeled as blends).