October 21, 2026

Hey there! I hope you're doing great on these beautiful fall (or spring if down under) days. I love the changing of the seasons....

Although...I feel kind of sad about putting the garden to rest for the winter, as we pull in the last of the harvest in the next weeks....but I'm also looking forward to planning next year's garden, too! Every single garden year is a brand new learning experience!

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Why Do Different Aromatherapy Companies Have Different Life Spans for the Same Essential Oil?

This week's reader question is about essential oils, and it's a really good one. We all wonder about the shelf life of essential oils, and what I'll share can be applied to food, too.

This is a great question, and we're going to talk a little bit about general essential oil chemistry as well as the difference between a "shelf life", or "life span," and a "best by" date because companies will usually refer to one or the other, and they're different. Plus, they often don't tell you which they're referring to.

The thing to remember (and this actually applies to the foods we eat, too) is that the "life span" of a product usually isn't a fixed period of time or a fixed constant like a boiling point is. It's just an estimate. And this estimate can be based on a genuine stability study on the oil or more likely the supplier's chosen window, which is usually going to be on the conservative side to reduce liability.

Some companies will just give all their essential oils a two-year lifespan, as a matter of fact, even though some essential oils can last (and even improve--like patchouli) for over 20 years!

And other companies who unethically deal with adulterants and synthetic ingredients in their essential oils will likely also use a shorter shelf-life, as well. This isn't the case across the board, so we can't assume that a company who uses short shelf lives or best by dates are adulterating their essential oils, but it may be a red flag.

The other thing we need to keep in mind is that some chemicals (such as pinene and limonene, found in the evergreens and citrus essential oils respectively), degrade quickly; while other chemicals (for example, linalyl acetate and linalool found in lavender, clary sage, and other essential oils) are far more resistant to oxidation and polymerization (changing of the chemical structure) than lighter monoterpenes like limonene and pinene.

Essentially, this just means that some essential oils do degrade within two years....while others can last a VERY long time.

And there are thousands of chemicals that might be contained in an essential oil....and these all make a difference in the life span of a bottle of essential oil.

Some essential oils have high levels of chemicals that can change over time and become very irritating to the skin, while others don't have this issue. This is why knowing a general idea of life span of different types of essential oils can be very helpful if you're working with them.

Also, if a company is using "shelf life," (life span) that means they're telling you the amount of time a product remains usable and stable under proper storage conditions. A "best buy" date is simply a label telling you when the item will have its best scent and quality....not necessarily when it becomes unsafe, and this can be a more arbitrary amount of time.

This is 100% why buyers need to beware and educate themselves about essential oils before diving in and buying the "cheapest" products on the market.

Quality essential oils will likely be more expensive than the cheap (adulterated and/or synthetic) options flooding the market right now. And, once you get used to smelling and experiencing quality essential oils and the way they act in and on the body and mind and emotions...then most people can immediately tell the difference between a toxic knock-off and the real thing.

Another thing to consider is the plant itself. Plants can't be standardized. A GC/MS chemical make-up report for an essential oil will have varying proportions of chemicals between essential oils because plants are all different, the harvest time and manner of processing makes a difference, soil chemistry makes a difference, and even the altitude at which a plant is grown can affect the essential oil chemistry as well.... and all of these factors will affect shelf life.

It's pretty complex!

Because of this complexity, most companies will make decisions about how best to deal with their best buy date in a way that matches their company standards.

You can see that developing discernment about essential oil quality and only purchasing from companies who are ethical and source their essential oils from small farmers and keep close track of each and every batch are the ones to support with your dollars.

I have a personally vetted list of quality essential oil companies on my site, and I'll link to it HERE. Just scroll about half-way down for the essential oil list. **And I'm not an affiliate for any at this time, so I earn no income from sharing.....

Just like with anything we put in and on our body, whether it's food, medicine, essential oils, or herbs, quality and ethics matter.

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Have You Pre-Ordered Yet?

My book, the Guide to Natural Health with Herbal Medicine and Essential Oils is now in physical form! Lyon Publishing sent me some early copies, and it turned out beautiful! It's the perfect size, too.

The dream and goal I have for this book is for it to be THE herbal resource that will live on people's shelves and actually be used. I'm talking dog-eared! Underlined and written in! Becoming a little messy, even. And for it to be USED well.

It's a great beginning for those wanting to add natural health into their home and life and aren't sure where to start.

Preorders help the author (me) because these numbers tell the publisher how many copies are needed for the market and also help determine how much effort they'll spend advertising it on various platforms.

So far?

According to the publisher, they're quite happy with the numbers, and I'd love to make them (and me) even happier....and this can happen by you pre-ordering a copy. Pre-ordered books will be in your mailbox by November 17, give or take a day or so, depending on your location.

It's perfect for holiday gifting!

The links above are to Amazon, and if you don't want to order from them, you can find other options, like Barnes & Noble and more, on this page!

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Fall Diffuser Blends to Use Now: Create a Cozy Home While Staying Healthy!

Diffusing essential oils into the air is one of my favorite ways to enjoy the health benefits of essential oils while also super-charging the coziness and enjoyability of my home (and office) environment.

I love walking into my home after being away, and thinking, "Wow! It smells SO good in here!"

That's what natural, and healthy, essential oils can do for your home. And for your body, mind, and spirit, too!

So many essential oils support your health, including your immune system.

​Here's the article, and you'll find a ton of great blends, a printable PDF, and a YouTube video inside.

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Are you ready to become a certified holistic Aromatherapy Specialist?

If you've ever given this some thought, then you should! I love my medicinal herbs, but in terms of alternative health, herbalism is still rather "fringe," and because it's less studied as a practice than aromatherapy, and plants (and opinions) are so varied, most states don't recognize herbalism as a health practice.

But aromatherapy is different. Similar to herbal medicine, the FDA doesn't recognize aromatherapy (or most alternative health practices for that matter) as medical practice. And that's a good thing, because we're not medical doctors.

However, aromatherapy has earned its place in integrative health, even in many hospital and clinical settings.

Besides all that....aromatherapy is amazing.

I don't really like the name, "aromatherapy" because it doesn't tell the whole story of how these essential oils of certain plants and plant parts work for us therapeutically. But there's now a ton of science behind these volatile oils, and the chemistry of these aromatics is simply undeniable.

Over four years ago, I started creating our Aromatherapy Certification course, and two years ago, I finished it. The textbook (665 pages) is incredible, and the course is extremely valuable. I've so far only promoted it one time, back in August, 2024, and then I got busy with other projects and just keeping things going with our family herbalism courses (where I teach basic aromatherapy as well as herbalism).

The pricing is STILL at its beta (first-go) pricing, and I'm planning to raise the price this weekend.

Why?

Because it's terribly underpriced, and there are only a few things I need to do to make it a Level 2 offer. As a NAHA approved school (National Association of Holistic Aromatherapy), which is the country's premier aromatherapy association, the aromatherapist who oversees schools asked me if I meant to apply for the 2nd level program approval because of how advanced it is. It just needs 15 essential oil monographs and the infrastructure for additional case studies. That's it.

Not only is this course underpriced for what it is now, it's even more-so for what it's about to become.

The price is going up this Saturday, October 24th, in order for it to be aligned with other professional certification courses at this level on the market. It's a great time to jump in, if you've been wanting to enhance your wellness practice at home or give yourself options for business or career.

I wasn't going to say anything....but then I didn't think that was fair.

This is the only time I'll be mentioning this increase, so if you're reading this, and you're ready....it's time.

​Become a Certified Aromatherapist​

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On the Herb Farm and Homestead

Well, most of my tender plants are now inside, cohabitating with me in my office! I love it.

But the thing about bringing plants in to overwinter is that it stresses them a bit. It's better than leaving them outside, obviously, where they will perish....but it's still more stressful than being in fresh outside air with natural light and sunshine.

Winter is the time of year I get obsessive about pest control. Next time, I'll share my pest control spray with you....if I forget, please remind me!

Another thing about a fall homestead is that the chickens go into a moult getting ready for their winter feathers. And this causes them to slow down their laying. Usually, their laying will pick back up again for a moment....then the darkness of winter really descends, and it's very few eggs for another couple months.

When you live close to the land, you get a very real sense of how animals as well as plants adjust. And this goes for humans too! It's a beautiful cycle, and it's all wonderful and part of God's design for us.

Hugs, Health, and Herbs,

Heidi

P.S. As a reader of this newsletter, you're one of the few who has FREE access to our Resource Library. It's filled with MANY more printable resources of all kinds from all the way back in Healing Harvest Homestead's early days. Use the password: lovelife (No capital letters or spaces---so watch for that autocorrect!)

Enjoy!

And please forward to a friend who'd like this too.