"To be immersed in a scent world, even temporarily, is to shift your consciousness and to awaken to the moment more fully. "
--from Essence and Alchemy, A Book of Perfume by Mandy Aftel

To Swallow or Not To Swallow?
That is the Question

Here is where essential oils really seem to enjoy some juicy controversy - can you eat them? Just the thought probably makes some traditionally trained massage therapist who has been indoctrinated in the dangers of ingesting essential oils shudder.

There is ongoing controversy as to the best way to benefit from the 'therapuetic' effects of essential oils. Kurt Schnaubelt, in his leading-edge book, Medical Aromatherapy, tackles this issue. He suggests "due to their physical properties (which he describes in detail) essential oils make the way they are administered somewhat less crucial. This means that often more than one way of application can be correct; there is ample room for personal preference. However, excessive dosages need to be avoided."

Dr. Schnaulbelt also suggests using only a couple of drops is plenty and will "result in a fair degree of absorption in the mouth and espophagus; only a little oil will actually reach the stomach."

All that being said, I figure, if I already use the same fresh herb or plant in cooking, or if it is a common ingredient in foods I already eat, and I've never had an adverse or allergic reaction to it, "Hey, what's the big deal if I only use very small doses?"

The other night I was preparing an appetizer of fresh French bread my neighbor just baked, with some extra virgin triple cold pressed virgin organic olive oil I got from my friend ___who air-ships in over from his families farm in_______ and happen to have some raw milk Teleme cheese from Forgotten Farm, and freshly grounded white pepper from the Chai tea I made that morning, and for my non-vegan guest I add thin slices of prosciutto di Parma, and I discover that the deer ate all the Italian parsley from my organic garden, and yikes! I'm out of the powdered flakes from Whole Foods. I might just sneak into the lab in my basement and fetch a drop or two of basil essential oil that I purchased from ______one of our most meticulous Distillers in ____.

Working with perhaps the best essential oil fragrance house in the U.S. we came out with a product for a celebrity that she uses to hydrate herself during her world tour concerts an edible organic essential oil spray _____.

We mentioned Coco Chanel's recommendation to use perfume "wherever you want to be kissed", and so we created a perfume blend that you can apply anywhere on the body and be absolutely confident your lover will like to kiss you there because it is our first, hopefully of many "Edible Blends." We modified this from a blend Mandy Aftel offered in her most remarkable and sensually delightful book, Essence and Alchemy, A Book of Perfume. From the first day we published it and every week since we get so many suggestive observations and also because of the scent notes we call it: