Juniperus communis belongs to the Cuppressaceae family and is a highly variable species, presenting several morphological and geographical varieties. Juniper is divided into at least two subspecies with frequent intermediates which can differ in habit from a low, spreading bush to a small columnar, single stemmed tree.

Depending upon the geographical variety, the bushy shrub attains a height between 1 and 3 metres (3-10 ft), and the columnar tree occasionally reaches a height of 10m (32 ft). The smaller prostrate form ‘horizontalis’ is native to north-east America and the taller variety ‘erecta’ is very common throughout Europe. Read more…

Neroli essential oil is extracted from the fragrant blossoms of the bitter orange tree (Citrus aurantium sub.sp amara), and has a beautiful aroma that appeals to men and women alike. In common with rose and jasmine, neroli oil is a complete fragrance in itself and forms the heart of one of the worlds most enduring perfumes, ‘Eau de Cologne’.
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A panic attack can strike without warning and without an obvious reason, bringing with it overwhelming, sometimes paralyzing fear and terror. The experience is far more intense than a feeling of being ‘stressed out’, and terrified victims often report that they thought they were going crazy, losing control, or even having a heart attack.

Panic attacks range from feelings of uneasiness to immobilizing bouts of terror. In this extreme state people experience white-knuckle, heart-pounding terror that strikes suddenly and without warning. Since they can’t predict when these attacks will happen they may live in constant worry that another one could strike at any time. Read more…

Only a month ago we were all celebrating the arrival of the New Year with parties and extravagant fireworks displays, but for many of us it already feels like six long months ago. Yet here we are, still stuck in the gloom of winter up to our armpits in bad news and snow.

Keeping a cheerful outlook throughout the drudgery of winter can be a struggle at the best of times, and if the long dark mornings and evenings haven’t started to drag you down yet, the constant carping in the media about the credit crunch and recession surely must have. Read more…

This is not so much a new product but more the return of a firm favourite that has been unavailable for over a year now. Yuzu essential oil has proven very popular since we introduced it over 10 years ago, but for economical reasons our producer on the island of Shikoku in Japan recently had to stop producing the oil in favour of the more profitable juice extract.
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Vetiver belongs to the same botanical family as lemongrass, citronella and palmarosa, and has been appreciated for its wide diversity of useful applications since records began. In some countries such as India its role as a perfume may even precede that of the ubiquitous rose.

Vetiveria zizanoides is a dense, erect, clumping perennial grass that grows throughout tropical regions. When growing in the wild, the straight-stemmed, robust leaves easily reach a height of 2 or 3 metres (6ft 6ins – 9ft 9ins) and the plant readily adapts to a wide range of soil and climatic conditions.
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