harvest seal™
what is ethica’s harvest seal™?
Simply put, it is an identifying label that provides detailed growing information as it relates to an individual bottle of essential oil.
- The seal on our Essential Oil Blends identifies the specific harvest number and cultivation condition of the oil.
- The seal on our Essential Oil Singles identifies the specific harvest number, cultivation condition, botanical variety, origin of crop, part of plant harvested and extraction method of the oil.
why does ethica provide this information when large, mass-marketed oil companies do not?
There are many reasons.
First, for those seeking therapeutic benefits from essential oils, and for those professionally trained in aromatherapy, harvest details are paramount. For example, a botanical variety or extraction method of an essential oil can be indicated for a specific health condition; while a slightly different botanical variety or extraction method can be contraindicated for the same health condition.*
Second, for the casual user of essential oils, harvest details are interesting facts that over time help to cultivate an appreciation for the nuances that differentiate one oil from the next. Recognizing the subtleties between, for example, Lavandula latifolia from Spain, Lavandula hybrida grosso from France, and Lavandula angustofolia from Oregon become easier to identify. Awareness increases as to why certain oils are considered premium species over others, thus different uses and different demand.
Last, as a boutique company specializing in small batches of single-origin oils, having the ability to constantly rotate our inventory is our passion! By choosing to operate on a smaller scale, we are able to purchase the freshest oils available in small quantities, occasionally including unique and hard-to-find varieties, that would never supply enough inventory for large, mass-marketed oil companies. Sometimes we receive enough essential oil to fill 1,000 bottles of a particular species, while other times we are lucky to fill only 100 bottles. Once that variety is sold out, our inventory rotates again. Our Harvest Seal™ allows us to be swift and flexible in the oils we offer our customers, representing the most recent essential oils on the market.
empowering the people
When we first began using essential oils 20 years ago, almost every company provided some, if not all, of the harvest information. Two decades later and the opposite is true – it is increasingly difficult to find a supplier still offering this level of transparency with their oils. We have learned many reasons as to why this has become the standard in the industry, including:- It simply is not as profitable to justify the extra time and expense it takes to label each batch individually.
- Some companies have grown so large that it becomes necessary to blend many varieties together to provide enough oil to sell to the mass-market, as well as achieve a consistent aroma from year to year.
- By providing only generic information on the label (ex: Lavender Oil, Peppermint Oil, Eucalyptus Oil), the company limits its accountability if some or all of the oil has been adulterated or is synthetic.
Call us passé, but we believe including the harvest information on each bottle of oil is not only the right way to run an essential oil company, it is the only way.
A lavender is not a lavender, is not a lavender.
Ethica does not see essential oils as something to be “standardized”. We see them as the essence of living, vibrant plants that are exclusive to the region they were grown in, the soil they were cultivated from and the individual species that makes them unique. Our oils change with the seasons, just like essential oils from living plants should.
*Ethica does not give personal advice as to which essential oils one should purchase for health benefits. There are many great educational resources for the consumer, as well as professionally qualified Aromatherapists, that can offer guidance should one need more information.