The Power of Essential Oils

Sweet Della at her1st Birthday Party

So, our VP's daughter (1 1/2 year old) has been really struggling this past week with a chest cold, and a runny nose, so much so that sleep has been a real problem.  Last night, Brian decided to use some of our oils in order to try to clear her up and provide a better nights sleep for the whole family.  He had Bay Laurel and Myrtle at his house.  So he put a couple drops of each in the inhalant portion of her humidifier and the results were astonishing.  Della slept like a baby should sleep and her chest was free from all the croupy junk by morning.  It is always great to have reminders of just how medicinal and therapeutic are the oils we distill. 


By the way, Brian would like to remind everyone that we have current supply on Bay Laurel and Myrtle.


Also, please see the links about Bay Laurel and Myrtle Uses:

Myrtle and Its Uses

Bay Laurel and Its Uses

Gjithe te mirat

"All the best"

MI

The Bible

"Medical and Aromatic Essential Oils from the Lands of Albania" by Prof. Uran Asllani

The book above has been respectfully called "The Bible" among Brian, Landi, and Shea.  It was written by Petrit's professor in horticultural school Professor Uran Asllani.  Now, it is the go-to book about the distillation process, types of plants that are natural to Albania, and the uses of essential oils in the medical and aromatherapy industry.  Professor Asllani has been helping Petrit with research and input on how the distillery should be built.  This information is also in conjunction with the distiller. 

Gjithe te mirat

"All the best"

MI

Progress Pictures

The gravel will be used to level the ground before pouring concrete.

The road that runs from the main highway to the back of the property.  Again, this will be paved in the future. 

The distillery construction is following the timeline quite well.  Assuming it does not rain too much in the short term, the building should be completed as scheduled.

Gjithe te mirat

"All the best"

MI

American Travel Tours

Nina Isaku has been working with the Skora family for years and now with MI with their Albania travel needs.  She is a great help and a pleasure to work with.  Nina works with American Travel Tours based in Sterling Heights, MI.  Their website is under construction now but the link is listed below:

http://americantraveltours.us

If you are in need of a travel agent or are planning to visit Albania, MI highly recommends this agencies services.

Gjithe te mirat
"All the best"

MI

Construction Begins

The distillery plans are becoming a reality.  These pictures were taken by Petrit on the job site a few days ago. 



View from the hill where the distillery will be constructed

The road going up the hill to the jobsite.  This road will eventually be paved.

The jobsite in Tirana County, Albania.

One of the construction company workers diligently overseeing the process.

In other news, Landi, Shea, and Brian are going to Albania March 9th through the 20th to purchase equipment, meet with the distiller and his family again, see the jobsite, and look at the Melissa fields.

Gezuar Shen Valentinin!  Happy Valentine's Day! 

Gjithe te mirat
"All the best"

MI

Distillery Plans

Aerial View



Front view

You are looking at the architectural plans of MI's new distillery in Albania.  Construction has begun and will be complete in April 2011. 

On the far right back corner, I believe the southeast side, is the well that will be used in the distillation process.  The water from this well is pure and directly from the Albanian mountainside which means pure processes and, ultimately, the most pure essential oils.

The building will include one office, a conference room, and 4 doors for distribution vehicles.  Petrit, the general director of Albanian operations, has been there every step of the way and will continue to diligently oversee the building.  All the builders are local to the area and will be using local products.

Very excited about this next step!

Gjithe te mirat
"All the best"

MI

Back In Petaluma

The forecast for Petaluma today is 60 degrees F.  Sadly, Oklahoma and Denver were not as sunny and clear.  Brian and Landi were delayed out of Oklahoma City due to snow and ice.  This caused them to miss their plane in Denver so they stayed the night and just arrived in Petaluma from Sacramento 30 minutes ago.  I am sure they are happy to be back in warm sunny California weather.  Welcome back, boys!

Gjithe te mirat

"All the best"

MI

More Snow?

Brian, Landi, and Shea have been very productive on their trip with meetings with the Secretary of State, accountants, brokers, and investors.  Today, Brian and Landi head back to Petaluma but from the looks of things there may be delays as more snow is headed towards the metro area.  Hope that Will Rogers Airport doesn't give them troubles!

Gjithe te mirat

"All the best"

MI

Characteristics of All Essential Oils

When doing posts about specific oils and their usages, all of the oils have common properties.  So instead of listing the same properties for each one, it would be better to focus on the oil's unique characteristics in the post.  In an effort to streamline, this post is information about the properties that all essential oils share.

All essential oils are volatile which means they evaporate at or above room temperature.  Heat helps to release the aromas used in methods like aromatherapy and vapor therapy.  Depending on growing conditions, each oil will be different. 

Below is quoted information from an article link found at the end of this post. 

The chemical make-up of each individual essential oil is complex but they are nearly all comprised of some combination of alcohols, phenols, aldehydes, ketones, acids, esters, oxides, lactones, coumarins and furocoumarins. The result of this means that most essential oils are anti-inflammatory; anti-viral; anti-fungal; detoxifying; circulatory; anti-spasmodic; analgesic and decongestant.

Common physical properties of essential oils include:

• all essential oils are able to be absorbed by the human body; they are all non-greasy; they are only partially water soluble; they are all inflammable; they are all volatile; they are all soluble in both alcohol and carrier oil (which are used to blend essential oils and be absorbed by the skin.

Common therapeutic properties of essential oils include:

• all essential oils are capable of being antiseptic; all essential oils are balancing to the mind, emotions and various systems of the body; all essential oils are pro biotic, that is, they help the body fight infection and disease and build up the body's natural defenses to further attack.

In addition, all essential oils:

• are prophylactic – they are all intended to prevent disease.
• are stress relieving – they balance emotions and certain essential oils have a pronounced sedative and calming effect on the nervous system, for example, Lavender (lavandula angustifolia).
• are synergistic – the different chemical components complement each other within an essential oil and when blended together their effectiveness is greater than when used singly.

Link to the original article

Hope that you find this post helpful.  There is so much art and science in this field that this is always a new item to explore.  Enjoy your day and Happy Chinese New Year!

Gjithe te mirat
"All the best"

MI

Trip to Oklahoma

Snow in the Oklahoma City Metro February 1, 2011

Currently, Brian and Landi are en route to Oklahoma on a business trip.  This trip will be spent meeting with investors and having company meetings about goals for the short and long term. 

MI has created some great contacts with potential customers across the country and are really excited to see what 2011 offers.  The distillery in Albania should begin construction in the next few months so please look for pictures of the building plans to be posted here soon.  Brian, Landi, and Shea have been working diligently to build MI and are learning more each day.  More and more companies are responding positively to the samples they receive and companies are contacting them directly from word of mouth and perusing their website.  The information section of the website is nearly complete and the order now section should be ready to go. 

Now the picture above is to show you the state of Oklahoma as of yesterday.  Call it Snowpacolypse, Snowmania, Blizzard 2011, etc. but there was a moment where Brian and Landi thought the trip would be cancelled.  As of now, the storm has subsided but getting around in the metro area may prove tricky as packed ice in the neighborhoods could keep them at home.  Not to mention, the National Weather Service is suggesting that Oklahomans not leave their homes as the wind chill can make it feel like up to negative 25 degrees.  No joke, that was on NPR this morning. 

Stay warm, boys!

Gjithe te mirat
"All the best"

MI

Sage and Its Uses

Salvia Officinalis

In a most recent sending of samples to some dear friends in Illinois, MI received some great feedback about our sage oil.  While she loved the fragrance, the uses were something she needed to explore.  Please read on to see some ways that sage essential oil can be used in your routine.

Historically, sage is a sacred and prized plant.  There is a Chinese proverb that states, "How can a man grown old who has sage in his garden?"  This means that this herb is thought to aid in longevity.  It was a sacred plant to the Romans and was harvested only by people wearing white tunics and washed feet.  Also, throughout history, it was used to keep away disease and evil spirits.  Today, smudge sticks of sage are still used in meditation and cermonies to cleanse spiritually.

Like almost all essential oils, sage oil contains antibacterial and antiseptic properties.  In addition to these characteristics, it also is used to stimulate digestion and appetite as well as aid with menstrual pain, hormone regulation, sterility, and nervous disorders. 

This oil can be applied to the skin with blends or carrier oils, used in aromatherapy or vapor therapy, and in creams, lotions.  This oil blends well with other essential oils found in the Mediterranean such as lemon, hyssop, or rosemary.  Using this oil in soaps can add not only a great aroma but also for hair care.  Applying this oil as a treatment to your scalp has been shown to encourage hair growth.

When using sage oil in cooking, like any other essential oil, a little goes a long way to add this herby flavor to any dish.  Maybe it could be used in your holiday dishes like turkey or stuffings? 

As with all essential oils, be sure to use this in small doses because it has very potent effects.  Please take a look at some of the recommendations from the websites listed below.

Link to original article
Link to original article

Hope that you find this helpful, Rachel!  Good luck in your sage essential oil applications!

Gjithe te mirat
"All the best"

MI