Pranarom – Scientific Aromatherapy
Next to vitamins, minerals, botanicals, homeopathic and naturopathic remedies, Better Living carries 100% pure essential oils for our clients. What are essential oils? These are known as volatile oils extracted from plants such as flowers, herbs or trees. The oil becomes essential because it carries a concentration of that plants fragrance. Most essential oils are obtained by distillation through the passage of steam under low pressure. Essential oils are extremely versatile as they can be used in cleaning and laundry products, cosmetics, soaps and lotions, perfumes and food and drink. Essential oils are also used in aromatherapy to improve one’s physical, emotional and spiritual well-being. While we carry diverse lines of essential oils, Better Living now dispenses Pranarom, experts in scientific aromatherapy.
Pranarom was founded in 1975 by researcher and aroma therapist Pierre Franchomme and is currently run by a laboratory under Dominique Baudoux, a Belgium pharmacist with a specialty in aromatology. The vision of Pranarom comes from its name which holds double-meaning. Prana, also known as Chi, means breath of life (the breath is symbolic of the start of all actions and decisions). Arom comes from ‘aromatic’ where the essential oils from all plants are aromatics; Therefore “breath of life and overall health provided by essential oils, the quintessence of aromatic plants”.
Many essential oils sold at 100% pure and natural are often cut, elongated, diluted and denatured with vegetable or mineral oils, cheap synthetic molecules, chemical emulsifiers, turpentine and alcohol; this drastically changes the composition of the plant oil making it more likely to be allergenic and toxic. Pranarom provides high quality essential oils that are 100% natural and are controlled under strict laboratory regulations from start to finish.
Synthesized chemical substances are dead substances and thus diminish the vitality of what an essential oil should be; that is, a natural product that brings about an intense revitalization of the body. Obtaining therapeutic essential oils is a delicate process where the CTEO (chemo typed essential oil) must meet numerous quality criteria.
**Some species of plants have the genetic ability to generate diverse chemical components due to the environment in which is dwells. These different chemical types of the same plant are called “chemotypes”. It is important to know the chemotype of your essential oil as they contain distinct therapeutic properties and safety considerations.**
Quality criteria of chemotyped essential oils:
- Botanical Certification – The plant name must indicate the genus, species, sub-species and the variety in order to avoid any error stemming from common names.
- Geographical Origin – The name of the country or region provides interesting information about the environment of the aromatic plant and characterizes its specific biochemical composition.
- Cultivation Type – This detail indicates whether the plant is wild or cultivated and whether it was grown using organic farming methods or not.
- Level of Botanical Development – Chemotype characteristics sometimes depend on the level of development: harvest before, during or after flowering, etc.
- The Distilled Organ – The biochemical composition of chemotyped essential oils varies according to the part or organ of the distilled plant.
- Extraction Method – The composition of CTEOs can vary according to the method of extraction used: distillation, steam distillation, percolation and expression.
- The Chemotype: Analysis using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry indicates the basic molecules for the correct use of CTEOs.
Better Living offers a wide variety of Pranarom products. Some of our top sellers are the essential oil blends such as Pranarom Zen, which predisposes the body to calm, relaxation and harmony, as well as Pranarom Mediation, a sacred fragrance which generates a harmonious atmosphere helpful to mediation. For more information on Pranarom visit our dispensary and speak with our team of health care professionals.
