This module contains our orientation video and all the information you need regarding the course.

This year, Dr Petra Ratajc prepared extra learning opportunities for you.

What is an essential oil? Defining it in scientific terms How plants make essential oils – the biosynthetic paths of specific compounds Why plants make essential oils – the functions of volatiles in plants Detailed overview of botanical families that produce essential oils Demystifying botanical names and why they are crucial vs. common names

How cultivation and growing conditions (environmental factors, age of plant, pollinators and microbes) influence essential oil composition Understanding chemotypes, and how they are determined Wildcrafting vs. cultivation – the pros and cons Conventional vs. organic cultivation: standards, certifications and sustainability Proper times of year and optimal plant development phases for harvesting

How different methods of extraction can mean different properties, even from the same plant Compositional comparisons: essential oils, hydrosols, absolutes, C02 extracts Steam-distilled oils, expressed oils and hydrosols/hydrolats Solvent-extracted absolutes, concretes and flower waxes C02 extracts, oleoresins and other resinoids (gums and balsams) Essential oils vs. water extracts, alcohol tinctures and oil macerations

Why a ‘pure’ oil is not necessarily a ‘quality’ oil Types of adulteration and manipulation, and their consequences Hydrosols/hydrolats and contamination What Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) can tell us, and how to read a GC-MS report The pros and cons of essential oil standardization How to evaluate an essential oil in terms of quality, composition and price, and how to prolong shelf life