About Us
Nature
Aromahaus is all about the beautiful natural fragrances captivated in essential oils. We offer a range of home-based spa products – bath oil, pillow spray, home fragrance, therapeutic body cream just to name a few. Our essential oils are imported from all over the world and where possible, indigenous essential oils are locally sourced, we ensure that we make use of trustworthy suppliers with a long history of ethically grown and harvested quality essential oils.
A brief description of essential, they are beautifying healing essences from flowers and herbs. The essence would be present in several types of plant materials as secondary metabolites (these are part of the life cycle of growth in the plant material that they use for their own health and growth processes). Most essential oils are distilled from plant material, but other older extraction methods such as enfleurage are still used today for oils such as Rose Attar.
Wisdom
The deep and interesting history of essential oils spans over thousands of years, the above mentioned enfleurage (layers of plant material is packed between layers of glass and plant fat to extract the precious oils) were used by the Egyptians. Today we can still find small vessels of different oils present in the Pyramids. Some still slightly fragrant. But the real health and beauty benefits were introduced into the mainstream use of oils in pharmaceutical preparations. We all know good old Vick’s. Aroma oils was mostly used before then in the manufacturing of perfumes. A rich history of France and Grasse and the perfume regions of Europe have been the marketing angle for quite a few perfume houses.
The French Biochemist, Margaret Maury introduced the concept of AromaTHERAPY around 1947. She advocated the use of essential oils which are blended into a carrier-oil such as sweet almond oil for therapeutic use on the body such as massage.
Our wisdom is also displayed in our knowledge in the motto of a well-trained Clinical Aromatherapist: “we do not diagnose, we do not prescribe, we do not treat” A Clinical Aromatherapist supports a client on the journey to a path of wellness and self-care. We are also custodians of plant intelligence communicated to humans via the volatile oils that plants create. Aromatherapist should be seen as translators, translators of plant wisdom.
Every effort has been made by Aromahaus to employ staff and suppliers with a proven record of knowledge and professional expertise in essential oil safety, plant knowledge and vast and diverse education on volatile oils and it’s uses.
Science
Essential oils are evaluated as volatile aromatic compounds. These test results are called gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). A knowledgeable Aromatherapist should be able to read and fully appreciate test results placed in front of her by any distiller. These results can even show if essential oils are adulterated. One just need to know what to look for and have the skills to evaluate claims carefully.
Aromahaus staff are mentored by the best experienced and highly qualified mentors possibly available in this field. The owner of Aromahaus herself is also a guest writer to the “Aromatika Magazine” which is published in 14 countries. Before her tenure as a Clinical Aromatherapist she was also head of SABS, Regulatory Affairs for South Africa: Human Health and Environmental Division. Sonnika Coetzee inherited her love for science from her mother, Magda Steyn a Science and Biology Teacher for 35 years and she was also an avid Aromatherapy fan.
It is important to be well informed and on the forefront of developing science-based knowledge in the field of Aromatherapy. New essential oils are discovered each year and specifically South Africa can add to these discoveries with the fast indigenous floral kingdom present in Africa.
Science also educates us to carefully and safely work with these plant-based Materia Medica. They are powerful partners in our quest to search for wellbeing and self-care.