What is Snow Lotus Aromatherapy?
Snow Lotus Aromatherapy is an artisan essential oil company founded by Peter Holmes, L.Ac., M.H., author of Aromatica and The Energetics of Western Herbs. We supply certified-organic essential oils to acupuncturists, herbalists, massage therapists and other clinical practitioners.
Our catalog includes more than 80 single essential oils, over 70 formulated blends, absolutes and precious oils, hydrosols, and topical preparations. Every oil is personally sourced by Peter Holmes directly from small artisan distillers worldwide, and orders ship from our warehouse in Santa Rosa, California.
Snow Lotus does not offer custom blending services, and we do not sell standalone carrier oils. Jojoba appears in our catalog only as the dilution medium in our 10% dilutions.
What makes Snow Lotus essential oils special?
Peter Holmes L.Ac., M.H., personally sources and selects the essential oils directly from small producers worldwide, with an emphasis on producers who ethically wild harvest or sustainably cultivate the plants and distill the oils in small batches. As a result of working directly with artisan, not commercial producers, quality is never compromised.
The oils are botanically accurate and as pure and unadulterated as when they were first distilled. In addition, our producers strive to maintain the highest quality of grown or harvested plant material for distillation. Many of them enjoy many generations' worth of expertise in the steam distillation process and in producing the finest oils possible.
Most Snow Lotus oils are certified organic by trusted agencies (Ecocert, Ceres, Qualite-France, etc.) in their country of origin, as well as certified NOP organic by the USDA.
Quality and full potency has always been the guiding principle at Snow Lotus. To produce premier quality essential oils the quality of the plant material is priority. Plants need to be correctly identified and singly harvested at peak times. Weeds that are present in the plant material need to be removed by hand before it is loaded into the still. Next the plant material is steam distilled over an extended length of time using the appropriate temperature and steam pressure in the traditional manner. The resultant artisan oils retain almost the entire range of their chemical components, thereby closely maintaining the rich spectrum of fragrance and concentrated properties found in the living plant.
It is our firm belief that these small batch, full-spectrum artisan distillations are superior in every way to large-scale, commercially produced products. Snow Lotus artisan essential oils maintain their inherent vitality, something that is greatly lost or altered in the commercial process of improper harvesting, rapid extraction using chemical solvents and superheated high-pressure steam, and final standardization using industrial fragrance chemicals.
In general, Snow Lotus supports the widening global movement that strives to uplift and strengthen cultural, ecological and biological diversity and sustainability.
Are Snow Lotus essential oils organic or "therapeutic grade"?
The majority of Snow Lotus oils are certified organic by trusted agencies such as Ecocert, Ceres and Qualite-France in their country of origin, as well as certified NOP organic by the USDA. "Therapeutic grade" is a marketing term with no certifying body behind it, so we do not use it.
Snow Lotus artisan essential oils are of the highest quality and purity – usually organic, ethically sourced and with concern for regional biodiversity and sustainability.
Only the highest quality, ethically harvested and sustainably sourced artisan essential oils are chosen. We cite the botanical source, region of origin, and growing, harvesting and extraction method for each single essential oil and absolute we carry. To learn more, see About Snow Lotus Essential Oils.
Our oils retain almost the entire range of the plant's chemical components and will thereby closely maintain the whole rich spectrum of fragrance found in the living plant itself. These small, full-spectrum artisan distillations are in sharp contrast to the large-scale, commercial operations that produce oils extracted with the consistent use of chemical solvents and the process of then being chemically standardized or highlighted. These commercial oils are intended simply as fragrance materials for the perfume and food-flavoring industry.
What do "wild harvested," "organic" and "selective" mean?
These are the three sourcing designations Snow Lotus uses to describe how the plant material for each oil was cultivated or harvested.
Wild harvested
Ethically wild-harvested according to ecological sustainability.
Organic
Usually third-party certified by certifying bodies such as Ecocert, Ceres, BKS Oko-Garantie, IMO, Qualite-France, Bio Inspecta, Bulgarcert, Biokontroll Hungaria and Australian Certified Organic. The majority of these are also certified organic by the U.S. National Organic Program (NOP).
Selective
The highest quality conventional cultivation, not certified, but usually grown without pesticides though with possible use of some chemical fertilizers.
What is an absolute?
An absolute is a plant extract produced using chemical solvents rather than steam distillation. This type of extraction is used when a plant has a very low yield, such as rose, jasmine, neroli and tuberose.
The oil is first extracted from the plant material with hexane (this is called a "concrete," and contains plant waxes and pigment). The hexane is then "washed" out using ethanol. Virtually no hexane or ethanol remains at the end of this process.
Any absolutes that Snow Lotus carries no longer contain traceable amounts of hexane residue. Furthermore, for over 10 years, it has been Snow Lotus policy to not carry or sell attars, since it has been shown that these products are very often chemically adulterated or even reconstituted.
Absolutes and precious oils are highly prized and often used as perfumes.
How do I use essential oils?
Snow Lotus maintains a dedicated guide covering methods of application, dilution and safe handling. See How to Use Essential Oils for the full guide.
Can I take essential oils internally?
Snow Lotus does not make recommendations or claims regarding the internal use of essential oils. While some essential oils can be and have been safely used internally in a clinical context, there are many essential oils that would be irritating and sensitizing to the mucosa, or simply toxic to take internally.
The internal use of essential oils (even those labeled as safe for internal use) should only be considered under the guidance of a credible health professional trained in the use of the oils in internal medicine.
Essential oils are powerful and highly concentrated. They need to be treated with respect and circumspection. Contrary to popular belief, just because something is "natural" doesn't mean it may not be harmful. Think of aconite, poison hemlock, deadly nightshade – these are natural herbs, but extremely toxic.
We encourage you to do as much research as possible on this subject. Please read reliable, professional books and articles from reputable sources.
How can I learn more about essential oils?
Read the articles and books written by Peter Holmes, L.Ac., M.H., available in our Books section, and visit our gallery on the Learn & Discover page.
Why are some oils in a 10% dilution?
Some essential oils and absolutes are offered in a 10% dilution because they are highly concentrated and expensive in undiluted form. This is because of scarcity, low oil yield from the plant material, or any number of other factors.
For example, Damask rose absolute is an incredibly potent and beautiful oil, but quite expensive because of the low yield of oil in the flowers – about $20–$25 a ml. When the same Damask rose absolute is diluted in a high quality carrier oil like jojoba, its properties are retained and preserved, and the dilution is appropriate for topical use. It is also much less expensive than buying the absolute in its undiluted form.
Why isn't my bottle filled all the way?
Our bottles are filled by calibrated volume, so some bottles may look not completely full. Rest assured, they do contain the proper amount of oil, as stated on the label and product listing.
Why should I set up an account?
Registering an account allows us to better track your orders and allows for the proper discounts (if applicable) to be credited to your order before checkout. Anyone can purchase via our website – with or without an account.
I have a wholesale or professional account. How do I register to place my order online?
Set up a new account on the website, then email info@snowlotus.org with your business name. We will verify your discount status and email you when you can start placing orders online with your discount applied.
All Wholesale and/or Professional website accounts must be approved by Snow Lotus before any discounts can be applied. There are no exceptions.
If you are a new customer and would like information on setting up a Snow Lotus Wholesale or Professional account, see Setting Up a Wholesale or Professional Account.
Can I become a distributor or a sales rep?
Currently we do not have outside sales representatives, nor do we have a distribution system for reselling Snow Lotus essential oils. We do, however, offer Professional and Wholesale accounts.
Either Professional or Wholesale accounts may resell Snow Lotus essential oils to their clients and customers. See Setting Up a Wholesale or Professional Account for more information.
How long does shipping take, and what does it cost?
We process and ship orders Monday through Thursday, and strive for a quick turnaround time of 2–3 business days. We are currently running a promotion: free shipping on all orders over $200. Our standard threshold is $500.
Orders are sent from our warehouse in Santa Rosa, California, by UPS Ground or USPS First Class or Priority Mail, depending on the size and destination of the order. Please note that UPS will only deliver to street addresses.
Please email us directly to obtain overseas shipping rates. Free shipping does not apply to overseas orders.
What is your return policy?
Returns must be approved in advance and submitted within 30 days of receipt. We are unable to accept or process any returns that are returned without prior approval, or that are submitted after 30 days of receipt.
If there is an error with your order, please notify us within five business days of receipt so that we can correct the issue.
If any goods arrive damaged, please contact us no later than five business days of receipt. Please email pictures of the box, packaging and the damaged product so that a claim can be filed.
We cannot accept returns based on the aroma of an oil. Essential oils are natural agricultural products – their scent varies from harvest to harvest and from batch to batch, and shifts as an oil ages or is exposed to warmth, light or air. Scent is also personal, and the same oil can smell quite different to two people. This does not affect a product that arrives damaged, is sent in error, or is not what you ordered.
Please note you may be subject to either a $30 or 10% of order restocking fee (whichever is greater) for returns. This charge applies unless the return or cancellation is a direct result of our error.
What happens if an item is out of stock?
Your order will ship without the out-of-stock item, and that item will be placed on backorder and sent with free shipping as soon as it becomes available.
If you would rather cancel the out-of-stock or backordered item from your order, please contact us so we can process a refund.
Still have questions?
We are happy to help – please contact us.
In order to consistently provide the highest quality oils available, we reserve the right to change an oil's country of origin without notice, as market conditions constantly fluctuate in quality and cost.