We have all become to used to living in a virtual reality these past months, so we are delighted to offer the opportunity to participate in our new practical & creative aromatherapy workshops, which will be held at Kindred House, by the sea in Margate with Abi Titterington-Lough. Abi has a wealth of practical experience working in the field of natural beauty and skin care, as well as aromatherapy and herbal lore. She has also been part of our team at Aqua Oleum for a number of years and has a real enthusiasm for sharing her knowledge.

While walking in Pembrokeshire along the coastal paths recently, my daughter and I came across swathes of wild mint growing in the hedgerows near St David’s. There are about 14 or 15 species of mint growing in the UK, most of which have very aromatic leaves but I couldn’t be sure which hybrid this was: nevertheless, it was clearly thriving in the changeable damp conditions of the Welsh maritime climate. Peppermint is one of the few aromatics where plants grown in the UK, produce one of the highest quality essential oils available as it likes the cool, damp conditions. At Aqua Oleum we supply three different types of mint products: pure peppermint oil, organic peppermint oil (both from Mentha piperita) and spearmint flower water (Mentha spicata).

July has seen unprecedented heat waves and wild fires in the US and Canada while catastrophic floods hit Germany and Belgium in recent weeks. Late July also brought some very hot weather to the UK and early August is predicted to bringing more spells of strong heat. Although the sunshine is most welcome after our uninspiring spring and early summer weather, we only need to look at the extraordinary climatic conditions across the US West Coast to realize that extreme heat can also bring its own set of dangers.