The ancient Egyptians believed frankincense to be the sweat of gods, fallen to earth. The legendary Phoenix bird was believed to build its nest from twigs of frankincense and to feed upon the resin. Incense containing frankincense was found in Tutankhamen’s tomb.

Havenessence Frankincense Sacra (Boswellia sacra) has a sweet, strong, almost floral aroma combined with balsamic and animalistic undertones. We hold just a small quantity of this special oil.

Prickly pear seed oil is from the seeds of the cactus Opuntia ficus indica. Originally from South America it has now spread to the Mediterranean and North Africa. It takes a huge amount of labour to extract the oil from the tiny seeds of the cactus fruit.

havenessence absolutes are not cheap. They are scrupulously sourced and documented. Most are rare and not easily obtained in London. We are the first port of call for perfumiers and scent specialists who demand the rare, the unusual, the best, and a wide selection of precious natural oils.

We stock Plumeria rubra absolute and use it extensively in soaps, creams and massage oils. But Plumeria alba is an unknown quantity. It’s available but wildly expensive….

Plumeria alba

Plumeria alba

Plumeria rubra

Plumeria rubra

Plumeria rubra

Plumeria rubra

Plumeria rubra

Which was frustrating because sandalwood is arguably the most important of the wood oils: a key ‘masculine’ scent, fundamental to aromatherapy and central within some cultures and religions.

So it was a joy and a relief to receive a TREMENDOUS sandalwood from Vanuatu, santalum austrocaledonicum, which we now stock.

Smokey, viscous, pungent, long-lasting, a dark honey colour. Produced in government regulated, sustainable, plantations and distilled in Vanuatu using biofuel (coconut oil).

The perils of buying Indian Sandalwood…

Koose Muniswamy Veerappan, known as Sandalwood Veerappan, murdered some 184 people, including villagers, forestry officials and police personnel. He was killed by a special police task force in 2004.

(The four cherubs from the Southwood Memorial Fountain in St James’s Churchyard Piccadilly)

# Ensure the oil you use really is pure argan. Check the label. Has it been taken down with other, cheaper, oils, e.g. sweet almond? Is it, in fact, a blend pretending to be pure argan?

# Use a pure cosmetic grade argan, not cooking argan. The nuts used to produce the latter will have been roasted before pressing, giving it a strong, nutty odour. Roasting kills some of the natural goodness. Cosmetic grade argan is unroasted and cold-pressed. It should have a light, pleasant, nutty scent, which disappears after about 30 seconds.

# If the oil has no colour (it should be a beautiful golden brown, like Lyle’s Golden Syrup) it’s been bleached. Avoid. The process kills some of the goodness.

# If the oil has no scent (it should have a light nutty odour) it’s been deodorised. Avoid. The process kills some of the goodness.

# Apply a generous amount of argan to the hair. Massage it into the scalp. Wrap head in a warm towel and leave for 30 minutes or overnight. Shampoo, condition and style in the normal way.

# If you’ve got short hair, apply argan at any time. It makes your hair look like you’re wearing gel.

# Keep a lookout for cooking grade argan. It’s delicious but tends to be wildly expensive — roughly ten times the price of a good virgin olive oil. For those with deep pockets, use instead of olive oil in salads, or add a few drops to an olive oil mix. Blend with lemon, salt, pepper and garlic. Try it once and you’ll find a standard olive oil dressing bland and conventional.

See our sister sites havenessence and Argan Oil London for more information. Buy a good, pure, organic, fairly traded, cosmetic grade argan oil from us here.

Our electronic diffusers get a lot of attention and sell like hot cakes. But why are they better than a standard heat diffuser?

The Zenbow and Nirvana diffusers use ultrasonic frequencies to create vibrations. These carry to the surface where the oils are floating and vaporise them, dispersing them into the environment without using any form of heat.

Essential oils are complex molecular compounds. When dispersed with heat, different molecule chains vaporise at different moments, depending on the degree of heat applied. Hence the temperature alters the chemistry of the essential oil, as opposed to delivering the whole oil into the atmosphere.

I notice the ‘heat factor’ effecting oils in other ways. We sell four types of sandalwood and as summer temperatures have arrived each has ‘blossomed’ becoming noticeably more complex, volatile and potent. The same has happened with our oakmoss, vanilla and rose absolutes.

Come and see, and smell, our diffusers in action at Piccadilly Market — the stylish Zenbow which resembles an erupting volcano and the mighty Nirvana which is almost a foot tall — and be amazed!

Or buy them online at havenessence.com