Botanical & Aromatherapy Safety Guide

For more than four decades, Creation Farm has worked with whole plants, cold-pressed oils, hydrosols, and essential oils to make skincare that is simple, reliable, and seasonally intelligent. We honor both traditional herbal knowledge and modern safety standards so that our products remain suitable for daily, long-term use.

This guide outlines how we think about plant safety, skin suitability, and appropriate usage. It is intended as a general reference for our customers, not a medical document.

Topical-Only Philosophy

Creation Farm formulates exclusively for topical use. Our products are not made for internal consumption. This includes our essential oils, synergy blends, hydrosols, carrier oils, creams, and salves.

This protects both the user and the integrity of the herbs themselves.

Essential Oil Dilution & Safety

Essential oils are potent, concentrated plant volatiles. While they have been used traditionally for centuries, modern aromatherapy emphasizes dilution for topical comfort and long-term suitability.

Creation Farm follows conservative dilution ranges:

• Facial products: 0.25% – 1%
• Body creams & serums: 0.5% – 2%
• Salves & ointments: 1% – 3%
• Hydrosols: naturally self-diluting
• Synergy blends (undiluted): meant for diffusers, not skin

Our products are formulated well within safety ranges recommended by recognized aromatherapy educators and organizations.

Photosensitivity & Sun Awareness

Some botanical ingredients can increase the skin’s sensitivity to sunlight. The most commonly cited families include:

• Cold-pressed citrus oils (especially bergamot)
• Certain plant coumarins
• Some resins when undiluted

Creation Farm avoids photosensitizing oils in leave-on daytime formulas. If a formula contains aromatic ingredients with mild photosensitivity profiles, we recommend evening use and normal sun sense.

Pregnancy & Nursing Considerations

Traditional herbal communities have long used botanicals during childbearing years, but modern aromatherapy encourages caution due to concentration and individual variability.

Creation Farm’s general approach:

• Creams & serums → usually suitable at moderate dilutions on intact skin.
• Salves → generally suitable for localized use; avoid heavy application directly over the abdomen unless guided by a practitioner.
• Essential oils (undiluted) → for diffusion only in ventilated rooms, not direct skin application.
• We do not recommend oral internal use of essential oils at any stage.

Every pregnancy and nursing journey is unique. If you are pregnant, nursing, or under medical care, we encourage you to consult your health provider and share ingredient lists for personalized guidance.

Children & Sensitive Skin

For children under 12, we generally prefer gentler preparations such as:

• Hydrosols
• Infused oils
• Mild creams
• Low-aroma salves

Essential oils can be intense for developing systems. We do not recommend topical use of undiluted essential oils on children. Diffusion should be brief, intermittent, and with fresh air circulation.

Botanical Allergies & Patch Testing

Herbs are potent allies, but they are still plants, and all plants have personalities. A botanical that is gentle for many may still be too assertive for a few.

We recommend patch testing if you:

• Have pollen or plant allergies.
• Have reactive, thin, or barrier-compromised skin.
• Are trying a new botanical or essential oil for the first time.

Apply a small amount to the inner forearm and wait 24 hours to observe compatibility. Discontinue use if redness, itching, or irritation develops.

Seasonality & Climate Suitability

Traditional herbalism recognizes the influence of season on skin:

• Winter: dryness, wind exposure, lipid depletion.
• Summer: heat, humidity, increased circulation.
• Transitional seasons: sensitivity and barrier instability.

Creation Farm products follow this logic:

• Serums help support the deeper layers and overall feel of the skin.
• Creams & salves help seal and protect the outer barrier.
• Hydrosols & mists add water and freshness without heaviness.

This simple layering system can be adapted across ages, climates, and skin types.

Fragrance & Sensory Tolerance

Our aromatic products are naturally scented using plant volatiles rather than synthetic fragrance oils. However, aroma preference and tolerance are highly individual.

For those who prefer unscented routines, possible options include:

• Plain carrier oils.
• Herbal infused oils with very soft aroma.
• Certain serums and salves that are low in essential oils.
• Our cast-iron care line and other non-aromatic products.

We consider aroma a feature of the plant, not a perfume. If fragrance sensitivity is a concern, we suggest starting with a very small amount or choosing lower-aroma items.

Traditional Use & Modern Regulation

Much of herbal skincare descends from traditional practice and long observation, passed down in families, gardens, and small workshops. Creation Farm honors this lineage while also respecting modern regulatory frameworks.

We do not present our products as cures, treatments, or medical interventions. They are topical preparations meant to support the skin’s natural rhythms and daily comfort, not replace professional care.

Spiritual & Cultural Respect

Plants are teachers in many cultures. Creation Farm grew out of a way of life that recognizes plants not simply as chemical systems, but as living participants in human well-being and in the created world.

We speak about herbs with reverence, not hype, and aim to work with them in a way that honors both their gifts and their limits.

When to Consult a Health Professional

If you:

• Have a complex medical history.
• Take multiple medications.
• Live with serious skin or autoimmune conditions.
• Are pregnant, nursing, or caring for very young children.

then the wisest step is to bring the ingredient panel of any product you are considering to your health practitioner. They can help you decide how best to incorporate topical herbal products into your care.

Creation Farm does not diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease, and our products are not a substitute for medical advice. We offer traditional, plant-based skincare and aromatherapy products for people who wish to work gently with the gifts of the plant world in daily life.