Here you will find answers to our most frequently asked questions. Please feel free to contact our customer support with any question you have not found the answer to on this page...it may become our next addition! Also check our Terms and Conditions as it contains many answers to frequently asked questions.
Q. Do you ship internationally?
A. Yes we ship only by UPS to most countries worldwide. We do not ship to Mexico, Cuba, North Korea, and a few other countries. Please refer to our Shipping Page for additional information.
Q. What is essential oil for aromatherapy?
A. Aromatherapy is the practice of using natural oils extracted from flowers, bark, stems, leaves, roots or other parts of a plant to enhance psychological and physical well-being. The inhaled aroma from an essential oil is widely believed to stimulate brain function. Essential oil can also be absorbed through the skin, where it travels through the bloodstream and can promote whole-body healing. A form of alternative medicine, aromatherapy is gaining momentum. Essential oil is used for a variety of aromatherapy applications, including pain relief, mood enhancement and increased cognitive function. Within our description of each essential oil, absolute, and Co2 extract is information regarding 'aromatherapy use', 'general use', and 'contraindications'.
Q. Do you offer sample sizes of essential oil?
A. We offer 1 mL and/or 1 gram vials of our 100% pure essential oils, absolutes, Co2, and carrier oils. A small sample is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the product prior to purchasing a larger size. We hand pour all oils so please allow additional processing time when ordering more than 6 samples.
Q. Do you give free samples?
A. YES! Free essential oil samples are supplied for conducting olfactory evaluation before making a future purchase. Please see our Free Sample Policy page for more information and examples.
Q. How do I contact Lotus Garden Botanicals customer support?
A. Please refer to our Contact Us page. Our friendly and knowledgeable customer service department stands ready to assist you with our essential oils and aromatherapy products. You may also phone us at 207-685-0167 for assistance M-F between 9:30 AM-4:30 PM EST.
Q. Can customer support provide blending recommendations when purchasing essential oils?
A. For perfumery yes. For aroma-therapeutic purposes we recommend you contact a certified aromatherapist or other health care professional local to yourself. We also have our downloadable Harmonious Blends Chart located at the bottom of this page.
Q. How do I make appropriate calculations for blending or diluting essential oil, absolute oil, or Co2 extracts?
A. EASY, go to our Essential Oil Blending Charts page here as a resource to assist you with making calculations.
Q. Do you accept returns?
A. Due to the hygienic nature of most of our products, we cannot accept these items for return once the hygienic seal has been opened. We do not accept Hydrosol returns. For non-hygienic products, our return period lasts 30 days. If it has been more than 30 days since your purchase, we can not offer you a refund or an exchange. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions for claims arising from products received damaged during transit and products of a non-hygienic nature.
Q. How soon will you ship my order?
A. We hand pour essential oils as well as a wide variety of aromatherapy products. Some essential oils, Co2 extracts and Absolutes are very thick and must be gently warmed in order for us to hand pour them to order. These oils may require 2-3 days from date of purchase before they are ready to ship. Please refer to our Shipping Policy for detailed information; also contained within our Terms and Conditions.
Q. Can I insure the shipping of my order?
A. We take every precaution to pack our essential oil and aromatherapy products in a manner to arrive safely. However, we can not be responsible for in-transit handling once a shipment has been handed over to the carrier. We ship domestically by USPS, FedEx, or UPS. USPS and UPS automatically cover orders up to $100.00. An option for additional insurance with orders over $100.00 is provided. During the winter holidays when couriers are overloaded, insurance is mandatory and automatically added on all orders over $500.00. International shipments are offered insurance during checkout.
Q. How do I make a purchase using PayPal?
A. Click on the PayPal button from the shopping cart to complete your purchase. You will automatically be taken to the PayPal website where you complete payment.
Q. Can I place my order over the phone?
A. We accept telephone orders Monday-Friday, 9:30A-4:30P, EST at 1-207-685-0167. We do not charge a fee to quickly place a telephone order. Please have a list of all products to be purchased compiled and ready to provide staff when calling to place a telephone order.
Q. What is the difference between a fragrance oil & pure essential oil?
A. A fragrance oil is a lab created synthetic to mimic an original aroma. A pure essential oil is not synthetic, is natural and derived from particular plant parts, such as its flowers, bark, leaves, seeds or roots. We do not offer synthetic fragrance oil.
A. Aromatherapy is the practice of using natural oils extracted from flowers, bark, stems, leaves, roots or other parts of a plant to enhance psychological and physical well-being. The inhaled aroma from an essential oil is widely believed to stimulate brain function. Essential oil can also be absorbed through the skin, where it travels through the bloodstream and can promote whole-body healing. A form of alternative medicine, aromatherapy is gaining momentum. Essential oil is used for a variety of aromatherapy applications, including pain relief, mood enhancement and increased cognitive function. Within our description of each essential oil, absolute, and Co2 extract is information regarding 'aromatherapy use', 'general use', and 'contraindications'.
Q. Do you offer sample sizes of essential oil?
A. We offer 1 mL and/or 1 gram vials of our 100% pure essential oils, absolutes, Co2, and carrier oils. A small sample is an excellent way to familiarize yourself with the product prior to purchasing a larger size. We hand pour all oils so please allow additional processing time when ordering more than 6 samples.
Q. Do you give free samples?
A. YES! Free essential oil samples are supplied for conducting olfactory evaluation before making a future purchase. Please see our Free Sample Policy page for more information and examples.
Q. Do you offer Gift Cards?
A. YES! We offer e-Gift Cards from $25 up to $1500 that can be the best choice when unsure of selecting specific aromatic products for a gift. Select from our e-Gift cards.
Q. How do I contact Lotus Garden Botanicals customer support?
A. Please refer to our Contact Us page. Our friendly and knowledgeable customer service department stands ready to assist you with our essential oils and aromatherapy products. You may also phone us at 207-685-0167 for assistance M-F between 9:30 AM-4:30 PM EST.
Q. Can customer support provide blending recommendations when purchasing essential oils?
A. For perfumery yes. For aroma-therapeutic purposes we recommend you contact a certified aromatherapist or other health care professional local to yourself. We also have our downloadable Harmonious Blends Chart located at the bottom of this page.
Q. How do I make appropriate calculations for blending or diluting essential oil, absolute oil, or Co2 extracts?
A. EASY, go to our Essential Oil Blending Charts page here as a resource to assist you with making calculations.
Q. Do you accept returns?
A. Due to the hygienic nature of most of our products, we cannot accept these items for return once the hygienic seal has been opened. We do not accept Hydrosol returns. For non-hygienic products, our return period lasts 30 days. If it has been more than 30 days since your purchase, we can not offer you a refund or an exchange. Please refer to our Terms and Conditions for claims arising from products received damaged during transit and products of a non-hygienic nature.
Q. How soon will you ship my order?
A. We hand pour essential oils as well as a wide variety of aromatherapy products. Some essential oils, Co2 extracts and Absolutes are very thick and must be gently warmed in order for us to hand pour them to order. These oils may require 2-3 days from date of purchase before they are ready to ship. Please refer to our Shipping Policy for detailed information; also contained within our Terms and Conditions.
Q. Can I insure the shipping of my order?
A. We take every precaution to pack our essential oil and aromatherapy products in a manner to arrive safely. However, we can not be responsible for in-transit handling once a shipment has been handed over to the carrier. We ship domestically by USPS, FedEx, or UPS. USPS and UPS automatically cover orders up to $100.00. An option for additional insurance with orders over $100.00 is provided. During the winter holidays when couriers are overloaded, insurance is mandatory and automatically added on all orders over $500.00. International shipments are offered insurance during checkout.
Q. What happens if my order arrives damaged?
A. Do not throw out the shipping box. Take detailed photos showing the condition of the box and its contents when delivered. Contact the courier to initiate a claim and also notify us that you have done so. Our policy for goods received damaged is located within our Terms and Conditions.
A. Do not throw out the shipping box. Take detailed photos showing the condition of the box and its contents when delivered. Contact the courier to initiate a claim and also notify us that you have done so. Our policy for goods received damaged is located within our Terms and Conditions.
Q. How do I make a purchase using PayPal?
A. Click on the PayPal button from the shopping cart to complete your purchase. You will automatically be taken to the PayPal website where you complete payment.
Q. Can I place my order over the phone?
A. We accept telephone orders Monday-Friday, 9:30A-4:30P, EST at 1-207-685-0167. We do not charge a fee to quickly place a telephone order. Please have a list of all products to be purchased compiled and ready to provide staff when calling to place a telephone order.
Q. What is the difference between a fragrance oil & pure essential oil?
A. A fragrance oil is a lab created synthetic to mimic an original aroma. A pure essential oil is not synthetic, is natural and derived from particular plant parts, such as its flowers, bark, leaves, seeds or roots. We do not offer synthetic fragrance oil.
Q. I will pay by personal check. How do I ensure you receive my payment?
A. At one time we accepted checks, we no longer accept this form of payment. Additional payment information can be found in our Terms and Conditions.
Q. Why do you list certified organic for some products with no display of organic symbol (logo)?
A. Many of our products noted Certified Organic have been certified by either:
International 3rd party agency (EcoCert®); and/or,
NOP (National Organic Program-USDA) by worldwide suppliers who hold the particular certification.
*Lotus Garden Botanicals is not certified as a USDA certified organic reseller (handler). When we resell an oil noted as certified organic, it loses its organic status because we do not have official USDA organic reseller (handler) certification. If your formulation requires organic certification paperwork then unfortunately we are not the supplier for you. When we note that a product is certified organic, this means it was organically grown and produced by a certified organic producer, but when we open the canister it was shipped in then its organic certification is lost and we are not able to pass on any official organic certification documents. We may visit the possibility of becoming certified in the future.
Some of our oils are from organically grown crops and processed by remote organic farmers. Although they adhere to organic farming practices, many of these small farmers/distillers simply do not have the resources to pay for organic certification. Becoming certified is an extremely costly process and one that smaller farms in remote areas find difficult to pursue given the already high cost they endure to grow and process their plants by organic methods.
Q. Do you offer health care professional discounts?
A. YES! We are pleased to extend a 17% professional discount to those involved with using essential oil and essential oil products in their health care practice. Please contact us for application information and requirements. You will be asked to submit a copy of your current license so please make sure you have this before contacting us.
Q. I am studying for aromatherapy certification, do you offer a student discount?
A. If you have documentation of current enrolled status in aromatherapy certification study you can submit it to us by email to [email protected] for consideration to receive a student discount.
Q. How do I obtain a catalog?
A. Our products change because of batch/lot dates too frequently to provide an up-to-date catalog. You may find our Product Index to be quite useful in the place of a catalog.
Q. I can't find where to leave a product review, where is it?
A. We accept product reviews from verified buyers only. To leave a product review you must be logged in to your customer account first. If you checked out as a guest, you will need to set up a customer account then email us so we can link your previous purchase to your customer account. The image below may be helpful as a guide.
Q. Is shelf life exact?
A. No. We provide shelf life dates noted as 'Minimum Shelf Life' on applicable product pages. Minimum Shelf Life refers to the least(not most) amount of time based on the production date. This date should not be construed to represent an exact expiration date. Many products are still within usable limits far beyond the listed minimum shelf life period, particularly when stored and handled with the utmost of care and caution as we do at Lotus Garden Botanicals. To increase shelf life of purchased products we suggest customers store in optimum conditions, void of direct light, keep cool or refrigerate, and limit exposure to air. Always keep caps tightly closed when not in use.
Q. I can't find where to enter a discount/coupon code or gift certificate code, where is it?
A. We provide two places where a discount/coupon code or gift certificate code can be entered. One is in the shopping cart (shown in Image 1) and the other is on the final checkout page (shown in Image 2). You only need enter a code once, in either place. If you enter it when on the shopping cart page there is no need to enter it again when you proceed to the final checkout page. We placed the area to enter a code on the final checkout page for your convenience in case you forgot to enter it when on the shopping cart page. If you encounter any problem with entering a code DO NOT complete your order and either phone or email us first. We are not able to add a discount code to a completed order.
IMAGE 1 - Shopping Cart Page
IMAGE 2 - Final Checkout Page
Q. Where do I find technical documents such as GC/MS or COA's?
A. You can now view, download, print any of our documents by opening it from the green tab on each product page.
Image: GCMS-Tab to Click on
Q. Where do I enter a discount/coupon code?
A. We have two places to enter a discount code that can be used either in the shopping cart or on the final checkout page. Either place can be used to enter the code. You do not need to enter it on both, it is up to you where you enter it. The following images will show you exactly where to enter the code. Images A, B, and C relate to entering it while viewing your shopping cart. Image D shows where to enter it when on the final checkout page.