The Botanical Lab OPEN HOUSE

The Botanical Lab at NRI is officially open; come celebrate with us!

Watch and learn how hydrolats and essential oils are produced in real-time with demonstrations from our alembic distiller. We'll be producing botanical hydrolats throughout the day. Or grab a seat in one of our complimentary mini-workshops, where you can produce your own botanical salt scrub, therapeutic lotion, or roll-on blend. Every item you make in our workshops is rooted in the scientific literature, most of which comes from our own clinical trials.

We'll also have Dr. Cavanaugh on-site for an all day meet-and-greet. You can grab a copy of her latest book, Evidence Based Handmade Apothecary, sign up to join one of our ongoing natural product studies, or just hang out, read some of our scientific findings, and indulge in some pampering treats and mocktails.

All mini-labs are free, but space is limited. Registration reserves your spot and is strongly suggested.

OPEN HOUSE SCHEDULE:

10AM | ROSEMARY LEMON DISTILLATION:

We'll be warming up the distiller with a rosemary-lemon co-distillation. This blend provides skin soothing benefits, cognitive awakening aromas, and is a great room spray. A limited number of bottles will be available for sale after each distillation or enjoy a complimentary bottle if you're a founding member of The Inner Circle.

10:30AM | SKIN MINI LAB:

Your skin is host to trillions of microorganisms that regulate barrier function, inflammation, and how your skin responds to stress. Most skincare works against this ecosystem without knowing it. In this 20-minute lab, Dr. Cavanaugh breaks down the skin microbiome research and what it means for what you put on your body, then you make a 2-oz botanically-based moisturizing body scrub with essential oils you blend yourself, and label it to take home. 

11:30AM | STRESS MINI LAB:

Stress is an underlying condition that is directly related to nearly every major cause of illness in the modern world, yet most management approaches barely scratch the surface. This 20-minute mini-lab borrows from Dr. Cavanaugh's latest release The Female Stress Protocol to cover the basics of HPA axis function and what the clinical evidence shows about aromatherapy and stress physiology. You'll formulate a science-backed 1-ounce massage blend and go home with the knowledge to actually put it to work.

12:30 PM | PEDIATRICS MINI LAB:

When it comes to kids and natural health safety, NRI is leading the pack. We've conducted multiple clinical trials on essential oils and children and the only epidemiological study to  evaluate essential oils and endocrine disruption. This 20-minute mini-lab covers NRI's pediatric research in plain English, what the clinical trials actually showed, which oils are appropriate for children and why, and how to use them effectively. Then you make a kid-safe roll-on. Something useful to take home, and the science to back it up.

1PM | GRAPEFRUIT BASIL DISTILLATION:

After bottling our rosemary-lemon co-distillation, we'll change things up with a grapefruit basil blend. This one is energizing, with bright aromas and astringent actions for the skin. A limited number of bottles will be available for sale after each distillation or enjoy a complimentary bottle if you're a founding member of The Inner Circle. 1:30PM | SLEEP MINI LAB: The relationship between cortisol rhythm and sleep architecture is well-documented, but largely ignored in most sleep advice. This 20-minute mini-lab opens with a brief discussion on the clinical research connecting HPA axis function to sleep quality, then gets practical. You'll make a 2oz therapeutic lotion using a blend built from the same evidence base behind one of NRI's most cited studies.

2:30PM | SKIN MINI LAB:

If you missed the morning lab, here's a second chance: Your skin is host to trillions of microorganisms that regulate barrier function, inflammation, and how your skin responds to stress. Most skincare works against this ecosystem without knowing it. In this 20-minute lab, Dr. Cavanaugh breaks down the skin microbiome research and what it means for what you put on your body, then you make a 2-oz botanically-based moisturizing body scrub with essential oils you blend yourself, and label it to take home. 

3:30PM | STRESS MINI LAB:

If you missed the morning lab, here's a second chance: Stress is an underlying condition that is directly related to nearly every major cause of illness in the modern world, yet most management approaches barely scratch the surface. This 20-minute mini-lab borrows from Dr. Cavanaugh's latest release The Female Stress Protocol to cover the basics of HPA axis function and what the clinical evidence shows about aromatherapy and stress physiology. You'll formulate a science-backed 1-ounce massage blend and go home with the knowledge to actually put it to work.