Enriching Lives through Wisdom of the Earth

“Our commitment that essential oils exactly as they come from the plant or tree and our belief that a pure oil’s complex and delicate balance of a few to dozens of plant chemicals was already a perfectly balanced blend created by nature were quite unique in the industry at that time.”

Gutierrez believes there is much confusion about how to use essential oils and what specific oils can do for a person, physically or emotionally. She says using pure, single essential oils respects the intelligence of her clientele, puts more decision-making and autonomy in their hands and is more effective medicinally. 

To address the educational interests of clients, Wisdom of the Earth offers certification classes in Foundational Medicinal Aromatherapy and Advanced Medicinal Aromatherapy. The business also offers a comprehensive Reference Guide for the extensive portfolio of essential oils and posts a periodic newsletter about using essential oils. 

Based in Cornville, Wisdom of the Earth has attracted an international clientele drawn to the tradition of using pure, single essential oils for day-to-day, health-related concerns like digestive issues, muscle pain, headaches, anxiety, skin problems and insomnia. “Nature has provided very potent health aids that address these and many other common ailments,” she said. 

Wisdom of the Earth entered the e-commerce market in 2020. The website, WisdomoftheEarth.com, offers information about classes, posts previously published newsletters and provides the convenience of ordering oils and other aromatherapy-related offerings online.
Essential oils from medicinal plants have been used for centuries around the world, she says. The most common way to extract an essential oil from the plant is through steam distillation. This process produces many popular essential oils like lavender, peppermint and rosemary. Others, including citrus oils such as blood orange and grapefruit, are obtained by pressing the rind of the fruit. The oil of some flower essences, like jasmine, are extracted chemically and called “absolutes.”

Wisdom of the Earth offers more than 150 aromatherapy products including eucalyptus, frankincense, rosehip seed oil, ponderosa pine and spruce. Oils are derived from many parts of the plant, including cones, bark, needles, leaves and roots, each with their own medicinal qualities.

“Wisdom of the Earth imports oils from all over the world, including Egypt, England, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Peru, Africa and more,” said Gutierrez. Suppliers include many individual artisan farmers in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Traveling in France last spring, she met a third-generation farmer who produces helichrysum, which, she says, is excellent for skin care and wound care and can be found as an ingredient in many high-quality skin care products. 

“I had never procured a helichrysum from France before. It usually comes from Corsica, Albania or Morocco, and then I experienced his! I literally got tears in my eyes. Suffice it to say, it is now a beautiful new addition to Wisdom of the Earth’s portfolio,” she said.

Gutierrez studied with prominent figures in aromatherapy such as Kurt Schnaubelt from the Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy, Malte Hozzel in France and her business partner, Barry Kapp, who retired in 2019. She says she enjoys hearing stories about how the oils have helped people.

“One that really touched my heart concerned a young child, who struggled with anxiety and restlessness in school. We recommended balsam fir and sweet orange for grounding and calming. His mother was thrilled with how much they enabled him to enjoy and perform well in school.”

Feedback like this assures her that she is in the right place, doing what she is called to do, she said. “There’s no feeling like it.”

Wisdom of the Earth launched a website during COVID-19, making products accessible online, as well as by phone. Gutierrez says that during the pandemic, many researchers were seeking and testing natural products that would support the immune and respiratory systems, and many of those natural products were essential oils.
“We also adapted our Medicinal Aromatherapy classes to be internet-based, using creative ways to ensure our students would have access to the particular oils we would be covering. We held our own, due to our online expansion and creative problem-solving and have continued to thrive through not only COVID, but periodic economic uncertainty,” she said. 

Gutierrez hosts meet-ups called Aromatherapy for Health and Happiness on the first Wednesday evening of every month. The shop’s regular business hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday through Saturday.

“I look forward to being at Wisdom of the Earth every day, teaching others how our beautiful essential oils can enrich their lives,” she said. FBN

By Stan Bindell, FBN

Courtesy Photo: Audre Gutierrez says Wisdom of the Earth attracts customers through a strong online presence and the recent opening of its retail space in Cornville.