Formulation Module 1:
Oil-Based Products and Aqueous Sprays
(Previously Essential Formulation) Knowing how to make safe and efficient products is an integral skill for any essential oil user – professional or not. How do you make sure your product is set to succeed and performs as you want it to? What do you do when you pour a liquid balm into a container to set – its surface smooth as glass – only to find later that it’s gone grainy or is dotted with hard waxy nubs? How to write a proper formula in a way that you never struggle to make that brilliant body butter again and again? Should you be adding essential oils straight into your bath salts or facial mist?
This course will set you up for success in your formulation adventures! Learn how to create consistent success, with oil-based products and aqueous sprays.
Enrollment open!
Also offered as a part of our three-part Complete Formulation Program
Formulation Module 1
Payment in full- Paid in full – one payment.
Formulation Module 1
Payment plan- Three payments of $160 over 3 months.
Whether you’re an aromatherapy practitioner striving to create professional bases for your therapeutic blends, or a cosmetic formulator aiming to make luxurious products, this eight-week online certification course is for you.
During seven fascinating lessons, expert cosmetic formulator Lise Andersen will share her passion, know-how and professional techniques for creating silken whips, balms, serums, mists and more. You’ll explore the pros and pitfalls of several plant oils, waxes and butters, and discover how and where to procure the right equipment and fresh, raw ingredients.
There is also one lesson on Essential Oil Blending with Robert Tisserand. Offered in week two, Robert personally guides you in creating safe and beautifully scented therapeutic and cosmeceutical blends for adding to your formulations.
As well as gaining the proper methodology for custom formulating, you’ll get dozens of smart tested formulas, including essential oil blends designed by Robert. Stop relying on dubious DIY recipes that are potentially ineffective or unsafe, and confidently create your own sound formulations.
What You Get in Essential Formulation
8 WEEKLY LESSONS, Starting June 13th
Access to eight 60-minute pre-recorded lessons through our learning portal, instructed by Robert Tisserand and Lise Andersen, in addition to the original 8 Q&A sessions.
Live Q&A SESSIONS
Four live Q&A sessions – three with Lise, one with Lise and Robert.
PRINTABLE COURSE MATERIAL
Extensive downloadable handouts and course notes with links to additional research and resources.
DEDICATED GROUP DISCUSSIONS
Access to our private online forum to ask questions and interact with Robert, the TI team, and classmates.
ONGOING COURSE ACCESS
Ongoing access extended access for 8 weeks after the last lesson, and 6 months of view-only access.
Plus You'll Get
A total of twenty individual tried and tested product formulations with detailed instructions.
Robert Tisserand’s six original essential oil blends, tested with Lise’s formulations.
An invaluable and comprehensive list of recommended suppliers for quality ingredients, tools, equipment and packaging.
Lise Andersen
Formulator | Founder of LisaLise Pure Natural Skincare & Formulators’ Kitchen
A self-professed ‘green’ formulator, Lise works with luxurious natural plant-based ingredients – preferably as raw and unprocessed as possible. Entirely self-taught, she has years of experience in researching, testing, and developing cosmetics.
Lise is the author of several DIY e-books on making skincare and haircare products, herbal extracts, and more. She also offers consultation and bespoke formulation for beauty brands. Visit her blog where she journals her experiments and shares know-how on everything from making no-soap cleansers to pressed eye shadow.
Robert Tisserand
Author | Speaker | Founder of Tisserand Institute
Robert is one of the world’s leading experts in aromatherapy with over 40 years of experience. He is a speaker, educator, author, and consultant on the science and benefits of essential oils and their safe and effective application. Robert has inspired audiences in the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Czech Republic, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea and Japan on topics ranging from the therapeutic foundations of essential oils to examinations on essential oils and the skin.
Robert wrote one of the first books to bring awareness to aromatherapy in 1977, The Art of Aromatherapy, and is a co-author of Essential Oil Safety (2nd Edition, 2014), a book that sets industry standards for the safe use of essential oils.
Course Breakdown
Formulation Module 1
What you'll be learning over the eight weeks:
Lesson 1 - Formulation Basics (June 13, 2023)
- Evaluation of raw materials, including sourcing, storage and safety
- Tips for procuring the right tools and equipment
- The ins and outs of containers and packaging
- The importance of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP)
- Working with weight vs. volume and calculating percentages
Lesson 2 - Essential Oil Blending taught by Robert Tisserand (June 20, 2023)
- Essential oil scent profiles and affinities – or ‘what blends with what’
- Considerations: nice scent or therapeutic efficacy? Can you blend for both?
- Natural perfumery basics: top, middle and base notes in relation to volatility of essential oils, C02 extracts, absolutes and resinoids
- The process: brainstorming, testing, reviewing and testing again
- Blending know-how: measuring, melting, diluting, recording
Products: Essential oil formulations for scent and skin application
Live Q&A Session with Lise Anderson & Robert Tisserand (June 22, 2023 at 10am PST)
Join Cosmetic Formulator Lise Anderson and Essential Oil Expert Robert Tisserand for a live Q&A break-out session, where you can receive feedback and have your questions answered from Lesson's 1 & 2. You will always receive a replay of live sessions in the event you are unable to attend. We also have student forums where you can submit questions anytime, and you are welcome to email questions to be answered in the next live Q&A.
Lesson 3 - Formulating with Fatty Oils (June 27, 2023)
Understanding skin lipids, and fatty acids as components of skincare
- The differences between plant, animal and petrochemical oils
- Pros and cons of using fatty oils for skincare and health (yes, there are cons!)
- Combining the most effective fatty oils for different skin types
- Making and ‘testing’ the final product
Products:
Basic Massage Oil (unscented nutrient-rich base oil)
Moisture-Rich Facial Serum for Dry Skin (EO blend by Robert Tisserand)
Balancing Facial Serum for Oily Skin
Age-Defy Facial Serum for Mature Skin
Lesson 4 - Formulating with Waxes (July 04, 2023)
- Understanding the nature of waxes and their uses
- Pros and cons of wax and oil-based products (balms and ointments)
- Overview of main principles involved in making a smooth balm
- Creation of balms for lips, face and body massage
- Troubleshooting tips for wax and oil formulations
Products:
Basic Ointment
Luxurious Lemon and Rose Lip Balm (EO blend by Robert Tisserand)
Cappuccino Lip Balm (EO blend by Robert Tisserand)
Live Q&A Session with Lise Anderson (July 06, 2023 at 10am PST)
Join Cosmetic Formulator Lise Anderson for a live Q&A break-out session, where you can receive feedback and have your questions answered from Lesson's 3 & 4. You will always receive a replay of live sessions in the event you are unable to attend. We also have student forums where you can submit questions anytime, and you are welcome to email questions to be answered in the next live Q&A.
Lesson 5 - Formulating with Butters (July 11, 2023)
- How to recognize natural plant butters
- Pros and cons of using butters
- Overview of main principles for formulating with butters
- Creation of buttery balms and whipped butters for massage, hands and feet
- Troubleshooting tips for using butters – including how to combat graininess
Products:
Calming Shea Butter Balm (Skin Repair EO blend by Robert Tisserand)
Soothing Body Serum (Skin Repair EO blend by Robert Tisserand)
Whipped Body Butter
Lesson 6 - Formulating Safe Bath Products (July 18, 2023)
- Introduction to surfactants: mixing oil and water safely
- The challenges of creating and using bath products
- Overview of main principles for composing and customizing bath oils
- How to make bath bombs and salts with essential oils that safely disperse in water
Products:
Basic Bath Oil
Bath Bombs (EO blend by Robert Tisserand)
Bath Salt Soak
Live Q&A Session with Lise Anderson (July 20, 2023 at 10am PST)
Join Cosmetic Formulator Lise Anderson for a live Q&A break-out session, where you can receive feedback and have your questions answered from Lesson's 5 & 6. You will always receive a replay of live sessions in the event you are unable to attend. We also have student forums where you can submit questions anytime, and you are welcome to email questions to be answered in the next live Q&A.
Lesson 7 - Formulating Safe Aqueous Sprays (July 25, 2023)
- The complexities of making water-based sprays with essential oils
- Understanding solubilizers, emulsifiers and dispersants
- Introduction to preservatives: what does ‘broad spectrum’ mean and why do we need it?
- Creation and customization of an aqueous spray using essential oils
Products:
Basic Body Spritzer (customizable spray)
Bug Off Spray (EO blend by Robert Tisserand)
Refreshing Room Spray
Lesson 8 - Formulating Facial Masks (August 01, 2023)
- Understanding natural clays and their properties
- How to ensure you’re working with the best raw materials
- Creating clay masks with essential oils and hydrosols
- How to incorporate fresh foods (avocado) for optimal results
- Shelf-life and storage of fresh-made cosmetic products
Products:
Fresh Honey and Avocado Mask for Sensitive Skin
Deep Cleansing Mask (EO blend by Robert Tisserand)
Ultra Moisture Boosting Mask
Live Q&A Session with Lise Anderson (August 03, 2023 at 10am PST)
Join Cosmetic Formulator Lise Anderson for a live Q&A break-out session, where you can receive feedback and have your questions answered from Lesson's 7 & 8. You will always receive a replay of live sessions in the event you are unable to attend. We also have student forums where you can submit questions anytime, and you are welcome to email questions to be answered in the next live Q&A.
When You Complete the Course
CERTIFICATION
Your certificate – issued by the leaders of evidence-based instruction – demonstrates your knowledge of safe and effective use of essential oil blends in anhydrous formulas, aqueous sprays, bath products and facial masks.
What previous students say about this course:
Ready to get started?
FAQs
Will there be notes for me to review?
I am a certified aromatherapist. Will I learn anything new?
I am new to essential oils. Is this course for me?
“The information presented is appropriate for all levels, and although I am just beginning my aromatherapy journey it all makes sense.”
Will there be assessments or exams? What kind?
When will the live Q&As take place?
See above in the course description for specific dates. All live Q&As are recorded and you can ask questions any time on our online platform.
Will I be able to ask questions?
How long will I have access to the recordings?
You will have access to all the recordings and course materials for at least twelve weeks weeks after the last lesson. All the printable materials (notes, handouts, charts, etc.) are of course yours to keep for reference forever. You can also re-enroll into all of our courses for a flat fee of $50 – and enjoy the full access to tutors and fellow learners again.