Study With Us
At the Tisserand Institute, our core value is to seek out the science supporting essential oil claims and deliver evidence-based information for the effective use of essential oils.
Our courses exemplify this philosophy. Though we respect the wisdom of folk remedies and personal experience (the aromatherapy profession owes a debt to these early findings), our curriculum is based on expert knowledge, and results proven through clinical trials and studies.
The Institute offers a number of expert-led online courses throughout the year to suit varying schedules and time zones – from one-stop webinars to self-paced mini-courses to professional certification courses. Our whole team works together closely to ensure that our educational offerings are consistent and current.
Whichever course you choose, you’ll gain fascinating insights through the most up-to-date, reliable information available.
Single Webinars & Mini-Courses
These are either single or multiple recorded webinars available to you at any time. They offer a quick hit of specialized know-how that can be completed in a short period of time. You take no assessments or exams and there is no certification.
Certification Courses
These are intensive, scheduled courses that have limited enrollment periods and run over a prescribed duration. Students who enroll in these courses tend to be highly motivated, and their combined enthusiasm propels deeper learning for everyone. There is a strong sense of community and class cohesion as students move through the material together, creating a robust learning atmosphere and interactive forum dialogue.
Included with each of our Certification Courses:
Throughout the duration of the course:
- Access to the recorded video webinars and audio recordings
- Access to the student forum for ongoing questions and discussion
- Ongoing guidance from the instructor and the TI team
- Instructor feedback on your assessments and exams
For you to download and keep:
- Full presentation handouts for each lesson
- Detailed course notes and additional resources for each lesson
- Q&A transcripts from previous classes
Upon completion of the course:
- Your signed Certificate of Completion and confirmation of CE hours
- A network of new contacts with people on the same path
Want to be among the first to hear about new courses?
Chemistry Certification Program
Instructor: E. Joy Bowles, PhD, BSc Hons
Fundamental Chemistry (Level 1) is a three-part online course that serves as an introduction to organic chemistry and the building blocks of essential oils. Joy will share her unique insights into how essential oils interact with the body on a cellular level, focusing on five key essential oil constituents we wouldn’t want to live without. Completion of this course is a prerequisite for Level 2.
Molecular Dynamics (Level 2) builds on the first course, and goes into chemical structures, nomenclature, and analysis of essential oils. It delves into the relationships between chemical families, and the chemical changes that typically occur over the lifecycle of the whole essential oil – from the plant material to body metabolism after application.
Next Class: Open now!
Price: $290
Fundamental Chemistry
Instructor: Dr. E. Joy Bowles, PhD, BSc Hons
This three-part online course will help you understand the building blocks of essential oils. With her signature enthusiasm, Dr. Joy Bowles will introduce you to the world of organic chemistry.
A scientist and experienced aromatherapist, Joy has unique insight into how essential oils interact with our bodies on the cellular level, and will help you gain that insight through the amazing language of chemistry. Understanding the molecular makeup of essential oils will help you make better therapeutic decisions and perform more accurate safety assessments.
*Successful completion of this foundation course is required for enrollment in select TI courses. This is Level 1 of our Chemistry Certification Program.
Next Class: Enrollment open!
Price: $130
Essential Oils for Healthy Skin
Instructor: Robert Tisserand
This eight-part online certification course is an exploration of the effects of aromatics on skin health. Learn to address common skin ailments, and how to blend essential oils, CO2 extracts, absolutes, and aromatic fatty oils with other ingredients to promote healthy and radiant skin.
This course encompasses most of what is known about these oils in relation to dermal effects, based on up-to-date research and clinical case studies. A must-have for skincare formulators.
Prerequisite(s): Essential Oil Safety Masterclass, which is Part 1 our Aromatic Skincare Program. Essential Oils for Healthy Skin is Part 2 of this program.
Next Class: Summer 2020
Essential Oil Safety Masterclass
Instructor: Robert Tisserand
This six-part online course will show you how to evaluate the risks against the benefits of essential oils, and make informed decisions about safety. You will delve into the science behind safety, and the reasoning behind safety guidelines.
Whatever your level of knowledge, this certification masterclass will enable you to confidently and safely use essential oils for yourself, family and friends according to current evidence and best practices.
*Successful completion of this foundation course is required for enrollment in select TI courses. This is Part 1 of our Aromatic Skincare Program – Essential Oils for Healthy Skin is Part 2.
Next Class: Spring 2020
Beyond the Bottle: Understanding Essential Oils
Instructor: Dr. Petra Ratajc, PhD
This four-part online certification course is a deep dive into how essential oils are made from the soil up. This is the complete journey from cultivation to cracking the lid on the bottle, with highlights on production, sustainability, and quality control.
Should you grow your own lavender for home distillation? How do you know what you’re getting when buying essential oils? Don’t be at the mercy of marketing – gain the power to analyze essential oils by decoding their growing conditions, plant biology, and composition.
Next Class: Autumn 2020
Essential Formulation: Oil-based Products & Aqueous Sprays
Instructors: Lise Andersen | Robert Tisserand
This eight-part online certification course is for aromatherapists and cosmetic formulators alike. Expert formulator Lise Andersen will share her passion and professional techniques for creating fluffy whips, silken balms, rich serums, safely prepared aqueous mists and bath salts, and more, plus dozens of smart tested formulas.
Included is one module on essential oil blending with Robert Tisserand, who will personally guide you in creating safe and beautifully scented therapeutic and cosmeceutical blends.
Next Class: Summer 2020
Oxidation & the Shelf Life of Essential Oils
Instructor: Robert Tisserand
This single class delves into the issues of oxidation and the proper storage of essential oils. Robert Tisserand explains how to best protect your oils from oxidation, what to do once they have oxidized, and how oxidation impacts safety. You will get a printable handout and a table outlining shelf lives of the most commonly used essential oils.
Next Class: Open
Price: $39
How Essential Oils Work in the Body
Instructor: Robert Tisserand
This five-part mini-course is an insightful look at how essential oils move through the body. Discover how much essential oil is absorbed depending on mode of application (inhaled versus applied to the skin) and how this changes by excipient (diluent). You’ll follow the routes they take once absorbed, uncover the possible effects on the brain, bust common misconceptions, and more. Use this mini-course to explore the Tisserand Institute learning platform, including the discussion forums where you can meet other students and the TI team.
Next Class: Open
Price: $7
Meet Our Instructors
Lise Andersen
Dr. E. Joy Bowles, PhD, BSc
Dr. Petra Ratajc, PhD
Robert Tisserand
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.
Dr. E. Joy Bowles; PhD, BSc Hons
Chemist | Author | Aromatherapist
Joy wrote the very first course on essential oil chemistry in Australia in 1991. Her book, The Chemistry of Aromatherapeutic Oils (2003) is the textbook for many aromatherapy courses the world over. For her PhD, awarded in 2007, Joy investigated how essential oils might affect cognitive function in dementia. After years of experience in primary healthcare, Joy is back to creating courses on the chemistry and evidence-based therapeutics of essential oils. Helping others understand the chemistry and pharmacology of essential oils is one of her life’s passions.
Dr. Petra Ratajc, PhD
Biologist | Researcher | Educator
Petra refers to herself as an ‘aromatic plants enthusiast’ and has a post-graduate degree in Biological and Biotechnical Sciences from the University of Ljubljana. Her PhD extends from fieldwork to molecular research in the quality, safety and efficacy of aromatic herbs and their essential oils. Petra specializes in medicinal and aromatic plants, secondary plant metabolites, pharmacognosy and pharmacology specifically focused on plant volatile constituents. Visit her myth-busting plant biology blog, The PhytoVolatilome.
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.
Stay Up-to-Date with the Latest in Essential Oil Research
Robert was organized, knowledgeable and detailed. He answered all questions to the best of his ability and provided a wealth of information. I recommend his class. I will be blending more effectively, and with greater confidence from today on!
Thank you for your inspiration and your contributions to the holism and science of aromatherapy. We wouldn’t be where we are today without you.
*WOW* I just finished watching the first webinar “Healing Oils” from Robert Tisserand’s skin series. SOOOO impressed!!!! I love that he is super easy to listen to, easy to understand, and has lots of references. I learned SOOOO much in that 35 minutes! Another thing I love is that there is a PDF to print with most of the slides used in the presentation, so I can scribble notes around and to the side of them for referencing later.
Robert has this amazing ability to make things sounds so simple and basic, and yet you walk away with a deeper level of knowledge and understanding. I don’t know how he does it! Brilliant.
Not only was the information presented indispensable, Robert communicated a contagious enthusiasm for the topic of aromatherapy. I came out with more questions than answers and the burning desire to learn more.
Thank you for all you have done for our profession.
The Skin series are my stable source for almost everything related with esthetics and EOs. The more you listen the more you are fascinated with new data that you didn’t realize at the beginning. Each sentence there contains a lot of information that you wouldn’t otherwise find in such an accessible way. For me this is a treasure because I find answers to many questions that nobody else is able to answer and I can improve my work.
Thank you, Robert, for inspiring my aromatherapy journey and College with your three important books.
Thank you for your inspiration and your contributions to the holism and science of aromatherapy. We wouldn’t be where we are today without you.
I am always so grateful to study with Robert. The general information and even the slightest little details he shares are so valuable and often open up a whole new world.
Robert has a wealth of knowledge about essential oils that is unsurpassed. A seminar with him is like a whole course condensed into a weekend.
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