About Essential Branch

Essential Branch is an independent reference for the practical questions people have before they buy or use a supplement, an essential oil or a body-care product. Which form of magnesium, and how much? How many drops of lavender go into a small bottle of carrier oil? Is a diffuser safe with a cat in the house? How long does a homemade balm keep? We answer questions like these in plain language, with the numbers and the sources set out where you can check them.

What you will find here

• Supplement guides that cover forms, doses, timing and upper limits, using the recommended amounts published by the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements.
• An essential-oil reference, with one page per oil: botanical name, aroma and note, suggested maximum skin dilution, sun sensitivity, and cautions for pregnancy, children and pets.
• Blend recipes organized by goal, with drop counts for diffusers, rollers and baths.
• Body-care guides on carrier oils, hand hygiene, ingredient labels and the shelf life of homemade products.
• Tools: an essential-oil dilution calculator, a blend builder, an oil safety lookup and a nutrient lookup by age, sex and life stage.
• The journal, where the editors write seasonal routines, answer common questions and explain ingredients in more depth.

Who writes it

Essential Branch is written and edited by an editorial team, and pages are signed by “the editors” rather than by an individual. We are not a clinic, and nothing here replaces advice from a doctor, pharmacist, veterinarian or other professional who knows your situation.

How our pages are sourced and updated

Every reference page starts from primary public-health and scientific sources: government agencies such as the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, CDC, FDA and WHO; peer-reviewed research found through PubMed and PubMed Central, with systematic reviews and randomized trials weighted above smaller studies; university extension services; and veterinary poison-control services for questions about pets. Dose tables and upper limits are copied from the agency tables themselves and checked against them before publication. Each page lists its sources at the end with the date we accessed them, and carries an “updated” date that changes whenever we revise its substance. When a source changes, we revise the pages that depend on it. The full rules are in our editorial policy.

What we do not do

We do not sell products, and we do not endorse brands. No company pays to appear on these pages or to influence what they say, and we do not accept free products in exchange for coverage. There are no affiliate links at launch; if that ever changes, we will label such links clearly and say so on our editorial policy page.

We also avoid cure language. Supplements, essential oils and body-care products can be useful, and some carry real risks. We try to describe both honestly, including when the evidence is thin.

Get in touch

Spotted a mistake or know a better source? We would like to hear from you. Our contact page has the address, and corrections are handled as described in the editorial policy.