“Changing the world, one aromatic molecule at a time” –Alysia Gaye

Happy April!

Little tiny blooms are popping out of the ground and off the edges of branches all across Southern California. Spring has definitely sprung.

The joy I feel as I witness the emergence of Spring overflows, filling my heart with energy to embrace life in all its myriad forms! My breath is infused with the smells of spring flowers on the breeze, and my eyes delight with all shapes and textures of green and color.

Nearby, yellow daisies cover hillsides and along the rail tracks with cheerful blooms. Locally, the 55 acres of annual Giant Tecolote Ranunculus flowers at the Flower Fields at Carlsbad Ranch® set upon a hillside are bursting with vibrant color.

I’ve noticed that wisteria vines in gardens around my community are spilling over with lovely lavender blooms. And, yes, the macadamia nut trees are in full bloom too!

I hope you, too, are finding delight in spring flowers wherever you live.

When Passion Shapes Destiny

In this Blog, I’ll introduce you to an exceptional woman who is passionate about sourcing the highest-quality aromatic and taste ingredients worldwide to manufacture health and wellness products.

Alysia Gaye’s aromatic journey is an inspiration. She has become a leader in promoting sustainable agriculture in the flavor, food, and fragrance industries while building a successful ingredients manufacturing company in the United States.

Enduring Friendship

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing my good friend, Alysia Gaye, owner of Medicine Flower—Gifts of the Earth.

I met Alysia about 30 years ago through mutual friends. She’s a genuinely down-to-earth and practical woman who is generous with her knowledge.

We used to gather for Women’s Support Circles in Alysia’s home. Our monthly sisterhood gatherings gave women a safe space to connect, share, and empower each other.

As a busy mother pursuing a Marriage and Family Therapy degree, I also dedicated myself to promoting Women’s Leadership and the psychological empowerment of women through the Sacred Feminine. I am proud to say that I have made a positive impact on many lives.

When I first learned about Alysia’s business, Medicine Flower®, I discovered her passion for using and applying essential oils in her wellness products. I remember that we used her Sacred Sage Smokeless Mist in our circle to purify the atmosphere and set the tone for our time together. 

During that time in my life, my preschool daughter was exposed to head lice at her school. Much to my dismay, I certainly wasn’t prepared for this part of parenting! If you are a mother with children, I am certain that you will agree.

I learned this is a common problem for young kids, as it seems that children invariably become infected. I chose not to use harmful commercial products on my daughter’s scalp and hair to treat lice and nits.

Thankfully, Alysia had a solution and turned me on to another one of her products: Liceless. This essential oil blend safely treats the problem at its roots and is non-toxic. I used it to clean my daughter’s hair and scalp to remove nits and lice, following specific protocols.

Alysia’s Aromatic Journey

Alysia’s love of nature started early in life. As a young girl growing up in Southern California, where the orange and lemon groves grew in abundance, some of her earliest scent memories are of neroli (lemon blossoms) and the smells of wildflowers. Her earliest taste memory is of Morella cherries from her grandmother’s kitchen.

In the early 1980s, Alysia pursued a career in the healing arts. As a holistic health practitioner and massage therapist, she discovered that natural oils were scarce. In those days, “aromatherapy” was unknown in the United States. There were fragrance oils available, however, they were not pure and unadulterated oils.

Long before I knew anything about the art of using and formulating with essential oils, Alysia was on a mission to learn everything she could about them. Alysia developed a keen interest in ingredients, particularly the aromatic essential oils derived from herbs, flowers, and trees. She was determined to unearth genuine, pure oils to benefit her clients and satisfy her curiosity.

As her interest grew, she researched existing botanical essential oil sources and their safe application. Alysia’s tenaciousness led her to meet key people in the flavors and fragrance industry. Breaking into the industry was challenging due to the careful guarding of family secrets by those who already had a presence in the industry.

But Alysia didn’t give up. As the doors began to open, she met other industry leaders who were kind and helpful. Their knowledge,  encouragement and connections were a great source of support to her.

Botanical Mentors

From the ground up, Alysia strove to understand how aromatic plants are impacted by soil conditions, regional growing conditions, harvesting, and distilling practices to create a finished oil, absolute, or flavoring. After all, not all plants from one species produce the same essential oil due to their chemical variability.

With an overflow of sources offering fragmented information, it can be a time-consuming struggle to put it all together. Learning to differentiate between the chemotypes, grades, and qualities of essential oils in the market is critical for understanding product purity. There was so much to learn, and it was daunting, but Alysia persevered.

Eventually, Aysia met and studied with Catherine Malcom and master perfumer Kathryn Degraff, pioneers in natural perfumery.

Christine was one of the first in the United States to embrace natural botanical fragrances and perfume making. She helped start the current natural artisan perfumer movement and founded her company, Santa Fe Botanical Fragrances, in 1987.

Alysia’s mentors collaborated to preserve ancient perfume-making techniques, which greatly inspired Alysia. Thus, Alysia began to train her “nose,” learning to differentiate odor profiles and how scent affects human psychology.

Early in the 1990s, Alysia took the opportunity to also study with Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt, Ph.D. aroma chemist and founder of Original Swiss Aromatics and Pacific Institute of Aromatherapy.

Inarguably, the human sense of smell is an extraordinary sensory ability that unequivocally connects us with ourselves, others, and the environment. What we smell can have a wonderful impact on our well-being. Likewise, it is crucial for Alysia to ensure that the sources of scents with therapeutic effects on the body and mind are pure.

Business Evolution

Established in 1985, Alysia set out on an extraordinary journey by creating her business, Medicine Flower®– Gifts of the Earth. Her unwavering aspiration stemmed from her deep-rooted desire to bring about positive change for all sentient beings.

Alysia’s passion led to the creation of a diverse range of natural, organic aromatherapy products, oils, and sprays that have since brought joy and well-being to countless customers.

In the early 1990s, Alysia was drawn to the Pacific Northwest to explore its forests, waterfalls, and rivers. Captivated by the beauty of nature, she moved her business from Encinitas, CA., to Oregon in 1994.

Upon arriving, she stopped at the North Umpqua River and fell in love with the valley. However, it wasn’t until 2012 that she moved to the Umpqua Valley, which became her permanent residence and place of business.

In 2015, Alysia relocated her international business to Glide, Oregon. Alysia’s dream has come true: she now lives and works by the river, finding endless inspiration in its serene energy.

Today, she operates Medicine Flower® Gifts of the Earth® in the picturesque countryside with breathtaking views of the Cascade mountains.

A Multifaceted Supply Company

Describing herself as a manufacturer, supplier, and formulator, Alysia surpasses the role of an aromatherapist. She is responsible for developing therapeutic blends for her company’s products and private labels. Her connections with growers, distillers, and other industry suppliers have made her a success, trustworthy, and dependable.

Medicine Flower® supplies high-quality culinary flavors, aromatherapy supplies, bioactive components, and natural remedies to the cosmetic, perfume, food, and food supplement industries. Alysia’s essential oils are 100% pure botanical oils produced by distillation, CO2, alcohol, and hexane-free solvent extraction. Her source materials are organic or wildcrafted, sustainably grown, and non-GMO.

Her facility is an FDA/Organic Certified Facility and meets all CGMP (current good manufacturing practices) requirements. Ingredients are third-party lab tested for analysis and purity to guarantee they are free from contaminants such as fillers, solvents, pesticides, or heavy metals. She meets consumer safety standards in all 50 states, ensuring compliance and peace of mind for her customers.

Multi-talented and Aromatically Gifted

I am impressed by Alysia’s passion for bringing her love of natural healing to the world through the many sensory varieties of products she offers.

Alysia’s insatiable curiosity continues to lead her to follow her nose. The allure of floral scents is simply irresistible to her. Every time she encounters exotic fragrances like honeysuckle, jasmine, and neroli, they have the power to completely captivate her senses.

Her pursuit of new and exotic botanical fragrances motivates her search for the perfect scent to complement her innovative line of botanical products. She told me that she has started infusing her perfume blends with the healing energies of Earth’s precious stones, combining nature’s finest aromas with her love of crystal and gem therapy.

I can’t wait to experience her new line!

Aromatically Wise

Learning about essential oils and flavorings can be overwhelming and confusing, requiring time and experience. Verifying source ingredients is essential to avoid misinformation and deceit. Alysia’s diligence ensures that her sources are untainted by hidden ingredients masquerading as pure. 

Alysia’s expertise encompasses plant energetics, traditional wisdom, practical insights, diverse preparation recipes, and much more — all gleaned through years of study and industry know-how. Moreover, it is the connections with farmers and other industry leaders that make Medicine Flower® a success – “one molecule at a time.”

It’s time to honor Alysia’s hard work and dedication with a celebration of her successes. And what better way to do so than by indulging in an array of delectable flavors and enticing aromas she offers? Let’s celebrate Medicine Flower® Gifts of the Earth®’s aromatic achievements and industry impact as a tribute to her resilience, passion, and creativity of a woman-owned business.

To this day, I cherish our friendship and her enthusiasm as a creator for using essential oils safely.

This summer, I plan to spend quality time with Alysia next to an Oregon river.

All my aromatic love,

Vidya