The Oil Profiles Project

Welcome to all customers of Meadows... (well, Darryn anyway!)

Your first decision will be whether you want this page blank and anonymous, so that you can deny to the MHRA any responsibility for this project! Or do you have your logo there all bold and visible?
I don't see that there is anything illegal, immoral or otherwise undesirable about this project, so why be shy?

It might even transpire that to be associated with this project could actually be a selling point to your customers... Once established, the existence of this project might become a newsworthy item offline (eg in aromatherapy mags) and potential customers might be encouraged to search online for a list of suppliers who can offer a portal to the information on this website.
(The website will not be accessible to search engines like Google, or to casual surfers. Visitors can only access the online information via portals available through the websites of subscribing suppliers.)

Anyway, more of that another day!

Have a look through what I have sketched out so far...

Basic content for customers:

• Essential Oils
  
• Vegetable Oils

Possible additional content:

• Recipes
  
• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS's)

• Legislation Advice

What I am offering for you to promote to your customers is useful information about Aromatherapy oils. Because this site will not be selling anything, and will not contain links to those that do, we are able to provide such information - including therapeutic properties - without contravening existing legislation.

I'm sure that the issue of what to include will become a contentious issue amongst suppliers, so I have to put my foot down from the start... Whilst I encourage suggestions and feedback from subscribers, I am the editor and the editor's decision is final!

What we need to decide initially isn't about exact content, but about the categories of content and what criteria are to be used when selecting them... I think we have to acknowledge that this is a commercial project and that the objective is to inform customers (and potential customers) in such a way as educate them, encourage them, and inspire their imaginations - and thereby increase the possibility that they will buy suppliers' goods. Few suppliers are likely to subscribe to a project that is entirely philanthropic and likely to diminish sales by being too negative or lacking in imagination. However, safety must be of paramount importance so all known hazards and cautions will be listed prominently.

My first thoughts as to what categories we might include are:

(a) Essential Oils - factual information, definitely to include safety information and known cautions, and also suggestions about therapeutic properties and uses. I do not believe that we can disregard the fact that many users consider spiritual properties as well as physical properties...

(b) Vegetable Oils - perhaps easier here to stick to known physical properties

(c) Guides to relevant legislation - possibly borrowing heavily from the ATC.

(d) Suggested Recipes - these should be limited initially to simple recipes of proven efficacy (if there is such a thing). Allowing too many recipes would quickly inflate this section to the point of uselessness...
Recipes could be sub-divided into two sections: by medical problem, and by oils used
Recipes would not be accepted that even hinted at cures for cancer or other serious medical conditions.

(e) Material Safety Data Sheets - as downloadable PDF's so as to remove from you, the suppliers, the onus of supplying these.

We appreciate that not all subscribers will want to allow access to sections other than the first two... Recipes indexed by medical condition are not allowed by the MHRA on the first site that you link to, so my idea is to offer you the option of linking to a second site.