Lucy Connor

Few plants capture the essence of early summer quite like elderflower. For a few short weeks each year, hedgerows across the UK become covered in clusters of delicate white flowers whose sweet, unmistakable fragrance has inspired herbalists, cooks, foragers and folklore enthusiasts for centuries. Most people know elderflower as a cordial or perhaps the flavouring in a summer cocktail. Others may be familiar with its traditional use during colds and flu. But the elder tree has a much richer...

Over the past year or two, castor oil seems to have exploded in popularity. Suddenly everyone is talking about castor oil packs, castor oil for hair growth, castor oil for eyelashes, castor oil for lymphatic drainage and castor oil for just about everything else imaginable...

If you've ever wondered why one bottle of lavender essential oil costs £2 while another costs £30, you're not alone. Most people assume that if an oil smells like lavender, it must be lavender. But as a doctor and aromatherapist, I've learned that scent alone tells us very little about what's actually in the bottle. In this article, I explore adulteration, authenticity, sourcing and testing - and why quality matters if you're using essential oils for more than just their aroma.