The Botanical Lab OPEN HOUSE

The Botanical Lab at NRI is officially open. We'll have the alembic distiller producing hydrolats all day. Pop into one of our complimentary mini-lab experiences to make your own mini botanical salt scrub, therapeutic lotion, or body oil. Or be among the first to create your own at our Aroma Blend Bar or our Herbal Blend Bar. We'll have books, botanicals, and hands-on events all day. This is your first look at Huntsville's only evidence-based botanical science lab.

Distillations begin at 10am, 12:30PM, and 3pm. Take home fresh hydrolat vials after each distillation. Mini lab workshops are available each hour, on the hour and run for 20 minutes. All materials included. Mini-labs are free, but space is limited so come early!

SKIN MINI LAB:

Your skin is host to trillions of microorganisms that regulate barrier function, inflammation, and how your skin responds to stress. Most skincare works against this ecosystem without knowing it. In this 20-minute lab, Dr. Cavanaugh breaks down the skin microbiome research and what it means for what you put on your body, then you make a botanical salt scrub from a pre-made base, add your own essential oil blend, and label it to take home. Fast, sensory, and grounded in actual science.

PEDIATRICS MINI LAB:

NRI conducted the only epidemiological study to definitively evaluate lavender and tea tree oil safety in children. Spoiler: they're safe. This mini-lab covers NRI's pediatric research in plain English, what the clinical trials actually showed, which oils are appropriate for children and why, and how to use them effectively. Then you make a kid-safe roll-on. Something useful to take home, and the science to back it up. STRESS MINI LAB: The cortisol awakening response, the spike in cortisol in the first 30-45 minutes after waking, is one of the most sensitive markers of how your stress system is actually functioning. NRI has been studying it. This mini-lab covers the basics of HPA axis function and what the clinical evidence shows about aromatherapy and stress physiology, then you make a 1oz massage oil blend built from the same research behind The Female Stress Protocol. SLEEP MINI LAB:

The relationship between cortisol rhythm and sleep architecture is well-documented, but largely ignored in most sleep advice. This mini-lab opens with two minutes on the clinical research connecting HPA axis function to sleep quality, then gets practical. You'll make a 2oz therapeutic lotion using a lavender-forward blend built from the same evidence base behind one of NRI's most cited studies.