A clear, grounded path to working with botanical resins for medicine, beauty, and aromatic craft. 

If you’ve ever tried working with resins and ended up with…

Sticky, unworkable textures.

Wasted materials.

Preparations that didn’t turn out the way you expected.

Or feeling unsure how to approach them at all...

You’re not alone.

Resins don’t behave like other herbs. They don’t follow the same rules that most herbal remedies are built around.

That’s why even experienced herbalists and aromatic practitioners often struggle with them.

Because each type of resin requires specific solvents, processing, and preparation methods to unlock its full potential.

Without that understanding, even the most beautiful materials can feel confusing, inconsistent, or out of reach.

You can begin creating your own herbal remedies, skincare products, incense, and perfumes, working with some of the richest, most storied plant materials in existence.

You’re no longer limited to pre-made products or guesswork. You can start formulating your own preparations for personal use, ritual, and aromatic work...

drawing from a wide range of botanical resins, each with its own unique aroma and character.

The difficult or out of reach becomes something you can approach with clarity and confidence.

You begin to understand how to prepare different types of resins and avoid mistakes and frustration. 

You start to understand which methods work (and which don’t) for different preparations, and you can easily move from material to finished preparations.

And from there, it naturally expands into the many ways to
work with these botanical gems.

Maybe into body care preparations, clean beauty, and formulations that carry
both function and aroma.

Into more refined internal preparations like tinctures and cordials.

Into aromatic work like incense, natural perfumes, and blends that
bring a space or moments to life.

And beyond the practical applications…

they find their place in quieter, more intentional moments—
in ritual, in reflection, in the ways you create deeper meaning.

The world of resins offers endless possibilities.

So how do you actually learn to work with resins in these ways?

That’s exactly what this course was created to support.

Working with resins isn’t something most herbal or aromatic training explores in depth.

They may be touched on briefly, or included as part of a broader curriculum, but rarely taught in a way that reflects their unique behavior, preparation methods, and full potential.

This course was created to offer that deeper focus.

It provides a clear, structured path into working specifically with botanical resins and gums across medicine and herbal preparations, skincare, incense, perfumery, and aromatic preparations.

Rather than leaving you to figure things out through trial and error, you’ll learn the specific methods these materials require: how to process them, extract them, and work with them in ways that are effective, reliable, and grounded in tradition.

By the end, you won’t just understand what resins are.

You’ll know how to actually use them with confidence.

Resins aren't like other plant materials.

They don’t behave the same way as leaves, roots, or flowers.

They don’t follow the same rules most herbal preparations are built around.

And because of that, many people run into the same experience:

• Sticky, unworkable messes
• Wasted ingredients and resources
• Failed extracts and ineffective preparations
  
  

The truth is, each type of resin requires specific processing methods to unlock its benefits. 

Without that knowledge, it’s easy to feel lost and discouraged.

This course was designed to change that.

To give you a clear, structured way to understand how to work with resins—step by step.

So instead of guessing…

You’ll know:

• How to prepare different types of resins based on their natural consistency
• Which methods work (and which don’t) for different preparations
• How to avoid the common mistakes that lead to frustration
• How to move from raw material to finished preparations with clarity

Evan Sylliaasen is the founder of the Northwest School of Aromatic Medicine and Higher Mind Incense. For over 15 years, he has worked closely with botanical resins, exploring their use across incense, herbal preparations, and aromatic crafting.

What began as a personal interest gradually became a central focus of his work, leading him to spend years sourcing, studying, and working directly with resins in many forms.

Through this process, he developed a deep familiarity with these materials, from how they respond in different preparations, to how to work with them more cleanly, efficiently, and effectively.

Evan is also the founder of Higher Mind Incense, a company whose products have been carried in over 150 retail stores across the country.

His work has reached thousands of students and practitioners around the world, helping to bring traditional plant practices into a modern, accessible context.

In this course, he brings together years of hands-on experience, offering a clear, practical approach to working with one of the most unique and rewarding classes of plant materials.

Plant resins are versatile, powerful, and deeply therapeutic.

Whether you’re crafting natural remedies, clean beauty products, or enjoying their aroma, they can enhance your health, well-being, and creativity in countless ways.

Such as in:

• Topical Preparations: Create resin-based salves, balms, and ointments for everyday skin support and first-aid use.
• Skin & Body Care: Formulate your own resin-infused oils and products for skin nourishment and natural aroma.

• Internal Preparations: Work with resins in tinctures and other traditional preparations.

• Aromatic & Sensory Use: Use resins in incense, perfumery, and essential oil blends for their rich, grounding aromatics.
• Ritual & Reflective Practice: Incorporate resins into meditation, ceremony, personal ritual and prayer.

• Creative & Practical Applications: Bring resins into your formulations, gifts, or product offerings.
  
  

  And beyond their versatility…

  They bring an unmatched depth of aroma and substance.

  Once you begin working with them, they tend to become part of everything you do at your crafting table.

Understand what resins are, how they form, and how different types vary. Learn their history, stories, terminology, classifications, and how to approach each type in a practical way.

Explore how resins have been used across cultures in medicine, sacred ritual, and daily life, and how each of their uses can translate into a modern life and plant practice.

Learn how to transform raw resins into healing salves, rejuvenating balms, infused oils, and other topical formulations. Develop a clear process for working cleanly and effectively with these materials.

Gain step-by-step guidance for creating alcohol extracts and other traditional preparations, with clear guidance on preparation methods and appropriate use.

Learn how to use resins in their essential oil form and incorporate them into incense and other aromatic preparations, along with best practices for working with them safely and effectively.

Discover the role of resins in scent creation and how they function as foundational materials in natural perfumery. Learn how to create your own solid, oil-based, and spray perfumes.

This is a complete, step-by-step training in working with botanical resins and gums.

Inside, you’ll receive:

Plus, you’ll have lifetime access to move through the material at your own pace.

This course is designed for people who feel called to work more directly with plant materials—

and want to bring resins into their practice in a clear, practical way.

If you’re new to working with resins, this course will give you the foundations you need to start with clarity and confidence.

If you already work with herbs or aromatics, this will open up a new category of materials, and expand what you’re able to create, bringing a powerful new addition to your practice.

This course offers a thorough and accessible training in
working with botanical resins and gums.

Rather than leaving you to piece things together from scattered sources, it brings years of hands-on experience into a clear, practical system you can actually apply.

• Working directly with a wide range of resins, from time spent harvesting them in nature to preparing them at the crafting table

• Learning what works and what doesn’t through real-world experimentation

• Gaining a deep familiarity with how different resins respond across a variety of preparations

• Sharing these preparations with others and witnessing how they’re received and used

This course is the result of that process...

refined, simplified, and brought together so you can learn to work with resins in a way that is clear, practical, and grounded
in real experience.

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Enroll in The Botanical Resins & Gums Course and take the time to explore the material, experience the teaching style, and begin working with the practices.

If within 30 days you feel the course isn’t the right fit for you, simply email our team and you’ll receive a full refund. No explanations required.

Audrey Gerber

Diana Suarez

Janet Gutierrez

"Evan's teachings came at the perfect time on my healing journey. Whether you're wanting to expand your knowledge of the healing properties of plants, deepen your connection to your heart and intuition, or want to add more tools to your self healing toolbox, this school IS A MUST for an incredibly expansive journey."

LeAnn Rimes, Country Singer, & Soul Blogger

"I’ve worked with herbs as a community kitchen wise woman crafting teas, tinctures, and oxymels for friends and family. This school has so much practical knowledge with the right amount of do it yourself for me to continue on my journey. I highly recommend this school!"

Andrea McCluskey, Maryland

"What I’ve learned through this school has changed the direction of my life entirely. I went from a timid and confidence-lacking herbal dabbler to full-on aromatic medicine maker with Evan’s expert guidance. Never before have I seen so much dedication and care from a teacher. This school will change your life!"

Brian Lambert, Oregon

"The moment I found Evan's teachings, I felt like I finally found what I’d been searching for in the world of plants and traditional aromatherapy. In just a few months Evan’s teachings have expanded my practice more than anything in the 30 years I’ve been immersed in it!"

Dana March, Colorado

"The Northwest School of Aromatic Medicine has given me a whole new lens to see the plant kingdom and healing as a whole through. Crafting botanicals for their scents and medicines is an art form that has been demystified through these courses."

Amber Sheridan, Michigan

“I owe my deep gratitude to Evan and his mind and heart-opening teachings. Not only have I ventured into exciting new arenas within the plant kingdom that he has opened to me, but I’ve also made incredible personal transformations alongside my ever-transforming practice with plants. Thank you!”

Ayla Connor, Washington

"What I have newly acquired with botanical resins through this priceless course; such as their many uses, how to safely harvest, filter, and extract them, within the last four weeks is so valuable! I am now able to incorporate the many wonderful benefits of resins into my own handcrafted botanical products, as well as the many other formulas available throughout this Course. I highly recommend this course whether you are a beginner or more advanced in this field."

April Rose Lugo, Wisconsin

"Safety, sustainability, and appropriate use are top tier issues for me. It’s such a vast and complex area that it can easily feel overwhelming. Somehow you’ve made it accessible. I’m so grateful for your guides: sustainable sourcing and usage practice, dilution rates, Materia Medica, etc. They make finding the necessary information uncomplicated. I’ve been a botanicals practitioner for a long time and this course has been a real joy. You have rekindled my passion and my profound love for all our green allies."

Dianne Pearson

"I have enjoyed everything about this course. The knowledge I have gained is awesome: from the history of resins and gums right through to being able to craft some amazing products like balms, tinctures and incense. The format of the course is very well laid out and easy to follow. Evans expertise is amazing and the knowledge I am now walking away with is worth every dollar I have invested. I highly recommend this course.

Raewyn Tetenburg

"I now have reference materials and confidence to pursue crafting with resins and gums and incorporate them into my botanical skin care line. I really appreciate how emphasis was put on sourcing materials sustainably and ethically, and this inspires me to look even deeper into sourcing all my materials in the future."

Maggie Whitesides

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We're more than happy to help you.

Send your questions to support@aromaticmedicineschool.com