Leisha There is something deeply moving about working with plants in their most concentrated form. To distill their essence into a small bottle is like capturing the soul of the garden. Each drop carries not just aroma but the story of the soil, the care of the hands that tended the plants, and the strength of the plant’s own medicine.
We began humbly, distilling with 50 and 100 litre tanks, learning the rhythms of steam and plant, and discovering the patience it takes to coax an essence from roots, leaves, and flowers. Recently, we built our own 500 litre still, a milestone that opens the door to larger production and deeper exploration. This new still is set right in our store, so when we are distilling, you can witness the process, smell the fragrant clouds of oil and hydrosol rising, and share in the alchemy of transformation.
It is a beautiful way to bring people closer to the plants, to see the medicine being made, and to feel the living connection between soil, plant, and spirit.
At Living Ground we have begun this journey of making our own essential oils. From our gardens and wild spaces, we have distilled vetiver, rosemary, lavender, Chilean oregano, lemongrass, matico, cypress, orange, and lemon. Palo santo is the only oil we carry that is not from our land, chosen with respect for the sacredness of that tree.
Soon, we will add rose geranium, basil, and citronella as the gardens we are planting mature. We even tried pine, though the trees did not share their essence with us this time. We will try again.
With every distillation, we also receive the gift of hydrosols. Hydrosols waters carry the subtle yet profound medicine of the plants. While essential oils are potent and concentrated, hydrosols are gentle and versatile, making them safe for daily use on skin, in drinks, and for children or elders.
They hold the water-soluble compounds of the plants, offering medicine that cools, soothes, and restores in ways that are sometimes even more accessible than oils. We use hydrosols in our electrolyte drinks and cosmetic products.
A lavender hydrosol calms burns and anxious minds. A rosemary hydrosol clears the scalp and lifts energy. Matico hydrosol is a powerful skin healer and digestive aid. These plant waters are living medicine, carrying the memory of soil and steam.
Each plant we distill has its own character and healing gifts.
Vetiver is grounding and steadying, a root that speaks directly to the nervous system, easing anxiety and anchoring scattered thoughts.
Rosemary is the plant of clarity, awakening the mind, stimulating circulation, and supporting memory. Rosemary is the herb of memory. https://www.livinground.org/2025/02/14/rosemary-real-force/
Lavender offers calm to both the body and the spirit, soothing irritated skin as easily as it softens grief or sleepless nights. Lavender is the soother and is great for headaches https://www.livinground.org/2024/12/15/lavender/
Palo santo is a sacred purifier, its smoke and oil used to cleanse heavy energies, uplift moods, and bring peace to ritual.
Chilean oregano is fiery and protective, a warrior plant with strong antimicrobial powers that defend against infections and restore balance. I do not recommend using this internal but it is amazing externally for fungal infections.
Lemongrass refreshes and brightens, supporting digestion, cleansing the body, and lifting the spirit with its lemony sharpness. Also a great bug deterant.
Matico, beloved in Andean traditions, helps wounds, reduces inflammation, and is a gentle yet powerful ally for skin, stomach, and urinary health.
Cypress supports breath and circulation, eases grief, and helps the body release what it no longer needs.
Mandrine, Orange and lemon bring light and joy, cleansing the air, refreshing the skin, and uplifting even the heaviest moods.
Eucalyptus brings a high note to open lungs and breathing, to clean the air and to increase energy.
Our oils are 100% pure, bottled with care in 5 ml necklaces that allow you to carry their spirit close to your heart, or in larger 15, 20, 30, and 60 ml bottles for home and healing use. The hydrosols are bottled with the same attention, ready to be misted on the face, added to teas, used as toners, or sprayed through a room to restore a sense of freshness and calm.
This is only the beginning….
….at our Project Site we have the space to create a large-scale distilling operation. The vision is clear: to restore soils, plant vast aromatic gardens, and partner with local landowners who can grow medicinal crops on their land.
By converting soils back to health, communities can cultivate thriving harvests that we then purchase for essential oil and hydrosol production. It is a cycle of renewal and empowerment, where farmers are supported, soils are brought back to life, and the medicine of the plants reaches more homes and hearts.
We are now looking for investors and collaborators to take this to the next level. The land is ready, the gardens are growing, and the demand for pure, locally grown oils is strong. What we are building is not just an essential oil micro-enterprise but a movement rooted in self reliance, ecological regeneration, and community health.
Each bottle we sell helps write a new story for this land and its people, and with support, we can expand this into a truly transformative enterprise.
Every drop of oil and every vial of hydrosol carries more than plant medicine. It carries the promise of a future where soil, plants, and people thrive together.
If you feel called to be part of this project, to support the vision of soil restoration and community-based essential oil production, I welcome you to reach out. I am open to conversations with those who share this dream and see the value in creating medicine from the land itself. You can contact me directly through Living Ground – Suelo Vivo at livingground.art or by email at livinggroundcafe@gmail.com
Together, we can grow something truly transformative.
