It all started while Kent was studying clinical aromatherapy in 1998. He learned about the many issues with essential oil quality and came to the conclusion that to ensure your oils are truly therapeutic grade you must know your sources. This lead to the idea of being involved in every aspect of the esential oil production from aromatic to oil.
This led to an aromatic journey in organic agriculture, permaculture and essential oil distillation. Kent first started lab scale distillations in 1998, while he researched commercial distillation and the countries that might offer a wide range of aromatic plants to produce exceptional essential oils. A trip to Costa Rica in 1999 ensued, followed by 7 years of work to develop essential oil distillation projects with various permaculture and organic agri-forestry farms throughout the country.
Kent has distilled over 50 different essential oils from Costa Rica, British Columbia and Washington State. In Costa Rica, he commercially distilled ylang ylang, cinnamon, lemongrass, key lime and mexican mint marigold, among others. He promoted the use of distillation as a value added tool within permaculture, often visiting farms with aromatic plants as gifts. We were one of the first essential oil companies to focus exclusively on organic and biodynamic grown aromatics for essential oil distillations producing "Essences with Energy" from the beginning. This is our first essential oil display with our original logo and slogan.
In 2005, Kent met his partner Marisa and being "Islanders", they decided to set roots in Cobble Hill, Vancouver Island, on a lovely 5 acre farm on the edge of the rainforest. The farm has evolved over the years using permaculture and regenerative organic practices and has many aromatics and herbs, including lavender, melissa, clary sage, sweet fennel and many more. Kent distills these into hydrosols and limited quantities of regenerative grown organic Vancouver Island essential oils.
Over the years, Kent has partnered with BC first nations to help train distillers and distribute essential oils from the Great Bear Rainforest. He continues to have interest in distilling Vancouver Island conifer oils, such as Douglas Fir, Grand Fir, and Western Hemlock, adding conifer essential oil distillation into the mix of a regenerative forestry system in BC.
Moving forward, Kent is focused on offering more essential oils and aromatherapy products from regenerative organic agriculture and biodynamics. He is working on frequency infusions and structured water as they pertain to both aromatic plant health and potentialized distillations, taking Essential Aura's "Essences with Energy" to the next level!
