Lozère, France
Essenciagua
A pioneering French distillery where ecological innovation, living terroirs and medical aromatherapy converge.
Slow distillation, fresh organic plants, exceptional hydrolats and an artisanal philosophy inspired by grand cru craftsmanship.
Aubrac · Causses · Cévennes
A new generation of French distillation.
Essenciagua began in 2002 when biochemist Laurent Gautun left the petroleum industry to imagine a different approach to distillation.
Inspired by travels across Europe and Ecuador, he designed stills specifically adapted to aromatherapy and built partnerships with organic growers across France.
At Essenciagua, distillation is approached not as an industrial process but as a slow dialogue between water, steam, plants and landscape.
Innovation & transmission
Laurent Gautun & Magali Louis
Région
Lozère, France
Fondation
2002
Distillation
Alambics artisanaux basse pression
Production
55 plantes fraîches bio françaises
Spécialité
Hydrolats & huiles essentielles
Labels
Agriculture Biologique
Philosophie
« Une personne, un moment, une plante »
Approche
Nova Aroma douce
A vision
Creating the grand crus of French aromatherapy.
In 2010, biomedical researcher Magali Louis joined the project, helping shape a gentler and more holistic vision of aromatherapy.
In 2013, Essenciagua introduced the concept of ‘grand cru essential oils’, deeply rooted in terroir and artisanal quality.
The inauguration of the new Lozère distillery in 2017 embodied their ecological vision: a passive building integrated into the forest itself.
Why We Chose Them
“Here, technology feels placed in service of living systems rather than the opposite.”
Essenciagua stands among the rare distilleries capable of uniting scientific rigor, artisanal methods and ecological coherence.
Their work with hydrolats opens a softer and more accessible path within modern aromatherapy.
Slow distillation
Patience remains the true secret behind great oils.
Low-pressure steam, fresh plants and complete extraction of the aromatic totum.
Their approach
A distillery designed as an ecosystem.
Living architecture
Vegetal roofing, wooden structures, renewable electricity and thermal recovery shape a singular ecological distillery.
Local sourcing
Fresh plants are sourced within a 150 km radius through a network of certified organic growers and harvesters.
Visit the distillery
A workshop at the heart of Lozère’s grand landscapes.
Located between Aubrac, the Causses and the Cévennes, the distillery is immersed in one of France’s most preserved natural territories.
The site also hosts educational programs and professional gatherings centered around medicinal plants and aromatherapy.