A Conversation About Sweetgrass, Integrity, and Innovation

When we released our Sweetgrass Room Spray, the response was overwhelming—and beautiful.

But along with all the love, we also received some important questions.

Some people were skeptical:

• “Can you even make essential oil from sweetgrass?”

• “Should sacred medicines be sold at all?”

• “How do we know where the plants came from and how they were treated?”

We hear you. These aren’t small questions—they’re part of a much larger conversation about culture, capitalism, medicine, and modern life. And we believe in meeting those questions head-on, with transparency and respect.

✅ Yes, Sweetgrass Essential Oil Is Real

We’ve had a few folks say they’ve researched it, and that sweetgrass essential oil isn’t possible. But here’s the reality:

If you can distill a hydrosol from sweetgrass (and many people do), then you can absolutely distill an essential oil—because they come from the same process: steam distillation. Essential oils are simply the heavier, more concentrated compounds that separate out from the water-based hydrosol during that process.

Sweetgrass essential oil is real, potent, but it is also very hard to source, as its not one that has a huge demand. We use a 100% pure, sweetgrass essential oil that was extracted using a very modern method that is clean and 100% solvent free. The whole reason I decided to make our spray—was to use real plant medicine--not a synthetic fragrance, and not a blend pretending to be the real sacred.

The scent is pure, sacred, and unmistakable- because its sourced from the real medicine.

🔥 But This Isn’t Just About Sourcing. It’s About Meaning.

We understand that sweetgrass is more than a scent. It’s medicine. It’s ceremony. It’s prayer.

So the real question becomes:
Can something sacred be made into a product—and still be treated as sacred?

Our answer: it depends on the intention, the process, and the respect carried through every step.
For us, this product wasn’t made lightly. It was made thoughtfully—for a real need.

"Medicine Shouldn’t Be Sold" — Let’s Talk About That

We’ve also heard from some people who believe sacred medicines shouldn’t be sold at all. I know this is a valid and complex conversation within our communities.

Here’s my perspective:

When I need to replenish my medicines, I seek out people I trust—those who harvest with intention, ceremony, and deep traditional knowledge. I don’t take that lightly. I always offer something in return for their time, teachings, and the care it takes to harvest in the right way. Sometimes I trade, sometimes I use currency.

Remember, trading has always been part of our way of life—but our forms of currency have adapted over time to reflect what’s most useful in the world we live in. What hasn’t changed is the importance of reciprocity. It’s not about buying medicine—it’s about valuing the people and practices that keep our plant knowledge alive.

For me, that’s a matter of respect, not transaction. It’s how I honour their role as knowledge keepers and medicine carriers.

That’s not disrespect.
That’s reciprocity.
That’s valuing Indigenous knowledge in a world that has too often stolen it for free.

We can’t on one hand say our medicines and teachings are sacred, and then on the other hand say they have no material value. Our time, our labour, our plant relationships—they’re worth something.

Selling medicine doesn’t have to mean commodifying it.
It can mean sharing it with care and intention.

It can mean offering it to people who need it, in a form they can actually use—while honouring the roots it came from.

🌾 What About How the Sweetgrass Was Harvested?

That’s a fair question—and one I’ve asked myself.

The truth is, very few companies in the world produce genuine sweetgrass essential oil. It’s not widely available, not in high demand commercially, and it’s incredibly costly to produce in small batches.

In fact, sweetgrass essential oil is one of the most expensive oils I’ve ever worked with.

When developing this formula, I tested the only three brands I could find globally. Two smelled flat—like dry hay or cut grass. But one had that unmistakable sacred scent I’ve known all my life. That’s the one I chose. I found out from the manufacturer that the grass is grown in the US organically, however it is not USDA certified - but it is organic.

What I do know is that I selected it based on its purity, aroma, and energetic integrity, and I continue to look for options that align even more closely with cultural and ecological values.

This isn’t a casual ingredient. It’s medicine. And I treat it as such—with care, intention, and full transparency.

🌬️ Smoke-Free Smudge for Modern Realities

We live in a world where many people can’t burn medicines:

• Smoke-free apartments

• Shared workspaces

• Elders or children with respiratory sensitivities

• Hospitals, classrooms, offices

Does that mean they should go without the ability to cleanse, ground, and reconnect with sacred plant energy?

We don’t think so.
This spray is not a replacement for traditional smudging—it’s a contemporary expression of the same intention. A bridge. A respectful adaptation for where people are now.

🖐️ This Is Not “Just Another Product”

We make this spray in-house, with care, ceremony, and purpose.
We don’t pump it out in a factory.
We don’t white-label it.
And we don’t treat it like a novelty item.

We view it as a tool—like many other medicines—that can support balance, clarity, and reconnection when used with respect.

💬 Final Thoughts: Cultural Integrity > Perfection Policing

We welcome questions. We welcome curiosity. And we welcome respectful dialogue.

What we don’t welcome is the idea that Indigenous people must stay locked in the past in order to be “authentic.”

Cultural survival is not about preservation in a museum.
It’s about evolution with integrity.

We are the culture-bearers and the innovators.
We can carry medicine forward.
We can adapt—without compromising our roots.

Thank you for being in this conversation.
We invite you to try the spray if it speaks to you.
And if it doesn’t—that’s okay too. The path is wide, and the medicine is many.