Start Your Essential Oil Business

Your Copper Still.
Your Botanicals.
Your Business.

Thousands of women are building profitable essential oil businesses from home — distilling lavender, rose water, eucalyptus, and more. A handcrafted copper still is the equipment that makes it possible.

$7.3B
Global essential oil market size — and growing fast
~$40
Average Etsy selling price for 10ml handcrafted lavender oil
~$2
Cost to distil that same 10ml at home with a copper still
3 sizes
From starter to small-scale production — 5L, 5-gallon, 10-gallon

Why distil your own oils
instead of buying wholesale?

Buying essential oils wholesale means buying someone else's product, at someone else's margin, with someone else's story. You're a reseller — competing on price with hundreds of other resellers.

Distilling your own oils changes everything. You control the source. You can say "I grew this lavender and distilled it myself." That provenance is worth more than any marketing campaign.

Customers on Etsy, at farmers markets, and through Instagram pay a significant premium for handcrafted, small-batch, producer-made essential oils. The market for authentic botanical products is growing — and a copper still is what separates a genuine producer from a reseller.

The equipment pays for itself. Often within the first season.

Simple ROI — Lavender Oil Example
Fresh lavender (1kg) ~$8–12
Yield per kg (steam distillation) ~5–8ml oil
Hydrosol yield (bonus product) ~800ml
Sell 10ml lavender oil (Etsy) $35–50
Sell 100ml rose hydrosol $18–28
5-gallon still — runs per week 2–4 runs
Monthly revenue potential $400–1,200+

The most profitable botanicals
for a home distillation business.

Lavender
Lavandula angustifolia
High yield Best seller Start here

The most popular essential oil in the world. High yield, easy to grow, and sells consistently year-round. Lavender oil and lavender hydrosol are both highly marketable products from the same run.

Rose
Rosa damascena
Low yield Premium price

Low oil yield but extraordinary market value — genuine rose otto sells for hundreds per ml. Rose hydrosol (rose water) is easier to produce and sells beautifully as a skincare and cooking product.

Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus globulus
Very high yield Consistent demand

One of the highest oil-yielding plants available. Strong, recognisable scent with year-round demand in wellness, aromatherapy, and cleaning products. Excellent for volume production.

Peppermint
Mentha × piperita
Very high yield Fast growing market Easy to grow

Fast-growing, high-yielding, and commercially in demand. Peppermint oil is used in everything from skincare to food to cleaning — one of the most versatile oils to sell.

Chamomile
Matricaria chamomilla
Medium yield Niche premium

German chamomile produces a beautiful blue oil (azulene) with strong skincare and aromatherapy appeal. The hydrosol is especially popular for sensitive skin products and baby care.

Rosemary
Salvia rosmarinus
Good yield Trending Easy to grow

Rosemary oil is trending strongly in the hair care market. Growing demand from DIY haircare communities makes this an excellent high-margin product to produce and sell in small batches.

Where to sell your
handcrafted essential oils.

🛍️
Etsy

The largest marketplace for handcrafted botanical products. Buyers actively search for small-batch, producer-made essential oils and hydrosols. Strong demand, premium pricing.

🌾
Farmers Markets

Face-to-face selling with your story. Bring your still to the market if permitted — nothing sells product faster than showing people how it's made right in front of them.

📱
Instagram & TikTok

Distillation is visually compelling content. Steam, copper, botanicals — it films beautifully. Many essential oil businesses are built entirely on social media with direct DM sales.

🏪
Local Boutiques

Consignment or wholesale to local skincare shops, gift stores, and wellness boutiques. Small-batch provenance commands wholesale prices that mass-produced oils can't match.

Match your still size
to your production goals.

5L
Five Litre
Start here
Lavender oil per run ~2–4ml
Rose water per run ~400ml
Peppermint oil per run ~4–6ml
Runs per day 2–3
Best for Testing recipes
10gal
Ten Gallon
Scale up
Lavender oil per run ~30–50ml
Rose water per run ~5–8 litres
Peppermint oil per run ~50–80ml
Runs per day 1
Best for Wholesale + boutiques

From first run to
first sale in four steps.

🫙
Choose Your Still

The 5-gallon is the most popular starting point for a small business. Enough capacity for meaningful yield per run, manageable for a home setup. See the Size Guide to compare.

🌿
Source Your Botanicals

Start with lavender or peppermint — high yield, easy to source, and consistent market demand. Growing your own gives you the provenance story that commands premium prices.

⚗️
Distil & Refine

Your kit includes a care and use guide for your first run. Most people have their first batch of hydrosol within an hour of setup. Experiment with botanicals, blends, and run times to find your signature products.

🛍️
Start Selling

Open an Etsy shop, book a farmers market stall, or start posting your process on Instagram. Your copper still is content as well as equipment — people are drawn to the craft.

Copper doesn't just hold
the process. It improves it.

For essential oil production, the material of your still matters. Copper has been the distiller's choice for centuries — not for aesthetics, but for chemistry.

When steam passes through a copper still, the metal reacts with sulphur compounds released from the botanicals. These compounds, left in the distillate, produce harsh off-notes that reduce oil quality. Copper removes them at the source.

The result is a cleaner, more aromatic oil with better clarity of individual botanical notes. If you're selling, this is the difference between a product people reorder and one they try once.

⚗️
Sulphur Binding Removes harsh compounds for cleaner, purer essential oils
🌡️
Even Heat Distribution Consistent steam temperature for better extraction efficiency
🎨
Living Patina Develops character with every run — your still becomes uniquely yours
🔨
Hand-Hammered Build Traditional construction that lasts decades, not seasons
📸
Content-Ready A copper still photographs and films beautifully — your best marketing asset

Start small. Scale
when you're ready.

Full Size Guide →
Start Here
5L
Five Litre
Test & learn

Low investment to start. Ideal for testing which botanicals work for your market before scaling up. Stovetop-ready, compact, and produces enough output to begin selling.

Scale Up
10gal
Ten Gallon
Production & wholesale

For established businesses ready to supply boutiques, wholesale accounts, or larger market volumes. Maximum yield per run and commanding workshop presence.

Starting your essential oil
business — questions answered.

Yes — the key is provenance and quality. Handcrafted, small-batch, producer-made essential oils command significant premiums over wholesale resale products, particularly on Etsy and at farmers markets. Customers pay for the story as much as the product. A copper still gives you both the quality and the story.

The 5-litre is good for testing and learning. The 5-gallon is the most popular choice for a serious home-based business — it produces enough yield per run to stock an Etsy shop and supply a farmers market stall. See the Size Guide for a full yield comparison.

Lavender oil and lavender hydrosol are the most consistent sellers with the broadest market appeal. Peppermint and eucalyptus also have strong year-round demand. Rose water (hydrosol) is excellent for skincare-focused markets. Rosemary oil is currently trending strongly in the hair care community.

Your main investment is the still itself. After that, your ongoing costs are botanicals (which you can grow yourself to reduce further) and water. A 5-gallon copper still kit is a one-time investment — the equipment lasts decades with proper care. Visit the product page for current pricing.

Requirements vary by country, state, and what you're selling. Generally, selling essential oils for aromatherapy and skincare use is straightforward for small producers. We recommend checking your local small business and cosmetics regulations before launching. Our stills are designed for botanical distillation — see our Safety & Materials page for full details on intended use.

Your botanicals.
Your business. Your still.

Handcrafted copper still kits in 5L, 5-gallon, and 10-gallon. Ships worldwide.

Shop the Essential Oil Still