Local Lavender, a farm-to-bottle approach

For some reason I never wore the vintage Lavender deodorant. With so many other great scents to choose from I always skipped past the purple bottle. I wanted to love it because ylang-ylang, geranium and lavender are some of my favourite essential oils. But, I found myself neglecting it. David and I shared a joke that each time we manufactured the scent, the heating process would magnify something in the scent that made our lab smell similar to what David called a ‘urinal cake’. I’ve personally never smelled a urinal cake to compare but it’s safe to say we didn’t enjoy the aftermath of manufacturing this particular scent. I should note, after it cooled, the fragrance from the bottle was very pleasant and many people loved it. To add, this vintage Lavender was originally formulated by a friend and talented biochemist whom we cherish but as we became more hands on and creative, we decided to pay homage to the place we call home and create the new Okanagan Lavender.

When I set out to rebuild Lavender I started with the personal belief that supporting local farmers is essential to a healthy ecosystem. If you know me, I religiously shop at the farmers markets, I love connecting with my food suppliers and that same mindset found its way into our business. I felt deeply inspired by this idea that I could harvest lavender oil from my home valley and showcase it in our product. 

I grew up in Vernon, BC on seven acres with a very long gravel driveway, horses, dogs, chickens, a barn and tons of room to run wild. Visiting Hayton Creek for the first time was like time travelling to my childhood. It was so similar right down to driving up the long gravel driveway lined with fences and pastures on either side. Hayton Creek’s impressive one hundred and ten acres was nestled on a hillside overlooking both Wood and Kalamalka lake. It’s family run, with two generations living on the property. There were horses, miniature horses, cows, chickens, goats, a herd of poodles and an iconic red barn. Needless to say it was booming with life. I walked the farm while memories of my childhood came rushing in, so many familiar smells, sights and sounds it was inviting and comfortable. The lavender fields were full of different varieties - who knew there were forty seven types! The main one Hayton Creek grows and produces is grosso, but they have others like royal velvet and hidcote. Truly handcrafted, they produce small batch essential oils in a copper still from Portugal while sourcing water from the creek that runs parallel to their property. This makes for an exceptionally pure product that I couldn’t wait to start working with. 

I set out to create a scent I personally loved and gravitated towards wearing everyday. I wanted it to be natural, yet sensual compared to the hippy dippy lavender we often associate the scent with. For me, it needed to be a scent I just can’t get enough of and when sprayed in public people flock to it. Which turns out is a true story! We first tried this scent in our homemade yoga spray, using it before our practice to set the mood. It brought us out of our day and into the present, grounding and clearing our energy. 

Onto the scent, it’s created with a foundation of our local lavender oil, the sharp herbaceous floral we know is softened by vanilla and sandalwood. It carries mid notes of powdery rose, wild geranium and is topped with a subtle spiced cinnamon and lemon zest. It’s lavender as you know it, but slightly sensual, naturally grounding and spicy. 

I hope you enjoy the upgraded Okanagan Lavender scent as much as I do while feeling good about supporting our local craftsmen and the farm-to-bottle movement. Having the opportunity to partner with producers devoted to their craft is both enlightening and fulfilling. has me excited to seek out passionate partners with a farm-to-bottle approach.

With love, 

Paige