About Us
Made for and from Australia’s Finest Botanicals
Kensington Oil Distillery specializes in small-batch essential oil distillation, processing 1–5 kg of plant material at a time. Using high-quality copper stills that are designed and hand-built in-house specifically for essential oil production, each distillation honours the unique character of the plants and the garden they come from.
Small-batch processing allows growers and distillers to harvest throughout the year, creating distillations that reflect seasonal changes and each garden’s individual personality. Every distillation produces both aromatic hydrosol (distilled floral water) and a small yield of essential oil, which can be used to create DIY skincare, natural cleaning products, room fresheners, and other aromatherapy creations.
The People behind the Process & Products
At Kensington Oil Distillery, founders Cynthia Strawson and Loren Daoust bring together decades of experience in craftsmanship and horticulture to offer you premium essential oils and hydrosols made from your own plants. Based in Melbourne, they collaborate with local gardeners and growers to distill plants into one-of-a-kind, pure, small-batch essential oils and hydrosols. Loren’s background in engineering and metalwork ensures precision-built copper stills and consistent quality, while Cynthia’s horticultural expertise and deep understanding of plants guide each distillation. Together, they combine technical skill with respect for nature to produce authentic, locally crafted oils that reflect the character of each plant and the care of the people who grew it.
Cynthia Strawson
“Every drop of oil is a story,” Cynthia says. “It’s the memory of sunlight, the voice of a plant, the proof that the world is full of wonder.”
Cynthia brings a deep appreciation for the power and delight of plants. A lifelong gardener, educator, and creative, she sees the natural world as a living classroom — one filled with lessons in patience, reciprocity, and wonder.
Trained as a horticulturalist in Canada, she has spent decades growing, observing, and celebrating plants of every kind. Her master’s degree in nutrition deepens her appreciation for the connection between soil, food, and wellbeing. She believes in living slowly, intentionally, and in harmony with the season and place.
For Cynthia, the garden is a place of endless fascination — where the smell of soil, the sound of rain, and the quiet rhythm of growing things become a form of meditation. There’s always a new seed to plant, a new lesson to uncover, a new season to savour.
She believes that plants are examples of everyday magic: that a seed, given only soil, sunlight, and care, can become nourishment, fragrance, or medicine. Her work with children and community gardens reflects this philosophy — helping others see that the act of growing and distilling plants is both science and poetry.
At Kensington Oil Distillery, Cynthia shapes the storytelling, education, and sensory experiences that bring people closer to the plants themselves. Every plant tells a story — one of resilience, generosity, and magic.
At Kensington Oil Distillery, Cynthia helps translate the mystery of distillation into something everyone can feel and understand.
Loren Daoust
“A still is more than a tool,” Loren says. “It’s a vessel for transformation — of plant, water, and time into something extraordinary and distinctly yours.”
At ten years old, Loren was already building — helping his home-builder father with carpentry jobs and learning the rhythm of work done by hand. Those early lessons stayed with him: vision, precision, and respect for good materials.
Decades later, Loren became the force behind My Own Greenhouse, designing and building durable, beautiful hobby greenhouses across Western Canada. His craftsmanship made spaces where gardeners could grow, experiment, and find peace through plants — a theme that continues to shape everything he does.
Loren will be the first to tell you he’s not meant for an office. His happiest days are spent tinkering in the workshop — surrounded by tools, metal, wood, and ideas. He’s always refining, improving, and inventing — whether it’s with a tin hammer, laser engraver, a CNC router, or a handmade prototype. For him, the act of making is his muse.
Now based in Australia, Loren has migrated his 25 years of experience working with galvanized steel and construction into a new form: crafting copper stills for botanical distillation. Each still is a blend of art and engineering — durable, dependable, and beautifully handmade. His long-standing commitment to quality and locally sourced materials ensures that every piece is built to last a lifetime.