Artemisia Essential Oil Sampler Set
- Six Artemisia oils, one genus. Mugwort and Wormwood open the set, with Davana, Tarragon, Owyhee and African Wormwood, every one a single Artemisia species.
- Sweet fruit to sharp bitter. The scents run from Davana's sweet fruit to the sharp, bitter wormwoods, which is why a perfumer likes the whole genus on hand.
- Six 5 ml amber droppers. Each oil comes steam distilled in its own 5 ml amber glass European dropper bottle.
- Small-batch, third-party tested. Bought from small-batch distillers and tested by an outside lab against synthetics and adulteration.
- Potent oils, tiny amounts. These are strong oils used a little at a time, diffused or blended, and you never take any of them by mouth. How to use them safely.
- For seasoned blenders. For the perfumer or the aromatherapy user who already knows the everyday oils and wants the rarer corners of one plant family.
The genus Artemisia, gathered as a sampler set
6 benefits of Artemisia
Davana, the sweet fruity one
Davana is distilled from the whole plant of Artemisia pallens, grown in India, the sweetest and fruitiest of them all, with davanone as its signature compound. Perfumers use it in sweet, fruity accords, where a little goes a long way. It's the gentlest place to start.
Owyhee, the soft floral one
Owyhee, which we also sell as Peach Artemisia, comes from Artemisia ludoviciana, a North American plant documented as western mugwort and prairie sage. It smells fruity, floral and herbal, the softest and least bitter of the six. The genus has a long ceremonial and cleansing tradition, and this is one of the plants tied to it.
Tarragon, the anise-green one
From the USA, Tarragon is the sweet, green member of the set, distilled from the flowering plant of Artemisia dracunculus, with a strong anise character from estragole, its dominant compound. The plant is famous in the kitchen, one of the fines herbes of French cooking, though that fame belongs to the herb and not to this oil. Kept for the still, it makes a distinctive green edge in a blend.
African Wormwood, deep and spicy
African Wormwood is a deep, spicy, bitter oil distilled from the leaves of Artemisia afra in South Africa, led by 1,8-cineole, a fresh eucalyptus-type compound. It's the only member with a eucalyptus note out front, and that clean edge steadies the greener oils in a blend.
Mugwort, the warm herb
Grown in Morocco, Mugwort is the warm, herbaceous, bitter member of the set, Artemisia vulgaris, the species that lends the whole genus one of its common names. It has a long history in ceremony and in the household, where its clippings were once used to keep moths from stored cloth. Used sparingly, it adds a dry, herby depth to a blend.
Wormwood, the absinthe plant
Wormwood is Artemisia absinthium, wildcrafted in the United States, sharp, warm and bitter, and it carries thujone, the constituent behind its reputation. This is the plant behind absinthe, the green spirit once called the Green Fairy in the cafes of Europe, though that is the drink and not the oil. In a blend it's used in the smallest amounts, for a sharp green bitterness.
How to use
In the air
DiffuserDiffuse a drop or two of a single member inside a larger blend, and run the diffuser on and off, 30 to 60 minutes on then a break with fresh air moving. Do not inhale any one of these oils closely for longer than 15 to 20 minutes. This is the use we recommend first.
In a blend
PerfumeryWorked a drop at a time into perfume and diffuser blends, these oils are always heavily diluted and never put on skin on their own. People who blend the genus keep it light, and we do not apply these oils undiluted. We give no single dilution number here, because the members differ in strength and this is a set for experienced hands.
Before you use them
SafetyNone of these oils is for internal use, and the whole set stays out of reach of children. Mugwort and Wormwood carry thujone, so keep them away from anyone with a history of seizures or epilepsy, and keep Tarragon, which is rich in estragole, to short and occasional use. Keep the whole set well away from pregnancy and breastfeeding, and Wormwood, Mugwort and Tarragon are all named on the aromatherapy avoid list while pregnant or nursing. Never put any of these oils on skin undiluted.
Blends well with these 7 oils
Frequently asked questions
7 answers drawn from the product specification and our own use of this oil.
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