A Community-driven ApproachThe Story of Liven Cyprus By Andreas Markou & Jared Willis
- Aromatika Magazine
- 4 days ago
- 3 min read
Pg. 116-121 - 5-minute read
At Liven, we believe that producing a quality oil begins with connection—to the natural world that provides our raw materials and to the people who grow, harvest, prepare, and ultimately use what we create. We feel accountable to both. Our oils are made entirely from local Cypriot materials, using mechanical methods and without unnecessary processing, while our blends are created only from oils we produce ourselves. Rather than following trends or market demands, we let our relationships with farmers, practitioners, families, and customers guide our work. Our intention is to create a more balanced alternative to the global supply chain—one that values nature, labour, transparency, and reciprocity rather than exploitation, shortcuts, and disconnection.
Circularity is central to our model. We work closely with local farms, wineries, food producers, wellness practitioners, and families, transforming materials that might otherwise be discarded into valuable oils and products. These relationships extend beyond simple transactions: seeds are exchanged for oils, farmers become suppliers and collaborators, our staff may also be therapists or growers, and production by-products become useful foods or materials. Money moves in both directions, but so do knowledge, resources, trust, and support. Our workshop has naturally evolved into a small community hub—a café, treatment room, event space, and farmers’ and artisans’ market where people from different backgrounds gather around locally made food, crafts, aromatherapy, and other shared interests. In this way, we hope to create a living ecosystem rather than a linear supply chain.
Transparency is fundamental to how we work. We want people to see the plants behind the “brown bottles,” understand where they grow, experience how they are harvested and processed, and witness how much plant material is required to produce a relatively small amount of oil. Through volunteer days and hands-on workshops, people can prepare seeds for pressing, bring plants from their own gardens for distillation, and experience the transformation from raw material to finished oil. We encourage people to use their senses to understand quality—to see, smell, taste, and feel oils rather than relying solely on labels. Seasonality is part of this experience: oils naturally vary with harvest, location, and weather, and we embrace this diversity rather than trying to make living materials artificially uniform.
Our work is also deeply rooted in Cyprus's long relationship with aromatic and medicinal plants. We look to traditional uses of myrtle, bay laurel, rosemary, schinos, almonds, and other native materials not as nostalgia, but as living knowledge that can inform contemporary practice. Instead of simply reproducing imported aromatic references such as eucalyptus, we explore local plants and create blends that continue the island’s own traditions. By combining contemporary machinery with traditional, often hands-on techniques, we keep our oils as close as possible to their original raw materials while maintaining quality and transparency. Ultimately, we see our role as part of a broader movement toward reconnection—with land, plants, materials, traditions, and one another. We hope to support farmers, wellness professionals, and local businesses while creating meaningful economic opportunities, preserving knowledge, and reminding people that working with nature can be both responsible and joyful. When people ask us how to use our products, our answer remains simple: they are for enjoyment.
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