The botanical library
Every plant,
explained
What goes into our blends, why each plant earns its place, and what research has and hasn’t shown about the botanicals we love. No synthetic fragrance, no filler, nothing to hide.
At a glance
What’s in the pouch,
and what isn’t
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10Botanicals
Flowers, leaves, peel and wood across our blends.
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100%Whole plant material
Dried botanicals, not extracts or fragrance oils.
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0%Synthetic fragrance
No dyes, carriers or fillers either.
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30–40Minutes of scent
From one spoonful, gently warmed over a tea light.
Our standard
How a plant earns
its place
Before a botanical goes into a Cedar & Zen blend, it has to pass a few simple tests.
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01
Whole, not extracted
We use dried flowers, leaves, peel and wood as they come from the plant, not concentrated oils or fragrance compounds.
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02
Chosen for how it smells warm
Every plant is picked for how its scent opens up with gentle heat, and how it sits alongside the others in a blend.
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03
Nothing added
No synthetic fragrance, dyes, carriers or fillers. If it isn’t part of the plant, it isn’t in the pouch.
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04
Gentle heat only
Warming rather than burning keeps the ritual free of smoke and soot, and lets the scent rise slowly.
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05
Honest claims
We tell you what research has looked at and what it hasn’t. Our blends are for slowing down, not for treating anything.
Index
The botanical index
The plants behind our blends. Tap any name to read its notes, its aromatic compounds, and which blends it’s found in.
01 LavenderLavandula angustifolia Flower buds Soft, floral, faintly sweet
One of the most studied aromatic plants. Lavender has scented linens and rooms for centuries, and its aroma is the subject of a large body of research on relaxation.
- Family
- Lamiaceae (mint family)
- Part used
- Flower buds
- Aroma
- Soft, floral, faintly sweet
- Aromatic compounds
- Linalool, linalyl acetate
- Found in
- Cedar Balance, Natural Barrier
02 RosemarySalvia rosmarinus Leaves Green, resinous, herbal
“Rosemary, that’s for remembrance.” The herb has been linked with memory for centuries, and researchers have looked at how one of its aromatic compounds relates to attention and recall.
- Family
- Lamiaceae (mint family)
- Part used
- Leaves
- Aroma
- Green, resinous, herbal
- Aromatic compounds
- 1,8-cineole, camphor, α-pinene
- Found in
- Azure Clarity, Rose Renewal, Natural Barrier
03 EucalyptusEucalyptus globulus Leaves Cool, fresh, camphor-like
The clean, cooling scent most people know from a steamy shower. Its leaves are rich in eucalyptol, the same compound found in rosemary.
- Family
- Myrtaceae (myrtle family)
- Part used
- Leaves
- Aroma
- Cool, fresh, camphor-like
- Aromatic compounds
- 1,8-cineole (eucalyptol)
- Found in
- Azure Clarity
04 RoseRosa spp. Petals and buds Warm, soft, floral
Dried rose petals keep a gentle, rounded sweetness. In a blend they soften brighter herbs and add warmth.
- Family
- Rosaceae (rose family)
- Part used
- Petals and buds
- Aroma
- Warm, soft, floral
- Aromatic compounds
- Geraniol, citronellol, phenylethyl alcohol
- Found in
- Rose Renewal
05 Lemon balmMelissa officinalis Leaves Bright, lemony, green
A garden herb with a soft lemon scent, traditionally grown near beehives and brewed as an evening tea.
- Family
- Lamiaceae (mint family)
- Part used
- Leaves
- Aroma
- Bright, lemony, green
- Aromatic compounds
- Citral, citronellal
- Found in
- Rose Renewal
06 ChamomileMatricaria chamomilla Flower heads Sweet, apple-like, hay
The small daisy-like flower behind one of the world’s best-loved bedtime teas. Warmed, it smells gently of apple and hay.
- Family
- Asteraceae (daisy family)
- Part used
- Flower heads
- Aroma
- Sweet, apple-like, hay
- Aromatic compounds
- α-bisabolol, chamazulene
- Found in
- Cedar Balance
07 Cedar Wood Dry, woody, grounding
The wood our name comes from. Cedar gives a blend its quiet, grounding base note, the scent of a forest floor after rain.
- Part used
- Wood
- Aroma
- Dry, woody, grounding
- Found in
- Cedar Balance
08 LemonCitrus limon Dried peel Bright, zesty, sweet
Most of a lemon’s scent lives in its peel. Dried slices bring a clean, sunny top note to a blend.
- Family
- Rutaceae (citrus family)
- Part used
- Dried peel
- Aroma
- Bright, zesty, sweet
- Aromatic compounds
- Limonene
- Found in
- Azure Clarity
09 ThymeThymus vulgaris Leaves Warm, herbal, peppery
A hardy Mediterranean herb with a warm, savoury scent. A little goes a long way in a blend.
- Family
- Lamiaceae (mint family)
- Part used
- Leaves
- Aroma
- Warm, herbal, peppery
- Aromatic compounds
- Thymol, carvacrol
- Found in
- Natural Barrier
10 CatnipNepeta cataria Leaves and flowers Minty, green, herbaceous
Famous for its effect on cats, catnip is a member of the mint family with a fresh, green scent of its own.
- Family
- Lamiaceae (mint family)
- Part used
- Leaves and flowers
- Aroma
- Minty, green, herbaceous
- Aromatic compounds
- Nepetalactone
- Found in
- Natural Barrier
Plant details are general botanical information, not a description of a specific harvest.
From field to warmer
Four quiet steps
A blend is simple: good plants, dried with care, warmed gently. Here’s the path from the ground to your table.
- Step 01
Grown
Herbs and flowers are grown and harvested when their scent is at its fullest.
- Step 02
Dried
The plants are dried whole, so their structure and aroma stay intact until they’re warmed.
- Step 03
Blended
Botanicals are combined into our signature recipes and sealed in a resealable kraft pouch.
- Step 04
Warmed
A spoonful on the stoneware warmer, a tea light below, and 30 to 40 minutes of gentle scent.
Why warmth, not smoke
Heat that releases scent, without burning the plant
Burning herbs creates smoke. Warming them gently releases their aroma without it. Our stoneware warmers hold botanicals just above a tea light, so the scent rises slowly and the room stays clear.
Further reading
What the research explores
Most studies look at essential oils rather than whole dried herbs, and none of them tested Cedar & Zen products. We share them because we find them fascinating, not as proof of what a blend will do for you.
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1
Effects of lavender on anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Pooled results from studies of lavender, taken by inhalation and by mouth, and looked at its effect on anxiety.
Read the study -
2
Plasma 1,8-cineole correlates with cognitive performance following exposure to rosemary essential oil aroma
Measured a rosemary compound in volunteers’ blood after time in a rosemary-scented room, and compared it with their attention and memory scores.
Read the study -
3
Aromas of rosemary and lavender essential oils differentially affect cognition and mood in healthy adults
Compared how the scents of rosemary and lavender affected memory, alertness and mood.
Read the study -
4
Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function
Reviewed studies on time spent in forests, including the role of compounds released into the air by trees.
Read the study
Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Speak with a healthcare professional about any health concern.
From the library
