Our Story
A Shared Life in Art, Nature, and Aromatherapy
rareESSENCE was founded by Sherri Jobelius and Brian Paulsen—partners in life and in the creative work that shapes the brand. Both are lifelong artists: singer-songwriters and painters drawn to the quiet beauty of the natural world. They live in a quiet woods in Minnesota beside a peaceful wetlands pond where deer, eagles, foxes, herons, and two resident owls share the landscape. Brian is also a photographer, capturing the fleeting light and wildness that surrounds their home.
The Beginning of rareESSENCE
Sherri first discovered essential oils while managing one of the country’s early natural food stores and was immediately captivated by their purity and botanical intelligence.
Long before “clean fragrance” became a movement, she was blending her own natural essences.
A Shared Vision Takes Shape
When she met Brian, their creative paths aligned into a deeper purpose. Their shared birthday felt like an early sign of the harmony between them. What began as a small studio hand-blending oils gradually evolved into rareESSENCE—a brand rooted in artistry, craftsmanship, and the belief that nature creates the most exquisite scents of all.
The Purpose Behind the Passion
Sherri’s devotion to pure botanical perfumery—and her personal decision to avoid synthetic scents—led the pair to look more closely at conventional fragrance. What they discovered was concerning. Many perfumes and home scents rely on petroleum-derived chemicals such as phthalates and other compounds associated with endocrine disruption, neurotoxicity, respiratory irritation, and documented developmental concerns in children.
Emerging research continues to raise important questions about the cumulative impact of daily exposure to these chemicals in the home, including potential links to behavioral and developmental challenges.
Their response was simple but resolute: to create true botanical fragrance crafted exclusively from pure essential oils and plant-based ingredients. Every rareESSENCE formula is intentionally composed, free from synthetic fragrance, and designed to support a more mindful approach to scent and well-being.
Artisan Made in Minnesota
The rareESSENCE lab is where artistry, scent, and botanical science come together. In this intimate creative space, Sherri, Brian, and their certified aromatherapist serve as the noses of the brand, thoughtfully composing and refining each formula by hand.
More than one hundred pure essential oils line the shelves, sourced from small distillers and dedicated growers around the world—each capturing the aromatic soul of flowers, woods, resins, and herbs.
Here, inspiration becomes composition. Notes are layered, balanced, and refined with patience and intuition, guided by a deep respect for nature’s materials.
To protect the integrity of the brand, every rareESSENCE product is developed, blended, and produced entirely in-house. In the adjoining production studio, a dedicated team of artisans handcraft each formula in small batches, transforming pure botanicals into thoughtful sensory rituals and preparing every order with care.
We source our essential oils from small distillers and dedicated growers around the world, partnering with producers who share our commitment to sustainable cultivation, traditional distillation, and exceptional quality. Each botanical is selected for its authenticity, potency, and traceable origin.
Every essential oil we work with undergoes GC–MS testing (Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry) to verify purity and ensure it is free from synthetic additives, adulterants, pesticides, and contaminants. Beyond laboratory verification, each oil is also carefully evaluated for its aromatic profile, complexity, and character to ensure it meets the rareESSENCE standard.
Where Botanicals Become Aroma
Pure Fragrance, Crafted by Nature
Unlike conventional fragrance products that rely on synthetic fragrance blends, rareESSENCE scents are composed entirely from nature’s aromatic palette—flowers, woods, resins, roots, and herbs—capturing the living essence of plants rather than laboratory-created scent.
To uphold the highest standards of transparency and quality, rareESSENCE is proudly USDA Organic Certified and FDA Registered, reflecting our commitment to rigorous ingredient standards, responsible production, and trusted oversight.
Our formulations are:
Vegan • Free of Synthetic Fragrance • Phthalate Free • Petroleum Free • Paraben Free • Silicone Free • Sulfate Free • Cruelty Free
and many are USDA Organic Certified.
From sourcing to formulation, every rareESSENCE creation follows a simple guiding principle: true fragrance begins with nature—and purity is never compromised.