THE SCENT OF LOVE AND PASSION:
Discovering Natural Fragrance by Marcia Elston
When it comes to physical attraction,
smell is everything, some experts say. It’s no secret that when
something smells good, it provokes a positive reaction - a freshly bathed
infant, the salty mist from the ocean, a bouquet of fine roses, and, of
course, our favorite perfumes. These scents can evoke deep personal and
emotional reactions. Certain familiar scents can take you immediately to
a time or event in the past and remind you of a favorite person. How
many of you smell the scent of lavender or rose geranium and remember your
grandmother’s warm, loving presence?
Since the beginning of recorded
history, many have written about the exquisite scent of the rose, the Queen of
flowers, extolling the ethereal, sometimes illusive, virtues of its scent and
affect on the human psyche. Descriptions of the depth of feeling and emotion
can be found in timeless prose and poetry. According to Goethe, the most
evolved plants go through a transformation from the primitive germ to the
exuberance of the flower in a natural movement toward spirituality where the
flower, in its impermanence and openness, represents an instant of rapture and
jubilation. No other floral fragrance compares to that of the precious
rose, often inspiration for poetry and tales of love and sorrow. The
natural fragrance extracted from the rose has become the cornerstone for many
signature perfumes and roses are the most purchased gift on Valentine’s Day
when we honor heartfelt feelings of love and passion.
Rose oil or otto has been long
considered as an oil of emotional feeling, love and transformation, and is a
precious ingredient in the finest floral perfumes. The early Romans
scattered rose petals on the marriage bed. Couples in these early times
were crowned with roses as are the images of Venus and Cupid in art and
sculpture. When Cleopatra invited Mark Antony to her palace, she had her
chamber floor covered knee-deep with rose petals because of her fervent belief
in the romantic power of the rose’s scent. In ancient Greece, the rose was
sacred to Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, beauty and fertility. Cultures
around the globe have made “rose” beads (i.e., rosary) from rose petals
since antiquity to portray and express the greatest love of all, the love of
God. The sales of roses and rose products are at their peak for the
celebration of Valentine’s Day today, as people continue to seek fragrant
ways to honor and adorn their loved ones. Today, true Bulgarian rose
otto is one of the most precious natural perfume ingredients and is used to
express the joy of romantic love, honor an accomplishment or transition, and
to help ease the grief of a loved one’s passing. It is also a highly
regarded addition to skincare products and contains many healing properties
suited to all skin types.
Tiring of the overpowering and pervasive odor (and having allergic reactions) of synthetic fragrance, many of us have turned to natural ingredients for perfumes, skincare and relaxation products. The emerging study of aromatherapy and natural perfumery is exploding across the United States and the use of natural essential oils for stress relief and simple health problems is now commonplace, both at home and in the clinic or hospital. The Home Spa is now seen as not only desirable, but necessary.
Rediscovering how to cultivate and
process aromatic plant extracts from the garden is now emerging as an exciting
hobby for those who garden. The revival of the interest in personal
hands-on preparation of perfumes and natural scented products has created an
emergence of plant extraction and distillation training for the aficionado and
professional, alike. People are seeking ways to re-connect with the
plants and flowers of the Earth to make their lives more meaningful and to
seek answers to the deeper questions of purpose.
You can find a wide range of
ingredients and natural fragrance materials to make thoughtful perfumes or
naturally-fragranced bath and skincare products with a click of your mouse.
If you are creatively adventurous, you might try your hand at simple natural
scented products for Valentine gifts this season. Some of them may offer
additional health benefits to surprise and delight the recipient. Here
are some simple ideas to try.
Scented Bath Salts:
2 cups coarse Dead Sea Salt
5-12 drops of a combination of essential oils of Rose otto, Lavender, Lemon and Sandalwood (easy on the lemon and remember to stay out of the sun for a day after bathing to avoid sun sensitization).
Place Sea salt in glass jar and add, drop by drop, the essential oils. Tightly cover and let sit for several days, shaking periodically. Decant salts into plastic jar or container suitable for use in the bath. Present in a lovely organza gift bag with instructions to use within 2-3 weeks to maintain strength.
Simple Rose Cologne:
(You can substitute other desired flowers such as lavender flowers, and
lavender essential oil)
2 C. distilled water
1/2 C. vodka
10 drops rose essential oil
1 C. fresh, deep-red rose petals
Measure the distilled water into a thoroughly cleaned glass jar. Add the vodka
slowly to prevent cloudiness. Gently mix in the rose petals until they are
completely wet. Add the rose oil and mix well. Let the mixture stand in a
covered bottle in a cool, dark place for one week to allow the scent to age.
Strain mixture and pour into decorative perfume bottles or perfume misters.
Marcia Elston is degreed as an
academic folklorist and is credentialed as an herbalist/aromatherapist