Since ancient times, people have used medicinal plants and natural materials for both healing and beauty treatments. The well-known Egyptian ruler Cleopatra used milk baths, Dead Sea minerals, honey and rose oil scents for beauty treatments as early as 2000 years ago.
Today, this ancient knowledge is being brought back to light by using local herbs in different ways. One of these is the extraction of floral waters from violets, chamomile, mint and other aromatic plants. The floral water is created by distilling the plants with water, resulting in a fragrant, health-giving elixir that can be used in a variety of ways for the whole family:
- as a toner for the face after washing to balance the pH level;
- as a facial cleanser instead of micellar water;
- simply spray on as a refresher;
- for cosmetic preparation, e.g. as a clay mask;
- to soothe the skin after shaving (yes, men too!), hair removal and depilation;
- compresses on overheated, swollen or oily skin;
- in place of deodorant on underarms and feet;
- for baby skin care, cleaning wrinkles and adding to bath water;
- spraying on mosquito bites, acne, abrasions and other skin lesions;
- also safe for pets as it is not strong and is 100% natural.
The most popular floral waters in the world are lavender and rose water. They are obtained as by-products of the extraction process of the respective essential oils. They are very gentle and are recommended for use as aromatherapeutic agents, especially for sensitive people, children and seniors, where care should be taken with the use of essential oils. The use of essential oils can be a ritual, such as scenting with calming evening primrose or lavender in the evening before going to bed, or using it in a scented lamp or diffuser to scent the room, and in the mornings and during the day choose something uplifting such as peppermint or quince. A nice added bonus of using floral water is its gentle effect on the psycho-emotional state. Because they affect our psyche, scents can help us to organise our thoughts, make decisions, concentrate and learn, mobilise our energies, calm our nerves, improve our memory and performance, create a festive atmosphere or make us feel at home in a strange place.
The main criterion for choosing a floral water is the aroma - if you like it well, you will use it generously and even take it with you in your bag. When choosing for healing properties, consider that these will be more pronounced in the case of evening primrose and chamomile, and less so in the case of apple blossom or rose. Although there is no strict division between natural fragrances, you can also choose the right floral water for your skin type. Oily skin is better suited to mint, quince or evening primrose, while dry or sensitive skin is better suited to chamomile, sea buckthorn, wild raspberry or apple blossom.
It is safest to buy your lotions from an official manufacturer who is a registered cosmetic manufacturer and has carried out the appropriate tests on their products. One such producer is Ance Dandena in Jelgava municipality, which has been producing floral waters from wild and garden plants for 5 years, as well as offering other types of natural skin care products. Ance is a chemist, aromatherapy specialist and worked for many years in cosmetic companies before deciding to create her own brand "Green Wing Paleo Skincare". "Green Wing concentrates the best of Latvian nature as a green wing - every bowl has the scent of a meadow in bloom, the rustle of the forest and the warmth of the sun. Paleo Skincare, on the other hand, is based on the use of wild or organically grown plants, avoiding intensive processing - thus preserving the essential quality of the plant in every product. No artificial ingredients or animal raw materials are added - the Green Wing brand is vegan and vegetarian friendly. You can find out more at www.ziedudens.lv and on FB and IG by searching @ziedudens.lv.
Green Wing Paleo Skincare is the first and only Paleo cosmetic made in Latvia (possibly even Europe) that contains only Paleo ingredients. These simple, naturally sourced ingredients ensure 100% natural skin care, safety for the consumer and the environment, and an ingredient list that is easy to understand for everyone. The packaging used is sortable and recyclable. The brand's creator, Ance Danden, believes that we can only rejuvenate and relax in nature, so it's worth bringing some of nature's healing scents into the home.
