Scents & Scent’s Ability – Tuberose

A rose is a rose, unless it’s a tuberose, then it’s not. Today, we launch our new scented candles, tealights and natural body butter perfumed with the voluptuous aroma of tuberose. Despite it’s name, tuberose is not related to the rose; it is an agave, a succulent cactus in disguise, a botanical chameleon that captivates the senses. Tuberose (pronounced “tuber-ose”) derives its name from the bulb-like stem that grows beneath the earth, like a secret hidden from the sun. Agave amica, the Latin name for this plant, grows three to four feet high, and in the summer, produces clusters of blooms that open at night, calling to the moon and seducing the stars.

Known to the Aztecs as “omixochitl,” the tuberose, with its waxy, white blossoms, was a flower of the gods, a symbol of the divine. Tuberose was a revered blossom, used in ceremonies and rituals, adorning crowns, worn as garlands, and offered to the gods themselves. By the time the Europeans arrived, they recognized the beauty of the flower’s fragrance, and were captivated by its charms. They brought the plant back to Europe, where it quickly became a favorite among perfumers.

According to legend, King Louis XIV bathed only three times in his life due to his (and others’) belief that bathing spreads disease. During the time of King Louis’ reign, Versailles was a place of great beauty and luxury, but also of great stink. The palace was a maze of chambers, each with its own unique bouquet of foulness. The lack of proper plumbing and the infrequent bathing habits of its residents did little to improve the situation. Amidst the stink, olfactory hope lie within the perfume of flowers. Louis XIV, engulfed the palace grounds in tuberoses and other flowers, with the expectation that they would overpower the stench with their creamy, rich aroma. King Louis XIV was nick-named (among other things), as the sweetest smelling king of all.

The cultivation of the tuberose subsequently spread all over the world, where it thrives in warm climates, in India and Pakistan, as well as other parts of the globe, and is cherished for it’s fragrance and decorative blossoms. Today, the tuberose is only cultivated and no longer grows wild.

Tuberoses are cultivated by planting their bulbs in well-drained soil, ideally in a location that basks in the golden rays of the sun for about 6-8 hours during the day. The bulbs are typically planted in early spring, after the last frost has kissed the earth goodbye, but in cooler climates, they can be coaxed to life indoors, like a secret kept from the world, and then transferred outside once the night temperature is warm enough. During the growing season, they are pampered every four to six weeks with nutrients, or by mixing well-rotted compost or manure with the soil at planting time, like a feast for their roots.

The plant produces clusters of white or pastel blooms on long spikes, like a bouquet of desire, which are used for cut flowers, making garlands, and extracting essential oil which is the essence of temptation itself. While the typical tuberose flowers are white, they also grow in various pastel shades of pink, yellow and other hues. Tuberose is one of the most costly essential and/or absolute oils to manufacture, requiring almost 2000 pounds of the flower’s blossom to produce just a half pound of essential oil.

The process of making essential oil from tuberose flowers is like a delicate dance between the flower and the alchemist’s hands. It started by gathering the flowers, which are then placed on a bed of odorless oil, such as coconut or palm oil. This is known as the enfleurage method, where the oil slowly absorbs the essence of the tuberose over several days, leaving behind the pure, unadulterated essence of tuberose. This method was used to extract the flowers’ essence until around the 1930s, when new methods of extracting were introduced using volatile solvents, resulting in a higher yield and a more economical process.

“The tuberose, with her silvery light, that in the gardens of Malay is called the mistress of the night. So, like a bride scented and bright, she comes out when the sun’s away.” – Thomas Moore

Tuberose, with its green, fruity, and nutty undertones, is also known as the “carnal flower” due to its provocative scent profile. Tuberose has been described as having a sensual, animal aspect that evokes warmth and sensuality. Its essential oil is said to have aphrodisiac qualities as well. The flower has long been a favorite staple in perfumery. Master perfumer Roja Dove has called it the “harlot of perfumery,” given its sensual, pleasure-seeking scent. Some notable perfumes that feature tuberose include Poison by Dior, Gabrielle Essence by Chanel, and Fracas, by Robert Piguet.

In aromatherapy, the tuberose is said to promote confidence, self-assertiveness, and has aphrodisiac qualities that can ignite a lackadaisical libido. It has been used to calm nerves, quell anger or depression, and imbue joy, peace, and harmony. Therapeutic qualities include the ability to stave off nausea and treat spasmodic coughs, muscle tension and nasal congestion.

Because of the flower’s anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties, tuberose also helps treat skin problems such as dry, irritated skin and acne. Other benefits tuberose offers to the skin is that it smooths fine lines and wrinkles, and keeps skin hydrated. It’s also great for cracked heels and other issues associated with dry skin.

And the jessamine faint, and the sweet tuberose, The sweetest flower for scent that blows. – Percy Bysshe Shelley

We craft our tuberose candles and tea lights with 100% organic soy wax, and perfume them with premium-grade fragrance oil. For this batch, we used a vivid pink to color the wax. They are poured into matte black jars with a glossy interior, topped with a black lid, like a secret, hidden treasure waiting to be discovered. These candles have a strong “scent throw,” even when not lit, like the tuberose herself, whispering a siren’s call of promises of pleasure and desire.

The Angelina Store is currently offering a natural, luxury tuberose body butter, an emulsified lotion which contains 100% pure tuberose essential oil. We make our emulsified body butter with organic mango butter and coconut oil, adding vitamin E and borage oils for additional hydrating power.

The tuberose is a flower of great beauty and great power, the queen of the senses. Be sure to check out our scented candles, tealights and natural body butter perfumed with the voluptuous aroma of tuberose, and let let the perfume take you to the edge of ecstasy.

Scents & Scent’s Ability – Chamomile

Chamomile (or camomile) comes from the Greek word khamaimelon which is derived from “kamai” (earth, or on the ground) and “melon” (apple), due to it’s sweet, fruity aroma. Chamomile is the common name for flowers in the asteraceae family, wich includes well over 3,000 species of flowering plants. The two types of chamomile with which are most familiar to us are matricaria chamomilla (German chamomile) and chamaemelum nobile (Roman chamomile).

Chamomile has been used for thousands of years as a medicine treating a variety of illnesses, was widely used in cosmetics and perfumes and in religious rituals and ceremonies in ancient Greece and Rome, where chamomile was thought to have magic, as well as medicinal, qualities.

In Egypt, chamomile was considered a gift from the Sun God, Ra. The Egyptians included chamomile oil in their embalming practices, but the precious chamomile oil was reserved only for use on Pharaohs. In order to make chamomile oil, the ancient Egyptians used a process in which the plant was infused or pulped into animal or vegetable fat, creating a fragrant oil.

Today, chamomile essential oil is derived from a steam distillation process and continues to be used for medicinal purposes, in cosmetics and perfumes, and aromatherapy.

Chamomile in Skin Care

Chamomile is known for use on dry, sensitive skin. Chamomile is an anti-inflammatory and is used to sooth sunburn, dry skin, and can help eczema, hyper-pigmentation and dehydrated skin. It’s also an anti-microbial and can ward off bacteria and viruses. Finally, chamomile contains anti-oxidants that promote skin cell regeneration, tighten pores and slow down the effects of age on the skin.

At The Angelina Store, 100% pure Roman chamomile essential oil is used in our line of chamomile skin care products, designed especially for sensitive skin, which includes Chamomile Gentle Daily Cleanser, Chamomile Moisturizer, and Chamomile Hydrating Serum. In the near future, look for our Chamomile Hydrating Sheet Masks.

Aromatherapeutic Benefits of Chamomile

Chamomile essential oil is renowned for its relaxing, calming qualities. It can be used in a diffuser, in a spray (let us know if you would like us to craft a chamomile room spray for you), or diluted with a carrier oil and applied topically to reduce stress and anxiety, and lull one to sleep for a night of sweetly perfumed dreams.

Our Chamomile scented candles are made with chamomile fragrance oil, which does not have the same direct benefits as essential oil. Chamomile essential oil is at a price point that makes using them in candles cost-prohibitive to make or to buy. People love scented candles because they smell amazing, and fragrance oils tend to be stronger, and last longer. Chamomile fragrance oil smells fresh and gorgeous, with a very strong note of “earth apple.” While it may not have the direct benefits of pure essential oil, it definitely lifts the mood with it’s sweet perfume, and is very relaxing.

Benefits of Drinking Chamomile Tea

Chamomile herbal infusions have been used to treat a host of ailments including nervousness and anxiety, and also used as a soporific, due to anti-oxidants may benefit heart health, eases menstrual discomfort, inflammation and even helps regulate blood sugar.

Down the road, we plan to include organic tisanes – dried herbal blends for infusions – in our product line, and chamomile is definitely going to be on offer. We will have other blends as well, such as my favorite, oregano and mint tisane, which is delicious hot or on ice. We’ve also designed beautiful mugs with a chamomile and butterfly theme to launch with the tisanes this autumn.

Bespoke skin care and aromatherapy products are our specialty, using natural, organic ingredients. Even if we do not (yet) offer something on our website that you would love to try, for example – chamomile infused shower gel, body butter, room spray, essential oil scent roller, or hand soap, drop us a line at [email protected] and let us know how we can make your chamomile dreams come true.

Camomile Tea
By Katherine Mansfield

Outside the sky is light with stars;
There’s a hollow roaring from the sea.
And, alas! for the little almond flowers,
The wind is shaking the almond tree.

How little I thought, a year ago,
In the horrible cottage upon the Lee
That he and I should be sitting so
And sipping a cup of camomile tea.

Light as feathers the witches fly,
The horn of the moon is plain to see;
By a firefly under a jonquil flower
A goblin toasts a bumble-bee.

We might be fifty, we might be five,
So snug, so compact, so wise are we!
Under the kitchen-table leg
My knee is pressing against his knee.

Our shutters are shut, the fire is low,
The tap is dripping peacefully;
The saucepan shadows on the wall
Are black and round and plain to see.