Still Here

I have been known to sink a few glasses of wine in my time and whilst my new passion has a link with alcohol, I am using it for a different kind of therapeutic water.

Here is a photo of my new baby having her first outing.  She is a 10L Alembic copper still and is the mothership for production of wonderful aromatic, healing waters called Hydrosols (also known as hydrolats or therapeutic waters).  You've no doubt heard of Rose water, Lavender water, even Orangeflower water - whilst they have wonderful, evocative names they can often just be made from water with a chemical fragrance added to give it a nice smell.  A hydrosol is made through a distillation process and contains the therapeutic compounds of the plants, they can be used as safe, gentle aids to health and well-being.

I had some lovely Rose Hydrosol in my apothecary store, which I use to make the Sleep Mist for the Dream Apothecary.  Daughter no2 came down from London recently and was immediately hit with hayfever.  I gave her a small spray bottle of the hydrosol and told her to spray it in her face and breathe it in.  The sneezing stopped immediately, her eyes stopped streaming and immediately the madly itchy throat was soothed.  Brilliant.  Now she has it nearby at all times - plus the fact that it is also a wonderful skin tonic and soothes her complexion is an added bonus!

My first home product was Lavender Hydrosol. OMG! The aroma in my kitchen was so intoxicating I  kept expecting the swarms of bees and butterflies to invade.  Also the fact that the lavender was harvested just outside my kitchen door and moved a mere 6 feet indoors for distillation means this lovely, therapeutic water has a teeny tiny carbon footprint - so is good for the earth as well as body and soul!

I often supply my clients with Hydrosols and aromatic blends of essential oils to help support them in managing stress and anxiety.  This batch, however, is being used in my diffusers at the office and home, filling the air with the gentle aroma and allowing the therapeutic properties to create a calming, welcoming atmosphere
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Advice for an Elegant Life

This was what Audrey Hepburn wrote when asked for her beauty tips, it was later read at her funeral:

For attractive lips: speak worlds of kindness

For lovely eyes: seek out the good in people

For a slim figure:  share your food with the hungry

For beautiful hair:  let a child run his/her fingers though it once a day

For poise:  walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; never throw out anyone.

Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands; one for helping yourself, and the other for helping others.