Dabney Rose: Handmade Hydrosols and Natural Perfumes

There’s a serious chill in the air here, so much so that we’ve turned on the heat in our house. That’s when the dry skin appears. My face starts to feel dry and tight a few hours after applying moisturizer and I need to pull out the heavier face creams that have been relegated to back of my bathroom drawer. Dabney of Dabney Rose sent me some of her handmade hydrosols a few weeks ago, just in time for me to spritz on my parched face. Previously, I had thought of hydrosols as a refreshing summer mist for a cooling effect, but it’s been lovely to use them for some moisture either before applying lotion or just as a quick hydrating pick-me-up during the day.

Typically when I have used a hydrosol or toning mist, it’s either been lavender or rose. Dabney does not limit herself to these traditional florals as her hydrosol range covers a variety of essences such as lemon blossom, mango, tuberose, and frankincense. Her hydrosols are steam distilled and contain both the oils and the water soluble components of the plant. When working with flowers, Dabney takes the time to remove the blossoms from the calyx at the base which she says can lend a “bitter edge” if they are mixed in with the distillation process.

I sampled her cacao and raspberry hydrosols separately and together. The raspberry truly smells like fresh raspberries and the fine mist was instantly refreshing and hydrating. The cacao had the same toning/moisturizing qualities as the raspberry, but the scent experience was completely different of course. The cacao was a warm, roasted chocolate scent that lingered for about 5-10 minutes. Just perfect in my opinion as I don’t like tenacious smells on my face. It’s enough to soothe your senses, and help you get on with your day. And spritzing the cacao and raspberry together was like a hydrosol truffle for your face.

On the Dabney Rose website you will find much more detail about Dabney’s uses for the hydrosols: they are edible, they have healing properties, and you can read in detail how they are made. You will also find her exceptional Face Treat Hydrosol with cacao, raspberry, rose, rock rose, vetiver, frankincense, rose hip seed oil, and Bach Flower Essence. I’ll be taking this yummy hydrosol blend to work with me, another enclosed and dry winter environment with temperature fluctuations that leaves my skin moisture starved.

You might be wondering about the image uptop…the gal on the motorcycle. That’s the image for La Femme Biker, one of Dabney’s all natural perfumes. The notes are listed as jasmine, rose, vanilla, cognac, labdanum, frangipani (plumeria), cacao, blood orange and ambergris. But it’s truly the jasmine, vanilla and labdanum that fuel La Femme Biker. It’s a note triad that flows seamlessly. Jasmine’s floral contours lend depth and range, vanilla’s familiar sweetness provides comfort and a touch of sensuality, and labdanum’s earthy rawness gives La Femme Biker a slight edge that it requires. The fragrance is beautiful and subtle, and I found it to be wearable in any situation I found myself, be it work, an evening out, or at home taking care of my boys. In fact, mentioning my boys makes me think that despite its name, La Femme Biker is perfect for cuddling up. It smells of skin that wants to be nuzzled.

Update 10/27/09: I just received an email from Dabney and over the last month or so she has been distilling several new and exciting plants, and has created a Décolleté Spray. You can read about it here.

Dabney Rose products are available at the website.

Posted by ~Trish

Disclosure: Samples from the company were provided for this review. The opinons in this review are my own. I was not financially compensated for this review or any other.