Perfume collectors and scent hounds love to discuss the indolic nature of certain perfumes, especially those that contain jasmine. So what exactly does indolic mean? This is very interesting. Indoles are produced by bacteria that are found in human feces, and give it a fecal odor. Indoles are also found in flowers such as jasmine. For instance, pure jasmine oil has about 2.5% indole content, according to the scholarly Wikipedia. Orange blossoms, gardenias, and tuberose are also indolic flowers and depending on the concentration, can lend a voluptuous and sultry redolence to a perfume. But if you’re new to the term and you’re thinking: Perfume can smell like poop? The answer is: not literally. But kind of. Maybe you’ve never noticed it before in your deep jasmine fragrances, but it’s a little like hiking through fecund woods on a muggy summer day and smelling a skunk in the far off distance. Some people are repelled by that scent, while some are drawn to a little earthy skankiness.

 

 

Now you’ll know what I mean when I say Daybreak Lavender Farm’s Jasmine is not, let me repeat, not indolic. It is one of the cleanest jasmines I have ever smelled. I’m sure many of you are tired of the exaltation of indolic jasmines, and if you are, this review is for you. Daybreak’s Jasmine, also called Taj Majal, is not of the musky variety either, which makes it quite unique because “clean” typically means “musky”. Their jasmine blend is richly floral, soapy (even when it’s not soap) and elegant. After applying the Taj Majal Body Balm, the word that comes to mind is pure. Pure, because my skin smells of soft jasmine petals without any musk or hint of tangy bodily, ahem, aromas…it’s just clean. I never thought I’d be attracted to such a tropical floral, but I’m drawn to Daybreak’s jasmine on hot days when I don’t want a lot of fussiness.

 

As for the products themselves, I have been duly impressed with their 100% natural ingredients, many of which are organic and grown on their farm. When I placed an order for several skincare items (the By U 4 U Facial Cleanser is wonderful), Jody Byrne, the owner, was very generous to send me a wide variety of Jasmine and Taj Majal body products to sample and these were the stand-outs:

 

My favorite everyday product: Jasmine Flower Shea Butter Soap with 33% Shea Butter comes in a big brick that you cut into bars yourself. I wasn’t sure I’d like the idea of cutting the bars, but now I love it. This allows you to make the soap the size you want, and I’ve also cut off bars and wrapped them up for friends. The soap creates a superb lather, and because it’s made with 33% shea butter, it is very moisturizing. 

 

My new favorite discovery: Jasmine Lovelight Body Candle was a complete novelty for me as I’d never seen anything like it. The candle itself is made from shea and cocoa butters as well as old comb beeswax, so when you light it and the base melts, you can apply it directly to your skin. Let it cool for a few moments, and pour it on! I found that simply dipping my fingers into the melted candle was plenty for moisturizing my hands and arms as the warmed up “candlotion” covers a lot of area. The lovelight body candle would make a perfect gift, and as the name suggests, lends itself to a little romance. 

 

My favorite indulgence: Moisturizing my hands with a luxurious body butter before bed is a favorite ritual of mine, and the Taj Mahal Extra Shot of Moisture Body Balm is a worthy contender. The ingredients include aloe gel, vegetable squalene from olives, unrefined shea butter, pure lanolin, sweet almond, jojoba, beeswax, and honey. Like all Daybreak body products, you get to choose what scent you want. Mysore Sandalwood, Damask Rose, and Lemon Verbena are just a few of the other offerings. I would love to order this in the Sandalwood Vetiver next go around. The texture of the body balm is very thick, smoothes easily over the skin and is readily absorbed.

 

My favorite summertime body spray: Taj Majhal Spray Silk is a spray-on moisturizer that has a refreshingly fine mist and provides a light hydration for your skin. On those hot muggy days when you want a light scent and a cool mist, the clean jasmine bouquet of Taj Majal Spray Silk is ideal. Sweet almond, apricot kernel and wheat germ oils provide the moisturizing ingredients of the Spray Silk, and lavender flower tea provides its invigorating quality, especially if you keep the bottle in the refrigerator as the Daybreak website suggests.

 

Jasmine, be it clean or indolic, may not be your scent preference. Don’t let that stop you from experiencing Daybreak’s wonderful and vast array of  body and skincare offerings. You can also check out Dain’s review of Daybreak’s Rhassoul 5-Piece All-Natural Skin Care System. I too have been using the Rhassoul Complexion Polish along with the Prairie Oat Mint Exfoliating Bar when I want to exfoliate my face and back. Be on the look-out for a more extensive Scent Hive review of those two products in the coming months.

 

Daybreak Lavender Farms; available at their website. 

 

Posted by ~Trish

Jasmine in Medicine Bottle by opart at etsy.com