Florida Water

History of Florida Water

Its name refers to its floral base, which contains Lavender and Clove among its components, but also to the place where the Fountain of Eternal Youth was believed to be located, the North American State of Florida.

Florida Water was created by Master Perfumer Robert I. Murray in New York at the beginning of the 19th century as a fresh version of the European Eau de Cologne, placing more emphasis on the citrus notes of Orange than on Lemon and Neroli.

Today, after 200 years, it is still used with the same original formula from 1808, due to its great effectiveness.

Ingredients of Flowery Water

Ambergris

Ambergris was known and traded in Africa as early as 1000 BC. It was considered one of the most coveted products of the Maghreb, along with gold. One of the largest pieces of ambergris ever found appeared on the London market in 1913: its weight exceeded 160 kilos. Ambergris has very precious virtues; It reinforces desires, helps to overcome efforts, makes one tenacious, and its aphrodisiac properties are widely recognized.

The sperm whale feeds on squid, cuttlefish, etc. and the beaks of these squid are indigestible for it because they scratch the walls of its stomach and the sperm whale.

When a sperm whale ingests food that is difficult to digest, it expels it from its stomach along with this substance.

The expelled ambergris floats for months on the sea surface until it reaches the beaches. Sea salt and algae have turned it into a floating rock-like mass. In its fresh state it is black, soft and has a foul smell; However, the sun, air and seawater transform it into a white substance whose smell softens over time until it becomes an aroma as pleasant as the best perfume. This is described as “marine, sweet and dense, musky and earthy”.

This strange origin is what makes it so difficult to find, and so expensive and exclusive.

The main property for which amber is used for perfumes is its aroma, however amber is also one of the most powerful natural fixatives that exist; Perfumes with amber remain on our body for hours, because it is capable of preserving the smell for longer.

Another of its properties, highly appreciated by perfumers, is the ability of amber to unify olfactory nuances; Amber ensures that the notes of the aromas follow each other and that the perfume evolves over time.

In magic, ambergris is used for sexual attraction thanks to its properties as an aphrodisiac.

Currently, the use of synthetic alternatives to this rare and expensive substance, valued at around $10,000 per kg, has spread.

Musk

Musk is a smell that we can describe as animalistic and woody. The original musk was extracted from the gland of the male musk deer, which it uses as a lure to attract females by its scent.

The substance obtained was left to dry to obtain a granulated powder, which when mixed in small quantities with alcohol results in a very pleasant smell.

Since to extract it from the deer the animal would have to be sacrificed, its synthetic version called white musk or White Musk is used, as well as vegetable substitutes extracted from plants such as the herb of the Holy Spirit or Angelica.

Musk has an ancient history; The Greeks already used it and for the Muslims it was a sacred note that perfumed their mosques.

The benzoin

Benzoin is the resin extracted from the Styrax benzoin plant, a tree that can reach 10 meters in height and can be found in the forests and jungles of the islands of Borneo, Sumatra and Java, in the Indonesian archipelago. . Its main characteristic is its dull or pale green leaves.

Benzoin stimulates blood circulation, improving irrigation and allowing blood to flow and reach better throughout our body, oxygenating it and freeing it from toxic elements.

On the other hand, benzoin extract also has sedative properties, which makes it ideal for relieving pain. By applying a benzoin-based ointment or cologne to a wound or bruise, it relieves pain and helps healing be more effective.

In addition, benzoin also acts as a diuretic, eliminating toxins and cleansing the body.

It eliminates roughness and swelling on the skin and can be used to combat various types of acne and psoriasis.

Its properties as a fungicidal agent are also known, since it attacks various types of fungi that affect our skin.

Benzoin has also been used since ancient times and, in Chinese culture, it is associated with the metal element.