Floral Waxes

This interesting material is a by product of the absolute industry. To produce an absolute, the plant matter first gets treated with (usually) hexane. This separates all the fragrant materials as well as the waxy mass from the flower or plant. This mix of essential oils and waxy mass is known as concrete - and the texture can vary from liquid (as in Ylang Ylang concrete) to a waxy paste (Jasmine concrete, Lavender concrete, etc.), which is, of course, highly fragrant. The next step is washing the concrete with alcohols in order to separate the fragrance of the plant from the waxes. This is how the absolute is made - and it is a very dense and rich version of the plant's aroma. A few drops go a very long way, and when diluted, they often reproduce exactly the essence of the plant in a more complete way than the essential oil.
However, after washing the concrete - there is still some scent left behind. It is contained in what is known as "floral wax". The consistency, colour and texture of the floral wax varies tremendously from one species to the other. They are far cheaper than the absolute or essential oils, particularly those of previous flowers. Therefore, they are partiuclarly valuable in adding scent for cosmetic preparations such as body lotions, body butters and facial creams - and can be also used to add a precious floral aroma to candles and soaps.

I have just received my first shipment of floral waxes samples from A Little Olfactory for experimenting with, and I felt I had to share with you the sensual aspect of these materials. If not in scent - than at least with pictures. You can see that the texture is completely different for each floral wax. I'm really excited to work with these materials - especially knowing that they have excellent beneficial properties. My favourite of all is the tuberose floral wax. It smells like a dream - more creamy and deep than any tuberose I've ever smelled really... The violet leaf is also very interesting. Quite intense, actually, and very true to the violet scent - green cucumber-like and powdery not only in scent but also in appearance.