AS Apothecary
Amanda Saurin is the founder of AS Apothecary, a company steeped in traditional distilling techniques to create gentle, yet effective, skincare. Whilst living in the Levant, Amanda began collecting plants from the gardens of Sufis and the mountains of Kyrenia, developing the art of distilling and her appreciation of natural scents.
Being a small distillery allows AS to look at each flower and plant individually, choosing only the ones that are perfect, as Amanda says herself "It’s rather like running a vineyard but only taking the few perfect grapes from each bunch." This meticulous process is essential in making sure each pot is filled with care and attention, a philosophy very few cosmetic brands look towards.
The distilling of rose pettles is a great place to look at process. These are hand picked, usually in June when the environment is warm making it the perfect conditions for drying. The pettles are placed on greaseproof paper and turned daily by hand, ensuring the drying is even.
Once dried, they are placed into the retort, a large copper pot, along with freshly picked pettles and filled with water. The top is sealed, to ensure none of the precious vapour is released, and gently heated. The condensing process is slow, allowing the flower water and essential oil to be separated from each other.
No product goes to waste as the water is used in the aromatic rose water, ideal for refreshing and toning the skin before moisturising, while the oil is infused into the sumptuous face creams and body butters, perfect for hydrating and smoothing dry skin.
Amanda is offering Selvedge readers the chance to win a hamper of skin care goodies together worth £200.
To enter the competition follow this link to the Selvedge Competitions page.
Being a small distillery allows AS to look at each flower and plant individually, choosing only the ones that are perfect, as Amanda says herself "It’s rather like running a vineyard but only taking the few perfect grapes from each bunch." This meticulous process is essential in making sure each pot is filled with care and attention, a philosophy very few cosmetic brands look towards.
The distilling of rose pettles is a great place to look at process. These are hand picked, usually in June when the environment is warm making it the perfect conditions for drying. The pettles are placed on greaseproof paper and turned daily by hand, ensuring the drying is even.
Once dried, they are placed into the retort, a large copper pot, along with freshly picked pettles and filled with water. The top is sealed, to ensure none of the precious vapour is released, and gently heated. The condensing process is slow, allowing the flower water and essential oil to be separated from each other.
No product goes to waste as the water is used in the aromatic rose water, ideal for refreshing and toning the skin before moisturising, while the oil is infused into the sumptuous face creams and body butters, perfect for hydrating and smoothing dry skin.
Amanda is offering Selvedge readers the chance to win a hamper of skin care goodies together worth £200.
To enter the competition follow this link to the Selvedge Competitions page.