The chill in the air can mean only one thing: winter is coming! Every year, we debut a cold-season hydrosol that’s perfect for this season. We’re excited to share that we have not only one… but two beautiful hydrosols we’re launching in our Botnia Hydrosol collection!

First up, re-introducing: Piñon Hydrosol! 

Last seen debuting in our lineup in the winter of 2020, Piñon Hydrosol is back, and we couldn’t be more excited to once again offer you this special hydrosol that’s near and dear to our hearts.

Benefits of Piñon Hydrosol

Piñon Hydrosol contains the terpene pinene which has slightly exfoliating properties, brings down redness, and helps to promote relaxation, and may reduce the spread of viruses and bacteria. It’s very gentle on the skin but can be drying, more so than Juniper Hydrosol. Pinene also contributes to the woodsy, earthy scent of pine and conifer plants. The aroma of our winter hydrosol is bright and lemony, with an earthy yet floral, woodsy winter crisp scent.

How to use Piñon Hydrosol in a skincare routine

Piñon Hydrosol can be used on most skin types, but is specifically indicated for oilier skin and blemish-prone skin types since the pinene helps to bring down sebaceous activity in the skin. 

In a routine, after cleansing, spray directly onto the skin, into your hands, or on a cotton pad or our hemp pads for extra exfoliation, then follow up with your moisturizer. It pairs well with our Hydrating Serum, Restorative Face Cream and oilier constitutions may like it with our Daily Face Cream Light.

It can be used as a nutritive aftershave and is great for men. For body shaving, exfoliate the skin with our Luminous Body Scrub, use a mix of our Soothing Repair Mask and one of our foaming cleansers like Daily Face Wash to create a shaving cream, shave, then when you’re out of the shower, spray Piñon Hydrosol to help prevent ingrown hair and breakouts.

To dry up pimples, you can use Piñon Hydrosol mixed in with our Sulfur Mask, or as a compress, saturating a cotton pad or one of our reusable hemp rounds with the hydrosol and putting it over the pimple to dry up the pimple on the skin.

It can also be added to our Body Cream as an aromatic scent and can help rid your body of dry skin.

As always, hydrosols can be used throughout the day as an uplifting spritz on the skin or as a room spray to bring earthy aromatics to your space.

Piñon tree facts

Piñon trees are special small conifer shrub trees, sometimes called the Mexican Nut Pine, dated back to 4000 BCE and are native to Arizona and New Mexico. Piñon has nuts in its pinecones that are edible, but because the trees are so rare, these pine nuts are not a sustainable source of nutrition for the people in the area. You may recognize pine nuts as a key ingredient used in pesto!

In indigenous culture and historically, piñon sap has been used in the form of salves to help aid the skin in healing wounds since it dries them out. Because of its natural antimicrobial properties, it can help to reduce the growth and spread of germs which helps to promote soothing and healing in the skin. 

Illustration of Piñon Hydrosol

The art of the illustration was created by the artist Lauren Doughty, who’s based in London. Our founder Justine’s family has a long history with horses, and Justine’s mom owns a stable in New Mexico, so we felt drawn to the illustration of the woman on a pony for this special hydrosol. 

If you're wondering who the woman on the horse is in our illustration, we've created a fictional story about the legend of Slue Foot Sue and her trusty mare, Lovesong, which you can read or listen to on our Instagram page here. 

We chose a bright red background in the spirit of the holiday which also symbolizes power, courage, and vitality. Red is also associated with the root chakra, helping us to ground ourselves in the moment, especially during the busy holiday season.

Ethical wildcrafting and seasonal hydrosols

Piñon Hydrosol is the result of two thoughtful harvests, each carefully planned to honor nature's delicate balance. In spring, we tread lightly within a four-mile radius, selectively clipping a single branch per tree to avoid any harm. Later, in the summer, we gathered only from areas teeming with life, ensuring our practices support the ecosystem's vitality. Wild harvesting demands respect for our natural world, an understanding of its rhythms, and a commitment to never taking more than nature can replenish. From these practices, we've crafted a limited edition of 500 bottles of this extraordinary hydrosol—each drop infused with intention and the wild spirit of the New Mexico land.

In aligning with the movement to use resources wisely without exhausting them, we offer this hydrosol as a treasure to be savored. Availability is as fleeting as the wilderness is free, so we invite you to buy your bottle while you can, as its future harvest remains as uncertain as nature itself.

Xo,
Botnia 

P.S. To read the story of the harvest, head to our Piñon Hydrosol here.