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At Botnia, we formulate our skin-balancing everyday cleansers and oils using lavender to balance the skin. In a facial, our estheticians look to lavender to help treat rough, irritated, stressed out conditions. And our lavender in particular, is oh-so special. Not only is it lovingly grown in our small and mighty micro-farm in Sausalito, California, we also harvest this fragrant plant from a Healdsburg family farm called Sophie’s Five Acres. 

This summer, we’ve distilled a special single-note hydrosol from both farms just in time to cool summer skin: introducing Lavender Hydrosol.

Love on lavender and explore why it’s a perfect ally for irritated and inflamed skin conditions.

Lavender’s healing properties

Lavender hydrosol exudes a sweet, clean, woody aroma with hints of mint. It feels instantly cooling on the skin and guides the nervous systems into a place of calm, rest, and relaxation.

Lavandula angustifolia or Old English Lavender, is a powerhouse for soothing redness and calming irritated skin. Its cooling properties work to reduce heat and swelling in the skin, while its antiseptic nature brings comfort to troubled areas. Lavender’s natural antimicrobial and antifungal defenses also translate to your skincare, helping to protect and heal your skin just as it does the plant. 

Beyond its skin benefits, lavender is a nervine herb that promotes wellness and relieves anxiety. The volatile oils of linalool, linalyl acetate, limonene, 1,8-cineole, camphor and endo-borneol that give lavender its unique aroma are some of the constituents that affect receptors in our nervous system producing effects of sedation. That’s why when you smell lavender, you start to feel calm and sleepy. 

Lavender sits at a pH level of 5.6 to 5.9, close to that of our skin - ensuring it doesn't disrupt the skin's delicate microbiome. We harness the power of dried lavender buds in Balancing Oil Cleanser and Replenishing Facial Oil to help keep the skin balanced and healthy. 

Lavender essential oil enhances our Body Cream, Daily Face Cream, Daily Face Cream Light, Daily Face Wash, Essential Enzymes, Gentle Cleanser, Gentle Hand Lotion, Gentle Hand Soap, Luminous Body Scrub, Relaxing Bath Salts, Renewing Face Wash, Restorative Face Cream, and Toner, providing both its soothing scent and therapeutic properties.

For a spa-like experience at home, try eye pillows. Infused with lavender and other dried herbs, they offer a touch of relaxation and tranquility to make your skincare ritual even more indulgent.

How to use Lavender Hydrosol

Who it’s for: It’s safe for all skin types and ages but specifically indicated for those with oily constituents or sensitive, inflamed skin during times of breakouts and for those with acne-prone skin.

To use in a routine:
Cleanse: Balancing Oil Cleanser or Gentle Cleanser
Tone: With Lavender Hydrosol
Moisturize: Using Replenishing Facial Oil

Other ways to use:

Mix equal amounts of hydrosol with powdered masks for an added skin soothing effect.

Spritz throughout the day to give your skin an aromatic hug. Keep one by your office desk or in the car for moments of stress and one by your bedside table to help you drift off to sleep. On hot summer days, throw Lavender hydrosol in your beach bag to keep you cool, pool or ocean side. It’s especially refreshing when kept in a cooler on ice!

It’s gentle enough to be used on all ages, including fussy babies in need of a moment of calm.

To store: Keep hydrosols out of the sun, in a cool, dark place and tightly closed to stay fresh. Their shelf life is quite stable, lasting over a year or more if kept properly in a cool environment or in the fridge, so you may want to stock up on a bottle (or three!) of this limited hydrosol.

Lavender’s long history in skincare and beyond

Think of lavender as your go-to power plant for soothing and calming for both your skin and your senses. In herbalism, its aromatics help to ease restlessness and insomnia so you’ll see lavender used in bath and beauty products, especially to enhance sleep in essential oil form. 

Lavender's storied past is as rich as its calming fragrance. This cherished herb, revered by ancient Egyptians, adorned their baths and homes, acting as a natural purifier and pest deterrent. Its name, derived from the Latin "lavare," meaning "to wash," highlights its historical use in cleansing rituals. The Romans, too, celebrated lavender, cultivating it as both an ornamental plant and for its therapeutic oils.

In your garden, lavender is a true friend to pollinators and a low-maintenance gem. Thriving in Mediterranean climates like our micro-farm in Sausalito, it loves warm, dry conditions, yet certain varieties can flourish even in cooler climates with a little extra care.

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