When I make my Northwoods Lotion, I use essential oils of three of my favorite “pine” trees. Actually, only one of them is pine. The others are Cedar and Fir. Each one is distinctive and adds to the melody of the north woods. That fresh cut scent when you cut a pine for the holidays is wafted into the air when you open the bottle.
In northern Wisconsin, where I am until mid October, the woodlands have the distinctive smell of Balsam Fir, Abies balsamea. The essential oil that I use comes from Canada and has a fresh fir fragrance.
Pine (Pinus sylvestris) is a much larger tree and has an essential oil that smells a little like turpentine. No surprise there. It is a top note in the lotion. This fragrance is the first fragrance released, closely followed by the Fir and Cedar.
Cedar is the last one, and provides another note in the lotion. It is the largest of the three trees. I often use Cedarwood atlas (Cedrus atlantica), because it adds just a little unusual cedar aroma. This essential oil comes from Morocco and has been used in the near east for centuries.
Incorporated into the carrier oils that I use of Sweet Almond Oil, Macadamia Oil and Avocado Oil, this lotion is a bright addition during a season when we all need a little emollient for our hands. Carrier oils are the base of the lotion and “carry” the other ingredients into your skin. Like my other lotions, you can also use it as an all body lotion after a shower or bath.
These oils are wonderful for your skin and will raise your spirits too.
