It’s back!! Our freshly-distilled Douglas Fir HydroSoul has arrived just intime to celebrate the sacred seasonal shift as we dive into the cold months.
This ancient tree carries the whole history and mystery of Mother Nature. Douglas Fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), a species indigenous to western North America, thrives. It grows easily, straight and tall and its roots anchor it to the earth as its branches reach towards the heavens. It moves stagnancy, nourishes, strengthens, and tones. Its sweetness is reminiscent of lemons and butterscotch, but it is, at the same time, resinous and earthy.
These fragrant evergreens bring balance to mind, body and spirit. They act as a balm of nature, a moment of stillness and peace, bringing the harmony and adaptability of the forest into our lives.
Family Farms
Our Douglas Fir HydroSoul comes to us from a small family farm and distillery in northeastern Washington State. It is hand-harvested from certified-organic wild land using sustainable forestry practices. Only young trees are harvested. This both protects all old-growth within the forest and enables us to avoid the use of heavy machinery while harvesting. It also supports the health of the ecosystem by minimizing overcrowding.
Harvest
Harvest only takes place once the temperatures have dropped to near freezing. This is the best time of year to distill conifers. As the temperatures dip, the trees fill their needles and branches with sap. This sap replaces the water they hold onto during the hotter, drier months and prevents the trees from freezing. The abundance of this sap in the needles makes for a much much richer, more powerful and deeply rejuvenating distillate.
Distillation
Once the trees have been harvested, the needles and branch-tips are trimmed into small pieces. Breaking down the hard needles like this helps to release potent aromatic molecules during distillation. After processing, the needles and twiglets are poured into hand-hammered Alembic copper stills, and left to steep overnight in a steamy bath of warm water. This all-night steeping softens the needles, making them more permeable, allowing the most active constituents to be drawn out of the plant.
In the morning, the stills are brought to a simmer and the four hour long distillation process begins.
Benefits
• For all skin • Purifying & protective • Pacifies heat • Helps minimize the appearance of hyper-pigmentation • Balsamic and resinous notes of sweet-lemon and butterscotch
Click here to read the story of last years Douglas Fir Distillation.