Amber Bottles

Aqua Florida

Information

This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking.

Other Names

Aqua Florida, Florida Water, Florida water cologne, Agua Florida, Agua de Florida.

Scent

Components of the scent include citrus and herbal notes along with spice and floral undertones. These delightful elements are provided by Bergamot, Neroli, Lemon, Cloves, Cinnamon, Lavender, Rose and Orange flower. When the fragrance is first applied the delicious citrus notes are most dominant, then the Cloves move to the front and the scent settles into an incredibly appealing dry spice.

Aromatic Properties

Skin refreshing, muscle and nerve toning, personal deodorant, (sick)room deodorant, spiritual cleaning, home protection, for clearing and balancing energy and also as an offering to the spirits when opening sacred space or praying for assistance.

Historical

Florida water is one of the oldest patented colognes still sold today. It first appeared in the United States in 1808. The name refers to the fabled "Fountain of Youth" said to have been located in Florida. It is remarkable that this commercial cologne should have assumed such a central role not only in the shamanism of the Peruvian Amazon, but also for magical purposes among people of African-diaspora descent in the United States and the Caribbean. Bottles of Agua de Florida can be found equally on the mesas of Amazonian healers and on the altars of Vodou priestesses in Brooklyn. Shamans often place perfumes and colognes on the bodies of patients, as crosses on their forehead, chest, and back, whistling a special song of protection, to seal, close, and protect the body. There is a type of shaman in the Amazon called a "Perfumero", who specializes in the use of such scents to attack, to heal, and to attract. (1) (2)

References

(1) Strong Sweet Smells, by Steve Beyer, from Singing to the Plants: Shamanism and the Medicine Path.
(2) Still Making a Splash They Say That Old-Fashioned Florida Water Cures What Ails Ya - And Smells Good, Too, By Lenore Skenazy, NY Daily News.
(3) Florida Water, Lanman & Kemp-Barclay & Co., Inc.

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Natural Scented Waters

Information

This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking.

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Aqua Florida (Aqua Florida)
Palo Santo (Bursera graveolens)
Spray Misters (Spray Misters)

Bursera graveolens / Palo Santo / Burseraceae (Copal Family)

Information

This product is not sold or intended for the purpose of human consumption or cosmetic use. Any information provided about this product on this website, including any links to external websites, are solely intended for historical, scientific and educational purposes and must not be interpreted as a recommendation for a specific use of the product. The statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and the product is not intended to "diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease." The use and application of this product, based on the historical and scientific context provided in the product descriptions and articles, is solely at the customer's risk. This product is a botanical specimen of ethnographic value and interest only and is delivered with no express or implied fitness for any purpose. The product descriptions are compiled from sources we deemed to be reliable up to the date it was written but may contain omissions or errors in fact, or become outdated. It outlines the documented history of uses but should no way be construed to make any medical claims about the ability or efficacy of any of these plants to treat, prevent or mitigate any disease or condition. Although a plant may have a long history of being used for a particular purpose, scientific evidence proving its efficacy for that purpose may be lacking.

Other Names

Palo de la vida o Santo, Sacred Wood, Holy wood, St. Anthony`s wood, Palosanto, Mallka Waki.

Scent

Palo Santo has both a deep enjoyable wooden aroma as well as a nice warming middle range and a wonderful sweet top range to it. Palo Santos wide range of enjoyable aromatic 'notes' seems to be uniquely uncharacteristic to any single aromatic component. Burning a small piece of wood gives a peaceful warm atmosphere and leads you into a pleasant relaxed state of mind.

Contents

Aged heartwood is rich in essential oils such as limonene and alpha-pinene.

Preparation

Light the end of a Palo Santo stick, allow the flame to burn for a moment, and blow out the flame. Alternatively you can burn the powdered or shredded wood on Charcoal Disks.

Synergic Combinations

For those who love to experiment with the alchemy of combined scents, Palo Santo goes very well with the following incenses: Sweetgrass (Hierochloe odorata), White Sage (Salvia apiana) and Copal (Dacryoides peruviana).

Historical

Palo Santo has been used by the Incas for generations. Shamans in the Andean mountains still use Palo Santo as part of their curing rituals. It is often used in Ayahuasca ceremonies. Its sacred properties and distinctly enjoyable aroma have only very recently been rediscovered by modern man. Nowadays Palo Santo can be found in the streets of Quito at Christmas, where the salesmen shout "Palo Santo, to clean your house of bad energy", "Palo Santo for good luck". The essential oil of the Palo Santo tree has many applications in aromatherapy.

Plant Description

Bursera graveolens inhabits the South American Gran Chaco region (northern Argentina, Paraguay, Bolivia and the Brazilian Mato Grosso). It is also common on the coast of Ecuador. It is related to the Frankincense tree (genus Boswellia). The Palo Santo tree has no branches on the lower part of the trunk, and within a radius of several yards not a leaf or a blade of grass will grow. It is a soft, light wood, usually found near the river banks, and is the favorite haunt of colonies of the Brazilian fire ant, a vicious insect with an extremely painful bite. Touch the tree, and armies of these ants rush out from holes in the trunk eager to attack, even dropping from branches above on to the trespasser.

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White Sage (Salvia apiana)

Spray Misters