I first spoke with our designers, the Creech team, about this idea they had of making a seasonal winter salve. We spoke about what type of consistency was desired, what type of scent profile, what type of use and from our conversation I headed to the lab.
As always, I spared no expense on ingredients and wanted to create something special. I finally got to use this luxurious neroli I’ve been dying to use. It’s one of the most exquisite I’ve tried. We wanted the consistency to feel buttery but also soak in really well so I chose mango butter. Mango butter has been my favorite butter for some time for it's consistency and ability to absorb into the skin. Shooting for a departure from a floral scent, I knew sandalwood would be perfect, but I struggle with the deforestation issues surrounding sandalwood. Alas! We found a family farmed sandalwood from Hawaii that doesn’t contribute to the overfarming of sandalwood in the Mysore region of India. I then added a bit of one of my favorite oils, the antibacterial healing powerhouse Japanese Hinoki oil.
After sampling and testing over a dozen formulations, the teams favored the 8th formulation. I was really happy with this choice as it was also one of my favorites. I remember the day that I made number eight, I was really especially inspired. We decided on the name ‘ Lab Formulation 008’ to emphasize the fact that each formulation you see is part of both an artistic and technical process. Lab Editions are a fun way for me to express myself in the lab.
“I’ve been using the balm nonstop on my dry winter hands and it’s become my go-to body balm. I love the grounding scent profile.”
- Athena
We worked with our friends at Imprimerie du Marais in Paris on the packaging and also created a really fun custom key to squeeze out any extra product from the aluminum tube – a new packaging design we’re excited to expand upon this year. I’ve been using the balm nonstop on my dry winter hands and it’s become my go-to body balm. I love the grounding scent profile.
