The Ortigia Ambra Nera – Travel Tube Set contains a selection of Ortigia’s natural scented products in miniature, suitable for gifts or brilliant for travel. These lovely things come in an equally lovely brightly coloured bag with leopard print interior.
The Ortigia Ambra Nera Travel Set Includes:
- Shower gel (100ml)
- Body cream (100ml)
- Shampoo (100ml)
With a deeply rich and warm scent, Ortigia Ambra Nera “might be the holy grail of ambers”. With patchouli & vetiver on a base of resin, spice woods & labdanum.
About the ingredients
Labdanum
Labdanum a fragrant sticky resin extracted from cistus shubs, which gives the musky scent to Ambra Nera. It is an alternative to Ambergris widely used in perfumery for three reasons. Firstly it is easily available whereas ambergris is not. Secondly, people can grown it rather than need to find it, consequently if you need more, you can grow more. Thirdly, and above all, it is kinder to whales.
Cistus Clusii grows across the western Mediterrnean including Sicily making it ripe for inclusion in Ambra Nera. As mentioned twice in the Old Testament, ancient perfumiers used labdanum for incense manking. By combing the legs of goats and sheep who had ‘gathered’ it during grazing, farmers collected the resin for processing. The invention of a special rake-like tool called a Labdanistrion (in greek) aided the gathering of resin. As the labdanistion was combed through the wool, resin was gathered its two rows of wooden teeth. The Scepter of Osiris, as depicted in ancient Egypt (or flail as it is often described), might well have been a Labdanistrion.
In the modern process, the essential oil is condensed from steam generated when cistus foliage is boiled in water. After that the oil can be used in the perfume.
Historically, mankind used Labdanum as a herbal medical treatment for colds, coughs and rheumatism. Adventurous chefs, seeking inspiration, have tried Labdanum as an ingredient in their creations however its taste is reputedly not that pleasant so it’s not common. However, if you want to enter Bake Off and want to try something different, some cookies made using labdanum ? Need a recipe ? Try the one by following this link, for instance.
Patchouli
Patchouli is a bushy member of the mint family that grows across much of tropical Asia. The relatively recent introduction of Patchouli to the Carribbean means that there is a plentiful supply to meet the needs of the fragrance business.
Vetiver
As a result of its distinctive and easily extracted scent, Vetiver has been used in perfume production for millennia. Chrysopogon zizanioides is a member of the grass family and grows quite abundantly in Asia alongside other fragrant grasses like Lemongrass and Citronella.
As well as warm Ambra Nera, Abrahams Store stocks a variety of products featuring other Ortigia Perfumes available here. Or select by fragrance from the links below.
