Summer Is | Earth Tu Face's Botanical Jasmine Perfume + A Conversation with Co-Founder Sarah Buscho
Summer is here and that means we are making as many trips to the beach as possible. While our beach bag has the usual essentials—water to hydrate, a book and sunscreen (our favorites here), we also like the idea of bringing along a natural fragrance that we can dab on our wrists and neck after a day spent among the surf and sand. Earth Tu Face’s Botanical Perfume Balm in Jasmine Balm is perfect for this occasion because it’s housed in an actual seashell and smells like the creamy bloom carried through the summer breeze. We chatted with the natural beauty brand’s co-founder Sarah Buscho about the perfume and her beach rituals
.
How did you come up with the ideas to incorporate seashells into the packaging?
The shell idea is a win-win solution to package perfume: It is both beautiful and straight from nature, and thus creates no waste. There is a certain mermaid magic attached to it. While they use it, people can display the shell on a shelf or keep it in their bag, and after the perfume is finished, they can use it as jewelry or a pill box. I brainstormed a long time about natural containers like nut shells or other beautiful vessels, but sourcing was difficult. The idea to use shells came during travels, where I had seen lip balm housed in shells. Beside my passion to create wasteless packaging, I have always had an interest in the old world of perfumery, where scent blends came from distilled essences of plants and flowers, not from synthetic fragrances.
Can you tell us about the ingredients inside the perfume?
When we hand-make this botanical perfume, we infuse the pure flower oils of jasmine grandiflorum and jasmine sambac with organic safflower oil, raw, unfiltered beeswax and 100% plant-derived Vitamin E. The exotic and seductive scent is created by the aroma of real jasmine blossoms. It takes 8,000 handpicked blossoms to make just 1 tiny milliliter of jasmine oil. The balm we create gets its color from the sheer volume of real jasmine flowers. The flowers must be handled very carefully, and each type of jasmine can only be picked at a specific time of day. We think the preciousness of these essential oils are clear in the heady floral scent experience, since as it turns out, this scent blend is our most popular.
What inspired the fragrance notes?
To me, nature is luxurious. It is the most luxurious experience, whether it is the smell of bark and moss after a rain or the nectar of a honeysuckle vine, those moments transport us. We tried many different blend variations, and these were our favorites, each of them offering a different scent experience for different seasons and moods. The Jasmine Balm is a classic floral, but has the depth to restrain it from being too girly. It is sensual and uplifting, and it always feels special to wear it. The Geranium and Vetiver scent is brighter and citrusy, making it a great choice for everyday wear. Our Leaves and Wood Balm is the deepest of the three, blending oils like Australian sandalwood and petitgrain for a darker more exotic experience. It always reminds me of fall and feels like slipping on a cashmere coat.
How do you keep your skin healthy during the summer months?
On a daily basis, I make sure to use a light and natural SPF and never waiver from my regular cleansing and moisturizing ritual. I also carry our Toning Mist in my bag which cools skin after sun and surf, and balances the skin's oils to refresh and reduce shine. When the weather gets really warm and all I want to do is luxuriate in the sun all day, I treat myself to a more lengthened skincare routine a few times a month. Exfoliation and extra hydration are key, so I use our Honey + Coconut Mask, which packs a double punch, adding deep moisture from raw honey and virgin coconut oil, while exfoliating gently with ground lavender, rose, and calendula buds from our own California garden.
What is always in your beach bag?
Aside from all my favorite Earth Tu face potions, our Rose + Aloe Toner is a summer must-have for sun-drenched skin), I always bring a good book, a Turkish towel, and delicious snacks like peaches, watermelon and pineapple which are hydrating and oh-so-summery!
What is your favorite beach memory?
Before I began my foray into skincare, I lived in Santa Cruz, California, where I would often longboard and comb the beach for treasures like sea glass and sand dollars. I still have a photo that I took of an ocean view that now lives in a frame on my wall.
Written by Anna van der Heijden, Edited by Alison Engstrom
Photography & Video by Alison Engstrom