Elixir Collective No. 2 ~ Jade Balm
The first time my eyes laid upon a Jade Vine flower, I was quite honestly struck with awe. These brilliant little beings were dancing from vines along the long lush staircase up to my cliffside house on the eastern valley wall of Manoa. Blossoms fell from the vines but preserved their vibrant color for a few days, littering the stairs with a stunning collection of aquamarine flora. A natural phenomenon known as copigmentation allows for their shade of tenacious turquoise, where two distinct compounds synergistically create a super vibrant hue. The form of a single flower couldn't help but remind me of the archetypal shape of an angel, and I always looked forward to the time of year that their blooms would adorn my ascent as they are rather rare here in Hawaii.
The inspiration for this balm was born when my friend Taimane was gifted several strands of Jade Vine flowers for her birthday, and she was kind enough to share a few with me. Intrigued as to how I could incorporate these into an elixir, I let them dry and decided they would look lovely in a balm. I wanted to transmit the soothing, cooling energy of the flower into the formulation, so I infused a nourishing base with local organic Calendula & Lavender flowers from Petal to The Mettle farm in Waialua along. Centered within each Jade Balm is a dried Jade Vine flower which, once dry, has more gentle blue and purple tones that mirror the Lavender and Blue Chamomile essential oils added into the blend.
This nourishing salve is designed to calm both the skin and the mind. Perfect for easing out of the winter months, your Jade Balm can be used on the face, body & hair to moisturize and soothe dry, red, itchy and irritated areas. The infusion of mild medicinal herbs makes this balm extremely multi-faceted: topical application will help to speed the healing of minor wounds and burns, alleviate itch from bug bites and dermatitis, and reduce pain and swelling from aches and injuries. Apply as a reparative facial cream before bed, and take advantage of its relaxing aromatic abilities to encourage deep and peaceful rest.
To capture the beauty of the Jade Vine flower, I enlisted the help of my dear friend and talented artist Danelle Gallo to create a piece of artwork from a photo I had taken of a singular blossom. The resulting design was incorporated on the product labels, as well as the accompanying Collective card. Upon completion, I was thrilled to have an elixir that was visually captive on the inside and out.
Jade Balm is now available as part of the March Elixir Collective, as well as on its own under my Limited Batch section until it's all out.