Scottish Botanicals - Scots Pine
Working with Scots Pine in my products
March is coming round again, time for me to start harvesting Scots pine. It is one of the ingredients I use in my soaps for skincare and it is something I look forward to each year.
I gather the young needles by hand from trees in and around Glen Affric, which is a glen quite close to where I live. Being able to harvest them locally feels important to me and it keeps the process very connected to the landscape here.
Over the season I will usually gather several bags of needles. Everything we harvest has to be dried because fresh botanicals cannot be used in the products. Drying them properly means I can store them and keep using them throughout the year so the products can continue to be made.
Once the needles are fully dry I crush them and infuse them in oil. This helps draw the resin out of the needles.
The infusion is left for six to eight weeks. It is quite a time consuming process but it allows the resin to come through properly into the oil. When I strain the oil at the end it is noticeably thicker because of that resin and it takes quite a long time to strain.This Scots pine infusion is then used in a few different products. I use it in some of my soaps, in body butter, and also in a botanical body oil that can be used for massage or simply for moisturising the skin.
The resin does not change the feel of the soap. What it does is thicken the oils during the infusion, which you can see clearly when it comes time to strain it.
One of the reasons I like working with Scots pine is its antibacterial qualities. It also has a lovely fresh fragrance which comes through gently in the finished products. And of course it is a very traditional Scottish ingredient, which feels important to me when I am making skincare.
The essential oil blend
Alongside the Scots pine infusion I also scent the products with essential oils.
I use pine, cypress, cedar and juniper essential oils as the base of the blend. To soften it slightly I mix in a very small amount of rose geranium. That adds a light balsamic sweetness which helps bring the fragrance together without taking away from the fresh pine character.
The products are scented entirely with essential oils, which sits well with the natural ingredients used throughout the range.
Why all botanicals are dried first
Every botanical that I grow or harvest is dried before it is used.Fresh botanicals cannot be used in skincare products because they can introduce moisture and that can lead to mould developing. For that reason everything has to be properly dried before it is infused or added to anything.
When I harvest plants I usually spread them out on trays if we have a good sunny day. This gives any little beasties that might be on the plants a chance to fly away rather than getting caught up in the drying process. The warmth of the sun also helps begin the drying.After that I finish the process in a dehydrator so that everything is fully dried before it is stored or used.
Watching the tree through the seasons
Another reason I enjoy using Scots pine is that I get to watch the trees closely through the seasons.
When we move well into spring you start to see a small purple cone flower appearing on the tree. It is a beautiful little thing and it changes gradually into a flower that releases pollen. That pollen is actually considered a superfood.
Later in the year, once the pollen has gone, you begin to see the small green cones. Over time they develop into the familiar brown cones. When those cones open the seeds are released.
It is fascinating to watch the whole process through the year. The Scots pine always holds its needles, which is why pine branches are so often associated with winter and Christmas. But when you pay attention to the tree through the rest of the year you see how much is actually happening.
Working with the needles for my soaps makes me notice these details even more.
The Products
The products which contain the infused pine needle oils are our Scot's Pine & Juniper Soap, Scots Pine & Juniper Whipped Body Butter, Scots Pine & Lime Lip Balm, and Nourish Elixir Scots Pine & Juniper Body Oil (which can also be used as a massage oil)
