Linen Water Goes Way Back

If you own an iron, you may know of ‘linen water’.  It’s that little spritz of freshness that make clothes smell fresh or the bed linens welcoming. The subtleness of the scent is inviting, relaxing and if you choose the right linen water, nourishing on the skin.

But there is linen water and there is linen water.  It would be presumptuous to think they are all equal and comparable, especially to the original lavender linen water that originated in 17th century southern France, made with pure lavender oil harvested from their extensive purple fields. Imagine the scent.

It is not uncommon for linen water today to have some alcohol as a preservative. Some DIY recipes call for lavender, witch hazel (extract with alcohol) and water. Or, they suggest you add a little scentless vodka to help preserve. These linen waters can be used safely on the fabrics and around the house.  Certainly, a way smarter choice to freshen than the chemical laden Febreze type product. 

However, some commercial linen waters do contain other substances that many not be so desirable. Like sodium metabisulfite.which is used as a preservative and disinfectant. When you spray your supposedly safe, fresh smelling linen water around the room or on the linens, you should not be subjected to any airborne toxicity!  

* Breathing Sodium Metabisulfite can irritate the nose, throat and lungs causing coughing, wheezing and/or shortness of breath. * Sodium Metabisulfite may cause an asthma-like allergy. Future exposure can cause asthma attacks with shortness of breath, wheezing, cough, and/or chest tightness.

Fragrance’ is also an undesirable. Fragrance is defined by the FDA as a combination of chemicals that gives each perfumeor cologne (including those used in other products) its distinct scent. ... In addition to “scent” chemicals that create the fragrance, perfumes and colognes also contain solvents, stabilizers, UV-absorbers, preservatives, and dyes.Wild and wily, these molecules of scent can wreak havoc on your skin by causing contact dermatitis, a seriously red and itchy rash, or other allergic reactions like a headache or asthma. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), fragrance is the biggest cause of cosmetic contact dermatitis. “

Look for as pure a linen water as possible. I found one company oNature which even offers a refill bottle which I love. They tell us what it does contain (but is this a full ingredient listing????) and they tell us what it does NOT contain. If we take the content listing as complete then the only questionable is the fragrance.

The intension of our pure linen water is for skin, but also for travel and home uses in disinfecting.  Our linen water is made with an organic rose hydrosol (no chemical preservative added). It is also perfect for babies’ rooms, in the air and on the bedsheets to provide a healthy and calming environment. 

‘O to smell the roses’. Nothing is more sensual than inhaling the love of well-tended flowers in the garden. Rose. Lavender. A linen water dream.