Feb
Saffron comes from Spring’s favourite flower, the blue Crocus (Crocus Sativus). Nestled inside the flower petals is a precious tiny stigma which when plucked and dried is the ruby red saffron filament.
In Greek mythology the Crocus flower was created when the Greek God Hermes accidently killed his lover with a discus. Crocus, a man, and Hermes were said to be lovers and upon Hermes fatally wounding Crocus his grief turned Crocus into a flower. The three drops of blood that had fallen from the head of Crocus is the stigma of the flower, or the saffron filaments.
Some of the world’s finest quality of these flowers are cultivated in the Isfahan and Khorasan provinces of Iran thanks to its favourable organic soil content.
Known as red gold, saffron is the most expensive spice by weight mostly because of the time it takes to manually remove the stigmas from the tiny flowers. It takes roughly 40 hours to handpick 1kg of the stigmas.
As well as providing a beautiful golden colour to any dish and adding a fragrant flavour, saffron is an excellent addition to your skincare routine. It can be used on all skin types especially sensitive skin.
It has been long used in Ayurvedic skincare rituals and here are the reasons why:
1. Ageing gracefully
Saffron has a high Vitamin A content which helps to reduce the signs of ageing and protects the skin from harmful effects of UV rays and free radicals.
Saffron increases skin elasticity and collagen production which gives a plumper appearance.
2. Heals wounds and scars
The high Vitamin A content also helps to speed up healing and prevents breakouts. It supports a healthy skin immune system and makes your skin naturally glow.
3. Treats dark spots
Dark areas or uneven skin tone? Saffron helps to reduce hyperpigmentation by gently lightening the skin. Dabbing a few dots of 23K Gold Elixir face oil around darkened eyes will instantly brighten and refresh the skin.
4. Skin boosting Vitamins
Redness and inflammation is instantly calmed with saffron thanks to vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B9 and Vitamin C.
- Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) helps to reduce red, irritated, acne-prone or dry skin. It also improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
- Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) helps to improve skin tone making it more radiant making it suitable for dry or acne prone skin.
- Vitamin B3 (Niacinamide) helps to restore the skin’s natural hydration balance whilst repairing damaged skin tissue.
- Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) helps diminish the effects of hormonal imbalance, which can lead to acne breakouts.
- Vitamin B9 (Folic Acid) protects the skin barrier function which means that it can improve moisture content deep inside the skin which reduces skin dryness. It also helps to produce collagen.
BONUS! 5 attributes you can learn from a Crocus plant
For those of you who don’t know I am Anoushka, founder of SEB, an all-natural handmade skincare brand that harnesses the power of Saffron, Sea Buckthorn Oil and Gold.
At almost 40 years old I have suffered a lot of trauma and I have recently come to learn that this trauma had manifested even before I was born, when I was merely stardust.
Despite the trauma pre-birth and in my living life I have, with the help of very powerful guides, been able to continue. There have been times where I have tried to end my life, thankfully I was never successful.
I have chosen Saffron as being one of the key ingredients in the 23K Gold Elixir Face oil not only because of its excellent skin benefits but also what the Crocus plant actually represents.
The Crocus Sativus plant is able to regenerate itself every year, it can grow in most soil types (except heavy clay), it is hardy, persistent and resilient. All attributes that are instilled in me.
When a Crocus bulb is planted this is essentially the “mother” bulb and that single bulb generates others around it, the mother bulb dies off around it the other bulbs and those are regenerated every Spring. Again another attribute I can resonate with, even though parts of me might die off, I am always ready to regenerate and flower when the time is right.
Spiritually Saffron represents courage and sacrifice, everything that me as a person embodies and I have the battle scars as proof.
So, there you have it, if you need are looking to incorporate the below attributes to your life, then reach for that bottle of saffron.
- Regeneration
- Persistence
- Resilience
- Courage
- Sacrifice
How to save the bees: plant Crocus plants
Bees love Crocus plants because they provide plenty of pollen as well as nectar for bees emerging from hibernation.
The best time to plant Crocus Sativus is between September to December, this will provide a flowering period between March and April.
Position in full sun or partial shade.
Crocus plants likes rather heavy, well drained soil. If your soil is sandy enrich it with leaf mould.
