Our still is not in a factory. It stands outdoors, in a sheltered corner of the farm, against a wall of pinkish-beige granite blocks, next to a white shutter. This is where we distill our Immortelle flowers. Follow the path of the steam.
The tank
It all starts in a tall cylindrical tank, insulated with a silver aluminium jacket and closed with a domed lid. The flowers go in, then the steam rises. As it passes through the flowers, the steam carries away their aromatic compounds.
The swan neck and the condenser
The scented steam leaves the top of the tank through a curved, white-sheathed pipe: the swan neck. It leads to the patinated copper condenser, which sits on a granite pillar and is cooled by water brought in through a green hose. In contact with the cold, the steam turns back into liquid.
The essencier: where everything separates
The liquid flows into the essencier, a glass vessel held in a dark metal frame, with a tap at the bottom. This is where the magic happens: the essential oil, lighter than water, rises and forms a thin golden layer on top. The water stays below.
A black rubber tube carries the water to an orange funnel lined with filter cloth, resting on a blue container. This scented water is the floral water, also called hydrosol.
Two products from one distillation
- Organic Immortelle essential oil: it takes a lot of flowers to get a little, hence its strength and its small 3, 5 and 15 ml bottles.
- Immortelle floral water: gentler, it keeps the scent of the flower and is used as a face mist.
Part of the essential oil is also used to enrich our Immortelle oil, made by sun maceration.
Then, in the lab
The essential oil and the floral water go to our small lab, a white-tiled room with stainless steel worktops, where we prepare and bottle every product, on the farm.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between floral water and essential oil?
They come from the same distillation. The essential oil is the oily, highly concentrated part; the floral water is the watery, much gentler part.
