There are moments when the energy of a space just needs a shift.
A room that feels heavy.
A mood that needs lifting.
A quiet moment that could use a little brightness.
I wanted to create something simple and beautiful that could transform a space with ease. Something that could shift the mood of a room in seconds. Something that could impart a feeling.
And when it came time to imagine the scent, there was really only one place to begin: POLLEN Illuminating Mist.
POLLEN has always carried the feeling of light for me. Golden, bright, alive. It made perfect sense that it would inspire our first room spray.
Formulating a product like this is always a bit of a dance. When you care deeply about keeping formulas pure and non-toxic, you also have to ensure that the product is properly preserved and safe to use.
Over a decade ago I remember lurking in chemist forums and formulation chat rooms, reading endless debates about preservation systems. Old methods, new methods, “clean” methods, conventional methods. The fear of god was almost put into me reading about microbial growth and failed preservation systems. At times it nearly convinced me that conventional preservatives were the only viable path.
But over the years I’ve learned that the answer usually lives somewhere in the middle. When “clean” becomes the only focus, brands can sometimes lose sight of the safety side of formulation, even though the intentions are good.
(At the moment I’m also quietly working on a different puzzle in the back of my mind: why natural deodorant still doesn’t really work. No one will convince me otherwise. I’m fairly certain I may need to solve that one myself. You know how I get when a formulation challenge refuses to behave.)
Back to our room spray.
Any formula that contains water requires thoughtful preservation and proper solubilization of essential oils. For GOLDEN, we use 190-proof organic cane alcohol, the same alcohol we use in our eau de parfum, to beautifully solubilize the essential oils in the formula.
Used at the correct percentages, it’s both safe and extremely effective for preserving this type of product.
Because of that high-proof alcohol, it can take a few seconds after spraying for the alcohol to dissipate and the full scent to bloom. Give it a moment, and then the fragrance unfolds.
Bright citrus.
Ylang ylang.
Cedarwood.
A touch of peppermint.
The result is uplifting and quietly grounding.
Scent is uniquely powerful. It’s the only sense that travels directly to the limbic system, the part of the brain that governs memory, emotion, and the nervous system. A single breath of fragrance can soften the body, brighten the mind, and shift how we feel almost instantly.
GOLDEN was created from the simple idea that sometimes the smallest change in our surroundings can shift everything.
A fresh scent in the air.
Light moving across the room.
A moment to pause and breathe.
We created this one to honor you.
GOLDEN will launch first as a gift, and then it will be available for purchase for a short time.
We’re beckoning spring with this one.
Love,
Bee
