The Healing Touch – Pollen Botanicals

Last week I met with Joanne, founder of Pollen Botanicals for a chat and general discussion about life, beauty and all things health.  Jo has been reading the blog and my facebook rants for quite some time now (Bless her) a consequence of which being that when we met it felt like we already knew each other.  How very odd but lots of fun!

Anyway, I was intrigued to find out more about Pollen and its back story and of course, like all beauty nerds I really wanted to give the goods a go.

Joanne is one of those pro-active types when it comes to healthcare and after suffering from multiple chemical sensitivities decided to take matters into her own hands and formulate products that she could safely use.  Being a bit hyper sensitive myself I sympathise with this and know exactly how difficult and depressing it feels when every single thing you buy and try leaves you itchier, dryer and spottier than before.   However, unlike Joanne I’ve never felt motivated to go out there and make my own goop – who knows why….. maybe I’m addicted to my own suffering or maybe I’m just lazy or ‘otherwise engaged’ ………

However, this isn’t just a story of chemical (or non-chemical) exploration,  this is also a story about soul work and how we nourish and manifest that along our journey.

Joanne proceeded to immerse herself in the art of formulating and natural healing, drawing on various disciplines and philosophies as well as re-locating to the beautiful spa district of Daylesford, Victoria where she has finally hit her stride and found her cosmetic brand vibe in Pollen.

The word pollen is interesting in its self being something that us allergic individuals generally seek to avoid for fear of bringing on a head-exploding sneeze episode or bout of red-eye-itis.  However, as with all things it pays to look beyond that.  Pollen is a mixture of reproductive and nutritive  plant cells that contain all of the wisdom, hope, energy and promise of new life and beauty.   Designed to fly on the breeze or be picked up and transported elegantly and weightlessly on the limbs of an unsuspecting insect this is the stuff of magic.  Pollen, being the reproductive heart of the flower also conceals all of the vibrational potential of the new bloom and that brings me to space clearing and crystal healing.

As a cold-hearted chemist (oh yeh baby)  you might think it odd that I talk about these matters of the witches cauldron but you would be wrong. I LOVE that stuff and not in a ‘I totally believe in fairies’ way (that finished when I was 12) but in more of a connected, energetic and spiritual way.  After all, when I put my chemist hat back on I can easily prove to you that stuff is made up from molecules, molecules are connected by bonds and bonds vibrate.   Everything is vibrational and everything vibrates in space not stuff.  Space is important.

And that leads me to the space clearing mist.

Pollens space clearing mist is a charming and delicate blend of Aloe, Lemon Myrtle, Honey Myrtle, Fragona, Bottle Brush, Fringed Violet, Tall Mulla Mulla, Boab and Bush Fuchsia Flower that is said to purify and re-energise your space at home or work.  The vibrational energy embedded within each different botanical contributes to creating a new and more positive energy and if all else fails it smells like you have just walked into an Australian native garden dappled with sunlight peering through the gum trees.   But that is not all,  Joanne’s eclectic influences add a further dimension to this vibrational energy field in the form of her quartz infused liquid essence produced during the full moon to maximise the crystals potency and healing powers.  The quartz essence is infused with good intentions and positive energy which, whether you believe it or not is a nice and potentially powerful touch.

On those lines I wonder if you have heard of the work of Mr Masaru Emoto and his water experiments.  I don’t know if this is true or not as I have not researched it fully but looking at this it seems that the intent with which you ‘do’ things really matters.   While I have no personal experience of this with water I know exactly how this feels in my every day life.  I wake up on the wrong side of the bed and kick things, drop the tea bags, misplace my keys, burn the dinner, scratch the car…………..

But space clearing isn’t all that Joanne does.  She has a whole bevy of simply elegant, natural skin treats that can be purchased from a range of stockists or experienced during one of her Heavenly Body massage therapy sessions and the healing art of touch and personal connection is what this brand is all about.

Before I go I just want to show you another of Joannes products and that’s the Herbal Gel Cleanser.  This product intrigues me from a formulating perspective because of its simplicity in terms of formula back-bone yet sophisticated texture. Joanne has pulled something ultra-special out of the bag with this and I have no idea how she has done it but I like it!   This ultra-light and moisturising emulsion based cleanser leaves the skin feeling silky smooth and without a glimmer of dryness which is really important if you suffer from dry or irritated skin.   The cleanser locks moisture in thanks to macadamia and olive oil and cleanses using a variety of herbal extracts and that quartz gem essence.   It is non-sticky and can be washed off or wiped with a light cloth or cotton pad if desired – another feature I love and a perfect fit given what we now know understand about ‘pollen’.

Oh and one more thing,  the coconut ice body scrub is just delish – It is perfect for apre-beach or for bringing a glow to sullen and dry winter skin with just the right balance of exfoliation vs moisturisation.   Just don’t try shaving your legs afterwards as the rich moisturising coconut oil clogs the razor (I can be such a dumb ass at times).

So there you have it,  Pollen Botanicals one of Australia’s many boutique treasures.

Amanda