Santa Maria Novella is a church in Florence, Italy. A stunning and magnificent piece of architecture with no less than 8 chapels.
Unfortunately I am not going to be writing about the beauty that is this church -my topic is
Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella also found in Florence and also seen by many as a place of pilgrimage...
here are a few of their goodies...
SMN WaterThis antique preparation, a 70% alcohol (by volume) and water solution was first made in 1614 by the Dominican friar Angiolo Marchissi. Originally called Anti Hysteria Water (Acqua Anti-isterica), it contains essential oils from plants known for their relaxing and calming properties (Balsamita suavolens, spearmint, peppermint and Ceylon cinnamon). Used in the days when women wore tightly laced corsets causing hyperventilation and hysteria it produces a generally calming effect. One of Santa Maria Novellaís best-selling items, it also helps digestion after heavy meals and can be used to prevent motion sickness. For a calming effect or motion sickness: inhale directly from the bottle or mix 2 teaspoons in a half cup of water then sip. For indigestion: mix 2 teaspoons in a half cup of water then sip. Keep out of reach of children.
I love anything with "anti-hysteria" in its description.
SMN Melissa Water
A great digestive and anti-spasmodic, this herbal remedy was first made Friar A. Paladini in 1690 from melissa, Chinese cinnamon, coriander, clary sage, issopo, carnation and angelica. Three or four teaspoons should be taken in a small cup of warm, sugared water. Keep out of reach of children.
I also love anything that has to be kept away from kids.
SMN Virgin's Milk
This special product for those with problem skin is principally composed of vegetable resins which are responsible for its amazing astringent and disinfectant properties. This product leaves a light protective and astringent film on your skin. For best results apply in the evening - do not apply any moisturizers to skin treated with Virgin's Milk until the next morning.
Put 10 to 12 drops into half of a glass of water. This will create a milky color and may also create a natural resin film on the surface that should be removed with a Q-tip or a spoon. Apply this to your entire face (or problem areas only) with a lightly wrung out cotton ball, avoiding the area around your eyes. Let solution dry naturally, do not rinse. Can also be applied sparingly directly onto blemishes. Any natural residues on your hands or on the glass can easily be removed with rubbing alcohol.
This sounds so witchy and ancient that I want some.
SMN Mimosa Helichrysum Cream
This cream base of mimosa and helichrysum also includes wheat germ oil, aloe vera gel, evening primrose oil, Indian penny wort extract, St John's wort oil, mimosa tenuiflora, beeswax, vitamin F, tea tree oil and lavanda angustifolia. It helps heal and eradicate rosacea, psoriasis, contact dermatitis, eczema, and hemorrhoids. Apply several times daily or as needed. 100% natural and organic. No pesticides. No animal testing.
I use this (on my face - i know you read the list of uses). It smells lovely and feels great. Whether it does anything amazing is anyone's guess, but the packaging is gorgeous and it looks perfect in the bathroom - not too girly and not too pharmaceutical
here is a little bit of blurb about SMN:
adiacent to the piazza di santa maria novella, this store is one of the oldest pharmacies in the world, established by the dominican fathers shortly after 1221, the year of their arrival in florence. in the garden, the fathers began to cultivate the herbs that they needed to prepare medications, balms and creams for the monastery's infirmary. in 1612 the grand duke, fernando I di medici, gave the dominicans permission to open this little store -the pharmacy was opened to the public. a century later their herbal secrets had become internationally renowned.
the officina profumo-farmaceutica di santa maria novella has a modest sign near the door and no window in which to display its wares.
many of the officina’s preparations have made history and have marked an epoch: the essences, as well as the famous and much requested perfumes, are still prepared to a large extent following the formulae studied in 1500 for caterina de medici. the history of 'eau de cologne' is quite special in this regard. indeed, it seems that this was the essence that caterina de medici, queen of france, took with her to paris, where it acquired the name of 'eau de la reine'. later, the italian giovanni paolo feminis, who moved to cologne in 1725 and began to make it there, changed its name to 'acqua di colonia', as a tribute to the city where it was produced.
the 'acqua di rose', rose water, an excellent refreshing tonic for red eyes, was already available for sale in the second half of the fourteenth century. other favourites include the perfumed powders produced from the ground rhizome of the iris, the flower that grows freely on the hills around florence in such profusion as to be adopted as the lily symbol of the city, still represented in its coat of arms.
where to find SMN....
if you're in the US, you can get SMN products from Lafco of NY http://lafcony.com.
if you're in London, there is an SMN store in Knightsbridge.
if you're in Florence, well, lucky lucky you!
here are a few of their goodies...
SMN WaterThis antique preparation, a 70% alcohol (by volume) and water solution was first made in 1614 by the Dominican friar Angiolo Marchissi. Originally called Anti Hysteria Water (Acqua Anti-isterica), it contains essential oils from plants known for their relaxing and calming properties (Balsamita suavolens, spearmint, peppermint and Ceylon cinnamon). Used in the days when women wore tightly laced corsets causing hyperventilation and hysteria it produces a generally calming effect. One of Santa Maria Novellaís best-selling items, it also helps digestion after heavy meals and can be used to prevent motion sickness. For a calming effect or motion sickness: inhale directly from the bottle or mix 2 teaspoons in a half cup of water then sip. For indigestion: mix 2 teaspoons in a half cup of water then sip. Keep out of reach of children.
I love anything with "anti-hysteria" in its description.
SMN Melissa Water
A great digestive and anti-spasmodic, this herbal remedy was first made Friar A. Paladini in 1690 from melissa, Chinese cinnamon, coriander, clary sage, issopo, carnation and angelica. Three or four teaspoons should be taken in a small cup of warm, sugared water. Keep out of reach of children.
I also love anything that has to be kept away from kids.
SMN Virgin's Milk
This special product for those with problem skin is principally composed of vegetable resins which are responsible for its amazing astringent and disinfectant properties. This product leaves a light protective and astringent film on your skin. For best results apply in the evening - do not apply any moisturizers to skin treated with Virgin's Milk until the next morning.
Put 10 to 12 drops into half of a glass of water. This will create a milky color and may also create a natural resin film on the surface that should be removed with a Q-tip or a spoon. Apply this to your entire face (or problem areas only) with a lightly wrung out cotton ball, avoiding the area around your eyes. Let solution dry naturally, do not rinse. Can also be applied sparingly directly onto blemishes. Any natural residues on your hands or on the glass can easily be removed with rubbing alcohol.
This sounds so witchy and ancient that I want some.
SMN Mimosa Helichrysum Cream
This cream base of mimosa and helichrysum also includes wheat germ oil, aloe vera gel, evening primrose oil, Indian penny wort extract, St John's wort oil, mimosa tenuiflora, beeswax, vitamin F, tea tree oil and lavanda angustifolia. It helps heal and eradicate rosacea, psoriasis, contact dermatitis, eczema, and hemorrhoids. Apply several times daily or as needed. 100% natural and organic. No pesticides. No animal testing.
I use this (on my face - i know you read the list of uses). It smells lovely and feels great. Whether it does anything amazing is anyone's guess, but the packaging is gorgeous and it looks perfect in the bathroom - not too girly and not too pharmaceutical
here is a little bit of blurb about SMN:
adiacent to the piazza di santa maria novella, this store is one of the oldest pharmacies in the world, established by the dominican fathers shortly after 1221, the year of their arrival in florence. in the garden, the fathers began to cultivate the herbs that they needed to prepare medications, balms and creams for the monastery's infirmary. in 1612 the grand duke, fernando I di medici, gave the dominicans permission to open this little store -the pharmacy was opened to the public. a century later their herbal secrets had become internationally renowned.
the officina profumo-farmaceutica di santa maria novella has a modest sign near the door and no window in which to display its wares.
many of the officina’s preparations have made history and have marked an epoch: the essences, as well as the famous and much requested perfumes, are still prepared to a large extent following the formulae studied in 1500 for caterina de medici. the history of 'eau de cologne' is quite special in this regard. indeed, it seems that this was the essence that caterina de medici, queen of france, took with her to paris, where it acquired the name of 'eau de la reine'. later, the italian giovanni paolo feminis, who moved to cologne in 1725 and began to make it there, changed its name to 'acqua di colonia', as a tribute to the city where it was produced.
the 'acqua di rose', rose water, an excellent refreshing tonic for red eyes, was already available for sale in the second half of the fourteenth century. other favourites include the perfumed powders produced from the ground rhizome of the iris, the flower that grows freely on the hills around florence in such profusion as to be adopted as the lily symbol of the city, still represented in its coat of arms.
where to find SMN....
if you're in the US, you can get SMN products from Lafco of NY http://lafcony.com.
if you're in London, there is an SMN store in Knightsbridge.
if you're in Florence, well, lucky lucky you!
