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SCENTED GLOVES
Aromatic Herbal
Scented gloves
and how to do it.
by Jeanne Rose
There are a number of ways of
doing this, the most practical seems to be either soaking
the leather in perfume (water or spirit based), or by
working a fat based perfume into the skins, or using a
potpourri in the gloves. The potpourri is listed in
Herbs & Things. The book is
available on the
website. Labdanum is a good
beginning for scented gloves. |
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Labdanum
Cistus Ladaniferus |
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| I started to scent
my gloves a few years ago, and realized there was a
possibility that others might enjoy this project.
Looking through all my books, references, etc. I
realized there was much in the old books about
scenting gloves. But I wanted it to be simpler than
scenting the leather and then making the gloves. So
I lined my glove drawer with saran wrap to contain
the scent and keep it inside the drawer. Then I
paired up my gloves and folded each pair like a pair
of socks so that the inside of the glove would be
either touching the saran wrap or the inside of the
drawer only. Then I blended some oils that had been
traditionally used in scenting leather: Birch leaf
with Tobacco absolute and a touch of citrus added
made a nice blend. We make this scent in our
Blending Class & Natural Perfumery class.
I put the scent on some muslin cloth. I covered the
scented muslin with a sheet of paper. I put down a
layer of gloves (6 pairs) in drawer, then a sheet of
paper, then the scented muslin, a sheet of paper and
another layer of gloves with the saran wrap pulled
up and over the top layer of gloves. The drawer was
closed for the summer months. In the fall, when I
needed gloves for warmth or driving, they were
sweetly scented and ready to wear. … Jeanne Rose
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"The Italian influence
swept through France, helped along by Caterina de Medici's marriage
to France's Prince Henri II. Making the journey with her were her
alchemist (who probably also made her poisons too, but that's
another story) and her perfumer, who set up shop in Paris. The towns
of Montpellier and Grasse, already strongly influenced by
neighboring Genoa, had long produced the perfumed gloves that were
in high style among the elite. (The gloves were most often perfumed
with Neroli, or with animal scents such as ambergris and civet.
Apparently this wasn't always appreciated. A 17th-century dramatist,
Philip Massinger, complained: "Lady, I would descend to kiss thy
hand/but that 'tis gloved, and civet makes me sick.") These towns
took the lead, as France's growing fragrance trade began to
predominate over Italy's. England was also influenced by the Italian
love of scent. A pair of scented gloves so captured the attention of
Queen Elizabeth I, she had a perfumed leather cape and shoes made to
match." …From:
http://www.healthy.net/scr/article.asp?ID=1712
Here is a later recipe
from Piesse's "The
Art of Perfumery" (1855): "Peau d'Espagne, or Spanish
Skin is nothing more than highly perfumed leather. Good sound pieces
of wash-leather are to be steeped in a mixture of Ottos, in which
are dissolved some odiferous gum resins thus: Otto of Neroli, Otto
of Rose, Santal, of each half an ounce; Otto of Lavender, Verbena,
Bergamot, of each a quarter of an ounce; Otto of Cloves and
Cinnamon, of each two drachms; with any others thought fit. In this
mixture dissolve about two ounces gum Benzoin; now place the skin to
steep in it for a day or so, then hang it over a line to dry. A
paste is now to be made by rubbing in a mortar one drachm of civet
with one drachm of grain musk, and enough solution of gum Acacia or
gum Tragacanth to give it a spreading consistence; a little if any
of the Otto’s may be left from the steep stirred in with the civet,
&c., greatly assists in making the whole of equal body; the skin
being cut up in pieces of about four inches square are then to be
spread over, plaster fashion, with the last-named compost; two
pieces being put together, having the civet plaster inside them, are
then to be placed between sheets of paper, weighed or pressed, and
left to dry thus for a week; finally, each double skin, now called
‘peau d'Espagne’, is to be enveloped in some pretty silk or satin,
and finished off to the taste of the vendor. Skin or leather thus
prepared evolves a pleasant odor for years, and hence they are
frequently called "the inexhaustible sachet". Being flat they are
much used for perfuming writing paper."
In regards to Russian
Leather, “its perfume is due to the aromatic Saunders wood in which
it is tanned, and to the empyreumatic oil of the birch tree, with
which it is curried." Information on Labdanum and the herbs and
essential oils to use is available in
The Aromatherapy Book: Applications &
Inhalations by Jeanne Rose
Another simple approach
to scenting gloves is to make a wonderfully smelling potpourri in
May/June when the Roses are blooming. A mixture of Rose petals,
Sandalwood, Cloves and Lavender blossoms, folded into a square of
cloth can be placed in the glove drawer. Over a period of time it
will scent the leather. … see pages 233-247
Herbs &
Things by Jeanne Rose.
Source:
Classes, Seminars and books are available from Jeanne Rose
Aromatherapy. Rose, Jeanne. Herb & Things. Available from Jeanne
Rose Aromatherapy
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AUTHOR:
Jeanne
Rose has been teaching and researching natural remedies for 33
years, beginning with her first book,
Herbs
& Things, now in its second edition.
To get in touch, to purchase the books, to understand
aromatherapy, herbalism, hydrosols and essential oils, to sign up
for the in-person
Seminars with Jeanne Rose, visit her website at www.jeannerose.net or e-mail for information at info@jeannerose.net.
Jeanne Rose also teaches a distance learning program,
home-study courses both in
Herbalism and
Aromatherapy. She is
Executive Director of the Aromatic Plant Project and can be reached
at info@hydrosols.net. You
may also call 415/564-6785.
All rights reserved 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006. No part of this article may
be used without prior permission from Jeanne Rose.
© Authors Copyright Jeanne Rose,
info@jeannerose.net
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