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I'm glad to see that after this thread I'm not the only one who likes this cream! Haha
I've read in a couple places that it's on a base of some different scents, including patchouli? (someone correct me if I'm wrong) so it does have undertones of other fragrances.
Thank you for the very interesting information about the variables in lavender essential oils. My problem with TOBS cream might be explained by this. The trouble is the it bears NO RESEMBLANCE to the familiar lavender-flower aroma. I see now that I maybe just got a lousy tub. But nothing excuses that color!According to the label on my tub, the only scenting agent in the cream is lavender essential oil - specifically lavandula angustifolia, which is true English lavender. The thing about lavender oil, though, is that it can vary widely in scent and quality, depending upon a number of factors, such as the variety of plant used (sometimes the oil is just labeled as lavender, but could be from any number of varieties), the quality of extraction, or even things as esoteric as the quality of the soil or the quality of weather in the harvest year. They all should be recognizable as lavender, much the same way fermented grape juice can be recognized as wine. But within that broad category, the more subtle differences can be substantial.
I see now that I maybe just got a lousy tub.
Maybe, or it could be Taylor's just isn't using the highest-quality oil. The stuff I have does smell like lavender, but I wouldn't classify it as particularly high quality.
I once spoke to Andrew French, head of Castle Forbes, and he told me that he contracts with lavender oil producers who grow their own plants, from which they extract their own oil - sort of an "estate" type of operation. This is in contrast with the bulk of oil producers, who obtain plants from any number of growers to produce oil en masse. French was of the opinion that the estate-grown and produced oil was of higher quality, due to better quality control and care in crafstmanship. If the scent of his cream is any indication, he may be right. I have yet to smell another lavender cream that is as potent or as high-quality in lavender scent as Castle Forbes.