Superstar Sunflowers

Good for you, good for the Earth

So much of our biological existence is centered around the sun. From the beginning of terrestrial time to the start of our day, the sun was, is, and will be the giver of life. We turn to it for everything it cultivates: light, energy, reassurance, warmth on our skin, and of course, Summer.

Ubiquitously when we think of Summer and all things happiness, the Sunflower comes to mind. Bright yellow and standing tall. When young, the flowers move in unison like school kids with unspoken direction, following the sun’s path east to west, regulating their own circadian rhythms. Once matured, they stand their ground and face east for the remainder of their bloom. Are we so different?

Needless to say, our relationship with nature is symbiotic. Living off the land was once the default way of life. Once upon a time, we used real ingredients, things we might have grown outside, in our recipes, home remedies, and self care routines. While modernity may have diverged from that, Vermouth Beauty hasn’t. 

From the way we think of “beauty” to the work we do in our atelier, we are deeply rooted in nature. Promoting the beauty that radiates from all of us naturally, using materials we can guarantee won’t add unnecessary pollution, reaping what we sow. And so begins our series of articles that highlight the stars of the show, our natural, nourishing ingredients. 

Lips are a sensitive area on which to apply products. Some of the softest skin on your body, as well as the gateway to swallowing whatever you put on them, lips should only be caressed by food grade ingredients. This is where sunflower oil comes in. Made by pressing the seeds of the flower, sunflower oil is often used as a frying oil in cooking, and even as a salad dressing across Eastern Europe, a region where sunflowers are native plants.  

 

Oil is a moisturizing ingredient, so much so that sunflower oil has been commonly used in supplements to combat eczema. Other ailments that cite sunflower oil as a remedy include high cholesterol and heart disease, although you’d have to consult a doctor to find out how that works. What we know for certain is that sunflower oil is an excellent natural emollient to enhance cosmetics as it’s rich in Vitamin E. 

Whether you’re applying it to skin or adding it to your food, sunflower oil is a great resource. The sunflower plant itself is quite resilient; it can grow with very little water, withstanding a moderate drought, and make do with a variety of soil it’s planted in. What an aspirational plant. 

Environmentally, sunflowers are great cover crops and companions to any garden or farm. Due to their incredible roots, they are able to absorb nutrients deeply, attract lots of pollinators and other beneficial insects, feed songbirds, and improve soil. 

Rarely do you find a plant so generous in its growth and its byproduct. Sunflowers are gorgeous, but they’re not just superficial decorations for a garden or home, they have real, intrinsic value to humans and to their ecosystems. At Vermouth Beauty we believe we’re only as good as the choices we make, so we choose the way of the sunflower, looking toward the light and leaving behind a better ground than we stood on. 

Cited:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunflower_oil
2. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-40/sunflower-oi
3. https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g4701#:~:text=Cover%20crop%20use&text=They%20not%20only%20add%20a,in%20a%20cover%20crop%20mix.

Caring for sunflowers at home: https://www.thesunflowerfield.net/sunflowers