Cornflower floral water: gentle freshness around the eyes

In early summer, its small, intensely blue flowers used to dot every wheat field. Although changes in farming have made it less common, the cornflower has lost none of its charm. It also has a long tradition in face care, particularly around the eyes: in French it was once nicknamed casse-lunettes, the “glasses breaker”.

What is cornflower floral water?

The cornflower, Centaurea cyanus, is an annual plant of the daisy family (Asteraceae). It is one of the so-called arable weeds that traditionally grow among cereal crops, hence its English name.

Its floral water, or hydrosol, is the water obtained when the plant is steam-distilled. It is very gentle and is used as it is, without dilution. According to the product sheet, it is “the eye hydrosol”, a nickname that sums up its traditional use. It comes in a 200 ml bottle, and the sheet describes its external use: on a cotton pad, as a compress or as a fine mist.

How to use it

Our druggist recommends it as a compress or a mist, for gentle care and a feeling of freshness.

As a compress on the eyelids

• Wash your hands, then soak two cotton pads with floral water.
• For extra freshness, pop the pads in the fridge for a few minutes.
• Lie down, close your eyes and place one pad on each eyelid for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Always use a fresh pad for each eye and each application.

As a mist or toner

• In the morning, spray it from about twenty centimetres away with your eyes closed, then let it dry before applying your cream.
• In the evening, after removing your make-up, sweep a soaked cotton pad over your face to finish cleansing gently.
• During the day, a quick spray brings a moment of freshness, for instance after long hours in front of a screen.

Precautions

Gentle, but not in the eye. Floral water is applied to closed eyelids and around the eyes; it is not a substitute for eye drops and must not be put into the eye. If redness, discomfort or irritation persists, see a health professional. If your skin is reactive, test it in the crook of your elbow first. Ask for advice before using it on a child or during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Once opened, close the bottle tightly and keep it somewhere cool and dark.

Our products

• Cornflower floral water, 200 ml – as a compress, a mist or on a cotton pad, for external use.

A simple morning ritual

Two cool cotton pads and a few minutes with your eyes closed: cornflower floral water turns an ordinary gesture into a small break. To pair it with a cream, choose between several floral waters or tailor your routine to your skin, the team at Droguerie Perusset in Yverdon-les-Bains will be glad to advise you.