Pretty as they could be, the beaches dotting the Gulf Coast usually are not what we’re talking about once we use the term Florida Water. Florida Water is available in clear bottles with long, slender necks. A label decorated with an ornate illustration of the Fountain of Youth partially obscures the green elixir sloshing around inside. The eau de cologne from the Murray, Lanman, and Kemp brand was initially created in 1808 by perfumer Robert Murray, and it stays a family-owned business. It is a toiletry, sure — that and more.

You should utilize it as an aftershave, or some smell-good to spike your bath with. The formula is nice for household use as a scent refresher, to wipe down kitchen counters, and even in laundry. It is also change into a go-to tool for cleansing and protection in spiritual practices across america, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

But how did it change into so many alternative things to so many alternative people? We spoke to experts very acquainted with the product to search out out.

• Vince Spinnato, a cosmetic chemist based in Laguna Beach.
• Ginger King, a Recent Jersey-based cosmetic chemist.
• Sandy Miller, co-owner of Murray, Lanman, & Kemp.
• Iya Osundara, a Detroit-based Osun Priestess. She offers spiritual services and items in her shop, Iyalode’s Corner.
• Iya Ehime Ora, a Recent York City-based Shango Priestess.

Florida Water is technically an eau de cologne (that is literally “cologne water” in English), but its formula, which hasn’t modified much since its creation, has shown to have every kind of purposes, too. It was originally created by perfumer Robert Murray but in 1835, businessman David Lanman, joined the corporate, followed in 1853 by one other businessman George Kemp.

Murray’s recipe includes an alcohol base with water, and a proprietary mixture of oils that offers Florida Water its citrusy, fresh, fougère form of scent. “It has the identical citrus base as [a traditional] cologne water, but shifts the emphasis to sweet orange moderately than the lemon or neroli,” Laguna Beach-based cosmetic chemist and perfume developer Vince Spinnato explains to Allure. “It adds spicy notes including lavender and clove.” The formula also includes cinnamon, bergamot, rose, and orange flower, though the corporate has been careful not to disclose the whole original recipe in efforts to take care of its secret.