Helichrysum italicum

Helichrysum italicum — known in Turkish as Ölmez çiçek (the flower that does not die) — grows along the western Anatolian coast and across the Mediterranean basin. The dried bloom keeps its colour and form for years, which earned it its name in many languages.

On the skin, the essential oil is among the most prized natural ingredients of the Mediterranean apothecary — astringent, regenerating, anti-bruise. It is rare, slow-distilled, expensive — and exactly the kind of plant Bithyné carries quietly.

Properties: regenerating, anti-bruise, mildly astringent. Traditional uses: balms, facial oils, scar-fading preparations.