Our Selene Anointing Oil is an ode to the Greek lunar Goddess, the illuminator of the night sky and keeper of dreams. I made this oil because I wanted something sweet and soothing for blessing my daughter's head with daily as she is also a Cancer, ruled by the moon and her Greek name is Selene. In modern Greek, Selene refers to the Full moon showing herself in the sky and it's etymology traces back to the ancient Greek 'selas' which means to 'gleam', 'illuminate' or 'shine'.

Here is the story of how this oil came to be. We had been gifted a Rose oil in a tiny bottle by my friend + herbalist, Payden and we used it all up anointing our heads at the altar with it daily. Shoutout to P for the inspo! I wanted to combine something earthy and rooted with the inviting, sweet Damascus Roses. I considered Frankincense, but something told me no. That week, my sister had gifted me a lip balm made with Mastic resin from Chios, Greece. The smell of it was intoxicating and really taking me back to my childhood, chewing mastica in Greece. The resin is a yummy chewing gum! We are very famous for this resin which is cultivated on the island of Chios for commercial trade, however it is native to Eastern Greece, Turkey and Northern Iraq. It has naturalized in parts of North Africa as well and is a member of the Pistacia genus, of which Pistachios are part of.

Mastica is a very unique resin which is traditionally produced in the island of Chios, Greece. It is known as the Tears of Chios. Growing up, we would always have mastica chewing gum, ice cream and sometimes we would add it to our coffee. It’s a sweet and floral resin that really enlivens anything you add it to. Recently, an Egyptian friend said he grew up eating it cooked in rice! It’s truly endless the things folks use it in. Liquor, loukoumi, coffee, face creams, toothpaste, etc! It is very antibacterial and antioxidant.

Mastica is not easily cultivated. For some reason, the climate in Chios is one of the only in the world which mastica can thrive and be produced in some level. Trees take 30 years to mature to be ready for harvesting resin! Mastica can only be harvested in ‘Mastihohoria’ (Mastiha villages) in the southern end of Chios, where undersea volcanoes affect soil and micro-climate to create a unique terrain.

I knew I wanted to make a sweet and rose heavy blessing/anointing oil and mastica came to me as the perfect companion. I made this oil because I wanted something special for anointing my and my daughter’s head in the morning at our altar/prayer space. Selene is her namesake and the goddess of the Moon. The tears of mastica resin reminded me of Selene’s tears which she weeps down to her lover Endymion as he sleeps forever to always dream of her and of the overall connection the moon has with our emotions, especially tears!

Roses have been a staple in Greek herbalism since time immemorial, associated with Venus and the Moon, Roses emulate love

Our Selene oil comes in a convenient 10mL roller bottle, so you wont deal with any spills with your baby! Roll directly onto the skin and be embraced with the sweet, earthy scent of the Rose and Mastic. Topically, both Rose and Mastic are soothing to the skin and help to reduce any redness or inflammation.

Ingredients: Pistacia lentiscus(mastic), Rosa Damascena, Organic Grapeseed Oil