The Absolute is made up from essential oil, plus the waxes and pigments from the flower, they are rich in colour, actives and have an aroma which is 40 times that of an essential oil. Some of the raw ingredients such as Jasmine cost as much as their weight in gold because of the enormous effort involved in their manufacture. For example, it takes 8,000,000 hand-picked jasmine blossoms to make just one kilo of absolute.

Picking is carried out early morning, when the petals hold most essential oil and are at their most potent. By mid-morning when the flowers begin to close, their freshness fades and the petals are taken off to the next stage of their journey.

A champion rose-picker can pick up to 50kg (110 lb) a day, but this yields only a few drops of Rose oil... Roses are picked drenched with dew in the early morning. The flowers' oil content decreases by up to 40% by mid morning.

Petals are layered individually on large sheets of glass which have been smeared with vegetable fat. These blossoms are unique in that they continue to produce their essential oils after picking, and release their magical aroma into the fat. The petals are continually renewed until the fat becomes saturated with essential oils, which is called "concrete".

Concrete of Rose is deep red and semi-solid since it still contains the waxes and pigments of the flower.

The absolute is then finally extracted from the concrete by repeated filtration and the use of a very gentle natural solvent, leaving our magical formula for powerful action on the skin.

So why did Elemis choose to introduce absolutes into the range? The answer is because of their dynamic properties for skin repair and maintenance. They increase cell renewal, one of the main causes of ageing, speeding up the rate at which our cells reproduce. They also have an immense capacity for oxygenating the skin, by increasing cell metabolism, making the skin brighter and more vibrant. They have powerful anti-free radical properties and are a rich source of amino acids, vitamins, minerals and trace elements. They are important in skin repair of all kinds and are particularly useful for mature skins.

Their individual properties are as follows:

• Rose hydrating, restoring
• Jasmine de-stressing, balancing
• Osmanthus pro-plant collagen, cooling
• Mimosa pro-plant collagen, protects and balances
• Honey nourishing, regenerating, restorative
• Blackcurrant anti-oxidant, rich in vitamin C, frees skin from toxins
• Lavender repairing and healing

Elemis products that have been made with 'Absolute' technology include:

Active Skin Complex
Absolute Eye Serum
Absolute Lifting Serum
Absolute Day Cream (norm to sens)
Absolute Day Cream (norm to comb)
Absolute Night Cream (norm to sens)
Absolute Night Cream (norm to comb)
Absolute Lifting Mask
Absolute Eye Mask
Exotic Cream Moisturizing Mask
SOS Emergency Cream
Gentle Rose Exfoliator