Foraged Lichen Holiday Freshener – A Festive DIY Gift from Nature

This Christmas freshener is made from foraged lichen, pine/fir/spruce
orange, and spices, bringing the scent of the winter forest into your home. It's an easy, natural way to create a festive and comforting atmosphere for the holidays.

The icy weather made the lichen on the trees fragile, and after a few storms, they became even more likely to fall or detach from surfaces. There were so many on the ground!

I made a little mission earlier tonight, and spotting those fallen lichens was a bit of fun.

I walked through the village and picked the ones that fell on the ground.

I gathered more than enough to add to the ones I picked last week.

I have got here a mixture of Ramalina fastigiata, ramalina farinacea and oakmoss. types of Lichen susceptible to air pollution

These types are sensitive to air pollution and serve as bio-indicators of air quality globally.

Lichen is so useful in many ways, and today, I made a unique and special Christmas formula that I love to share so that you can enjoy it too- a Christmas freshener.

The lichen scent lingers longer than other scents, making a nice base note in perfumery. It lends a musky, earthy, and distinctive pleasant scent, often used as a base note, adding depth and complexity to fragrance blends.

I usually use Alquitar to distil, but I will show you how to make this simply by using your kitchen tools! Distilling is one of the best ways to capture their essence.

Festive Christmas Freshener 🎄

Ingredients ⚗️

Fresh lichen (oakmoss, reindeer lichen, or similar) – 1 cup
Fresh pine needles or spruce or fir sprigs – 1/2 cup
Orange peel (zest only) – from 2 large orange
Whole cloves – 1 tablespoon (reduce if preferred)
Cinnamon sticks – 1 stick, broken into pieces
Water – 1 liter
Alcohol (optional, for preservation) – 1 tbsp (vodka or pure grain alcohol)

Kitchen Tools ⚗️
Large pot
Heatproof bowl (small, to collect the distillate)
Inverted lid or a shallow pan (to guide the steam)
Steamer basket or sieve (optional)
Stove

Instructions:

Prepare the Ingredients ⚗️

Rinse the lichen, pine needles, and orange peel under cold water to remove any debris.

Break the cinnamon stick into smaller pieces and chop pine, orange peel and lichen.

Pound them slightly to break the cell walls.

Set Up the Distillation ⚗️

Place a steamer basket or anything similar; this prevents the materials from touching the bottom of the pot and prevents burning.

Place a small heatproof bowl or measuring cup in the centre of the pot to collect the distillate.

Place the ingredients (lichen, pine needles, orange peel, cloves, and cinnamon) around it.

Add 1 litre of water over the ingredients.

Create a Condensation Surface ⚗️

Place an inverted lid (one that is slightly concave or dome-shaped) over the pot.
This will help guide the steam to the centre, where it will condense and drip into the collection bowl.

Simmer the Mixture ⚗️

Bring the pot to a gentle simmer on low heat. The steam will rise, condense on the lid, and drip down into the collection bowl.

To help with condensation, put ice or cold water on top and replace when the water turns hot.

Let it simmer for 1-2 hours.

Once the process is complete, carefully remove the lid and collect the liquid in the bowl. This is the aromatic hydrosol (distilled liquid). If you prepare and store it properly, it can last up to a year.

Optional Preservation ⚗️
If you’d like to preserve the freshener, add 1 tablespoon of alcohol (vodka or pure grain alcohol) to the cooled distillate. It can be kept for a year or more.

Store and Use ⚗️