The Blue Lotus: A Pharaoh’s Secret Flower
The blue lotus flower was one of the most cherished plants in ancient Egypt. For the Ancient Egyptians, Blue lotus seemed to have multiple uses, from ritual to spiritual and extending into the afterlife. It’s believed to hold spiritual powers and was considered a gift from the gods. It was placed in King Tutankhamen’s tomb with him during his journey into the afterlife. Interestingly, it was also steeped in wine. Maybe it was for the aroma, or it extracted some aromatic properties of the plant and may be at the origin of herbal wines that we can still find today in certain cultures. It was often depicted in Hieroglyphs and associated with what appeared as party scenes and ceremonies.
Colors of the Earth
It has a lovely light blue to a purplish-blue color with yellow stamens and beige to brown pods.
Aroma
Blue lotus has a unique aroma, a delicate freshness, with floral and fruity notes. These aromas are captured in the form of an absolute oil
The dried flower is usually extracted into plant concrete and processed into an absolute oil. It is a rare and valuable fragrance that is very expensive since it takes an enormous quantity of flowers to make a small amount of absolute oil.
Interesting Facts: Blue Lotus or Blue Lily
Blue lotus is not really a lotus. It is a water lily, also known as the blue water lily or Egyptian blue water lily. Lotus is from the Nelumbo family and grows in ponds and streams also, but will eventually grow outside the water. The blue lotus flower and leaf pods will remain on top of the water. The original blue lotus is Nymphaea Caerulea. Please do not confuse it for the Blue Lotus Nelumbo Nucifera, often sold as Egyptian Blue Lily.
Origins
The Blue lotus is native to Africa and Asia.
Growing Habitat of the Blue Lotus
This aquatic plant grows in ponds, rivers, and lakes.
What is the Legal Status of Blue lotus in Canada and the USA?
Legal Status of Blue Lotus in Canada:
Canada
Blue lotus is legal in all of Canada.
Legal Status of Blue Lotus in the USA:
USA:
Blue Lotus is legal in all of the USA except Louisiana where it is illegal to sell for consumption. It can be grown and sold for decorative purposes.
Legal Status of Blue Lotus in Other Countries
It is legal in most countries worldwide. If you are unsure, don’t hesitate to contact us so we can ensure we can ship to your country.
What is the GRAS Status of Blue Lotus?
GRAS stands for Generally Regarded as Safe. Blue lotus is not Generally Regarded As Safe by Health Authorities in Canada or the USA. This directory changes often and it is important to research this if you are wondering whether an ingredient falls in the category of food or a dietary supplement.
Examples of GRAS:
Camellia Sinensis green tea leaves have a GRAS status, but extracts made from the same Camellia Sinensis green tea leaves do not have GRAS status. As the status of plants changes often, it is possible that the blue lotus flower receives a GRAS status in the future.
Is Blue Lotus Legal for Consumption in Canada and the USA?
Except for the state of Louisiana, it is not illegal in Canada and the USA to consume. Blue lotus is not approved as a food, meaning that there are certain restrictions when selling as a tea or as an ingredient in consumable products.
Aromatherapy and Blue Lotus
While we do not sell any of our plants and extracts for aromatherapy, we can sell the Blue lotus flower as a raw material for further processing including, processing into aromatic extracts. We can also create extracts for you to further process. As for aromatherapy, you will need to contact your local health directorate in order to find out about the laws regulating aromatherapy products.
Blue Lotus Incense
Blue lotus and its extracts can be used in the manufacturing of incense if your incense will not fall into the definition of an NHP. Read more about the definition of an NHP below near the end.
Extraction of Blue Lotus Flowers
Manufacturers and individuals can further process blue lotus into extracts ranging from water to alcohol extracts to more exotic extraction methods like butane, propane, and CO2 extracts.
Handcrafted Products
Lotions & Cremes Made With Blue Lotus
Blue lotus and its extracts are acceptable in topical handcrafted skincare products but with no functional claims. Functional claims will trigger regulation by the cosmetic act.
Can You Use Blue Lotus in Soap Making?
Dried Blue lotus flowers, whether whole, cut and sifted, or in powdered form, can be used in manufacturing soap. The powder can be perfect as a semi-abrasive scrub. Its mix of earth tones to vibrant blue and yellow colors can also be a great decorative addition.
Decorating With Blue Lotus Flower
While Blue lotus flowers are incredible to the eye when alive and growing in nature, they have a beautiful eye appeal when dried. Manufacturers and individuals can use them in dry potpourri, art projects like collages, used to decorate wax candles, soaps, etc.
Blue Lotus, Cosmetics, Natural Health Products, and Dietary Supplements
Dietary Supplements With Lotus in the USA
Blue lotus is neither food nor a drug, and is regulated under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA): Please visit the FDA website for more details. Here is an excerpt from the FDA website:
“Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act as amended by DSHEA and FDA regulations. FDA has the authority to take action against any adulterated or misbranded dietary supplement product after it reaches the market.”
Cited from: Dietary Supplements | FDA
Blue Lotus in Cosmetics
Blue lotus and its extracts are available in the research, development, and production of cosmetics. Cosmetics, like food, are bound by certain restrictions regarding plants. Cosmetics containing Natural Health Product (NHP) ingredients that meet both the function and substance components of the NHP definition are regulated as NHPs. Cosmetic products that do not fall within the NHP definition (see Appendix A) are regulated under the Cosmetics Regulations of the Act and are the responsibility of Health Canada’s Cosmetics Program.
Can You Sell Blue Lotus as a Natural Health Product (NHP) in Canada?
Our Blue lotus cannot be manufactured, sold, or represented as a Natural Health Product. It can be sold as a raw material for further processing.
NHPs are regulated by Health Canada in Canada and manufacturers need a product and site license in order to sell NHPs. Please read the following and stay informed about the regulations in your country.
The following is a quote from the Health Canada website:
“Natural Health Product (NHP): A substance set out in Schedule 1 of the Natural Health Products Regulations or a combination of substances in which all the medicinal ingredients are substances listed in Schedule 1, i.e., a homeopathic medicine or traditional medicine that is manufactured, sold or represented for use in:
- The diagnosis, treatment, mitigation, or prevention of a disease, disorder, or abnormal physical state or its symptoms in humans;
- Restoring or correcting organic functions in humans; or
- Modifying organic functions in humans, such as modifying those functions in a manner that maintains or promotes health.
However, a Natural Health Product does not include a substance listed in Schedule 2 of the Natural Health Products Regulations, any combination of substances that includes a substance listed in Schedule 2, or a medicine (homeopathic or traditional) that is or includes a substance listed in Schedule 2.
Research links:
Even though we do not sell our Blue Lotus for research relating to consumption, nor do we sell for clinical trials, we have provided some information about scientific researchers who are currently researching. Please read the disclaimer below.
Research
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5638439/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28266899/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuciferine
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nymphaea_nouchali_var._caerulea
- https://www.researchgate.net/figure/The-chemical-structure-of-nuciferine_fig1_297745124
Videos about Blue Lotus
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