Hydrosols are the product of distilling aromatic botanicals. With the growth of aromatherapy understanding hydrosols and how they can benefit you is important.
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They are often referred to as the biproduct of distilling essential oils. Some plants are used only to create hydrosols and some companies work to distill specifically for the hydrosol.
A hydrosol collects both the water-soluble compounds of the plant as well as small amounts of essential oil which is suspended in the liquid.
I enjoyed reading this blog where Lola of Be Kind Botanicals documents her process of distilling Blood Oranges, it is a fascinating look of the entire process.
Other terms that you will see for a hydrosol include hydrolats, distillate waters, floral waters, or flower waters.
Uses for hydrosols:
- Facial spritz
- Spray on sore muscles
- Anti-microbial cleansers
- Room Freshener
- Compress – dampen a clean cloth with a hydrosol (hot or cold) and apply to affected area. Good for sore muscles, rashes and bites
- Bath – add 1-2 cups of hydrosol to a bath and enjoy
- Footbath
- Massage
History of hydrosols
Although people have been using floral waters for centuries using them for more medicinal purposes is much more recent.
In 1989 Jeanne Rose was the first person to use the term hydrosol she states she derived the term from Latin, combining hydro- meaning water and – sol meaning solution. According to her “hydrosol represents the true synergy or herbalism and aromatherapy.” 375 Essential Oils and Hydrosols.
Suzanne Catty, author of Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy proposes the following definition: “Hydrosols are the condensate water co-produced during the steam- or hydro-distillation of plant material for aromatherapeutic purposes.”
Distillers that distill plants for the hydrosol will typically use a copper still. Within a copper still the sulphur and yeast that cause off notes from a stainless steel still will bond to the copper allowing the hydrosol to have a sweet smell.
Plants – Uses
The following properties are associated with the various plants. They can be used as a spritz or created into other products to support the body.
- Anti-bacterial – calendula (Calendula officinalis), pine (Pinus), lavender (Lavendula officinalis)
- Anti-viral – lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) – (good for herpes), St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum), Helichrysum (Helichrysum italicum)
- Astringent – rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), lime (Citrus x aurantifolia), goldenrod (Solidago)
- Bites & Stings – yarrow (Achillea millefolium), helichrysum
- Digestion & Heartburn – basil (Ocimum basilicum), peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
- Hydrating facials – rose geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), lavender, elder flower (Sambucus nigra)
- Mild Depression, SAD – St. John’s Wort, lemon balm, lemon verbena (Aloysia citrodora)
- Rashes – calendula, lavender, helichrysum,
- Scar Tissue – helichrysum, rosehip (Rosa rubiginosa), calendula,
- Sunburn – lavender, calendula
What a Hydrosol is NOT
You can NOT make hydrosols by adding essential oils to water or alcohol. They also can NOT be made by boiling an essential oil in water. Some people have found this confusing when reading The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Ann Worwood. In her book she explains a process of making an essential oil water. These waters are infused with the fragrance of the essential oil and can be good for compresses, or in baths. The final step of making these is to filter it through a coffee filter which will remove the essential oil leaving a fragranced water. (pages 456 – 457)
Since hydrosols contain both the water soluble and small amounts of essential oil, they are safer and can be used without further dilution.
It is important to know your source when purchasing hydrosols. To learn more about smaller suppliers read more here. Unfortunately, there are retailers on the internet that will blend water and essential oils, label them as floral water and sell them. When you don’t add an emulsifier to something like this it makes it extremely dangerous because the essential oil will simply float on top of the water.
Distillation Practices
When you are getting a quality hydrosol the distiller likely has worked with the products for a while and understands the importance of balance between water and plant material. If a distiller uses too much water the aroma will be diluted and the amount of volatiles transferred into the water will be less.
Another type of hydrosol is a cohabitated hydrosol, these are hydrosols that have been redistilled through plant material. A distiller is attempting to gain more volatiles for an essential oil and may try to sell the resulting hydrosol (water), these products lack value and quality.
If you are interested in the sustainability of a product it is important to know that a distiller can create a quality hydrosol with less plant material than is needed to create an essential oil. A phrase I constantly state when you are dealing with these precious plant materials “Know your source”.
Safety
Hydrosols do have a shorter shelf life, generally only lasting about a year.
Hydrosols are a product that is generally considered safe for consumption, but you should be aware that they are usually created using a copper still so if you have an allergy to copper do not use them. Also, unless you are knowledgeable for there use as a supplement, I still wouldn’t ingest them.
Due to my work with animals I turn to hydrosols way more often than essential oils. Essential oils can be safe to use with pets, but they are potent and come with more risk. Due to the water-soluble nature of a hydrosol they are considered a safer product for animal use including with cats.
