Hydrosols

What a busy time of planting and weeding in the gardens, but also harvesting the first herbs and flowers of the season to dry, infuse, extract and distill. For years I have used and loved hydrosols. They are still a bit of a secret in the community of people who use phyto- healing preparations, but, are slowly coming more into the limelight. Known also as plant  waters, or hydrolates, hydrosols are the therapeutic impress of aromatic/ medicinal plants captured in the water of a distillation process. These distillates carry micro traces of essential oil, dissolved in the water during condensation. Distilling essential oils produces such waters, and distillation can be done also purely to obtain hydrosols. Essential oil added to water does not constitute a hydrosol. These are fakes, and unfortunately, do get sold as the real thing. More than a few hydrosol makers are known to “boost” their distillates with essential oil, to cover up poor distillation skills. Tinctures and Flower Essences are also not hydrosols, and hydrosols should not be called plant or flower essences, as that confuses those unfamiliar with plant remedy terminology.

Having journeyed through much learning about in order to “do” healing, aromatherapy  herbalism, flower essences, and homeopathy have all been areas of special study and practical application for me. One of the fundamental premises that holds true for every one of these modalities, concerning plants, is that each plant has its proper time of harvest during the day and within a prime period of the growing season. Bring also a natural perfumer, I have a keen sense of the qualities and nuances of scent,also taste,  and can determine a great deal about the best harvest and processing time for plants. I will nibble and crush a bit of leaf to test after watching a plants growth for awhile. When a plant is ready to yield its best for a distillation, when I bite into the leaf,  I experience an almost imperceptible burst of volatile oil on my tongue. This moment changes each year. Harvesting plants too soon, these therapeutic oils will not have developed sufficiently. Waiting too late, the potency is lost. Throw this in with gauging the best constellation / moon combination  ( I’m a Biodynamic grower) and when the plants have put on the right amount of weight to give a good yield, and you can see this work takes devoted and keen observation.

Hydrosols are subtle and gentle on one hand, yet they are very potent, far more than teas, tinctures or flower essences of the same plant. For really sensitive people who have difficulty tolerating the substantial strength of herbal teas or tinctures preserved in alcohol or glycerites ( sugar intolerance), hydrosols are a healing boon.

. Versatility in use is also a feature of hydrosols, for they can be of skincare assistance, either on their own as sprays or in the formulation of products; plant waters can be taken internally, in small amounts ranging from a teaspoon to a tablespoon; and they can be used in therapeutic baths. Spritzing one’s face in the heat of summer with cooling peppermint or soothing rose geranium can bring refreshment, and also shift a state of mind or mood. Another use is to impart a whisper of fragrance, or special notes in natural perfumery.

The purest hydrosols are not preserved with additives, including alcohol. Radish root ferment is one Eco Cert acceptable preservative for skincare . Shelf life is fairly short ( 1-2 years depending on the ph range, quality of water used, and filtration)  so keep hydrosols in the refrigerator and use liberally.