Hydrosols

I have had the opportunity to work with a couple of people, and one cat(!), recently who have all benefited from the use of hydrosols. Now before I go into their specific circumstances, let me first explain exactly what a hydrosol is, and what other names you might see them referred to as.

When essential oils are extracted from plant matter, the most common method is steam distillation. Simply put, a huge quantity of plant matter is put in a large steel vat and steam is forced through it. There is another vat on top which is initially empty, into which the steam passes. Once it cools, it separates out into water and oil – the oil floating on top. The oil is what we refer to as the essential oil of the plant. The water is not just plain water, it is water that has also passed through all that plant matter and collected some of chemical components evident in the oil, but in much more diluted quantities. A hydrosol, therefore, can be considered to have the same therapeutic qualities as its essential oil namesake, but it is much gentler and therefore easier to use safely.

Just a word of warning however – a “Floral Water” or “Flower Water” is NOT the same thing as a hydrosol. These can be various concoctions, from water with essential oils and solubol to water that has had plant matter steeped in it for a while. Neither of these is a true hydrosol.

There are certain times and certain people for whom a hydrosol should be the first and possibly the only choice of treatment. For example, when working with babies, the frail and elderly, someone with a compromised immune system, or with animals. In all these cases, a hydrosol should be the first choice and often it works so well that it ends up being the only choice.

So this week, my three cases for which I recommended hydrosols were:

1. A young lady (in her twenties) undergoing chemotherapy, first for one cancer, now for another. She has been having treatment for 18 months now. Her body is under extreme stress and we would not want to stress it out any further. A calm gentle approach was needed – enter hydrosols.
2. A lady in her 60s with rosacea. A very common thing these days; I have to say that I never knew anyone with rosacea up until 10 years ago. Now it seems like it’s every tenth person. Makes you wonder…. Anyway, again her skin is very stressed right now and the initial protocol is hydrosols to calm down the redness and inflammation. Essential oils at this point could actually cause it to flare up even more, though they will be part of the ongoing solution once we have the redness under control.
3. A cat! With a red inflamed nose. Animals are extremely sensitive to smells, as we all know, so you try and avoid using essential oils directly on them. It was also almost impossible to apply a hydrosol directly to a cats nose, so I mixed the hydrosol in with some coconut oil so it had a bit more substance for me to be able to dab it on the top of her nose – not on the nostril area. Coconut oil also has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antifungal qualities, so it was an excellent choice for this instance.

So you can see there are a wide variety of reasons that you should take a look at hydrosols! I personally use one every day, twice a day, as part of my daily skincare routine. After washing my face, I spritz a rose hydrosol all over my face and neck before applying a face serum or face oil. Then I apply my moisturizer. Yes, maybe it sounds complicated, but so is your skin and it deserves a little respect. Our skin is our largest organ and it absorbs anything we put on it. It also helps to keep “bad things” out of our bodies, keeps us waterproof and helps us to get rid of toxins from within our bodies (via sweat and sebum). It is quite an amazing organ and one that deserves a little extra care.

I don’t know who said it, but I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “Love The Skin You’re In!” So true! If you do take care of it, then it in turn will be better able to take care of you.