Hydrosol Series Part 1 | What is a Hydrosol?
I am SO excited for this new mini series on hydrosols! I am totally addicted to making these babies and can't wait to share all I know with you. This is a 3 part series covering the following:
What is a hydrosol?
What is a Hydrosol?
Today's topic is all about what a hydrosol is, and also what it is not. You may also know hydrosols as hydrolats, hydrolates, floral waters, and plant waters. The term floral water is a bit deceptive, however, because hydrosols do NOT just come from flowers. Just like an essential oil they can come from roots, bark, branches, leaves, fruit, and seeds. I also am not partial to the term floral water as I feel it's a confusing term that could be confused with other products that are on the market. One being "Rose Water" which some people make by simmering rose petals in water. That is definitely not a hydrosol.
Hydrosols are generally colorless and look exactly like water. They are, after all, made from water and plant material. But they are so much more than that. One whiff and you will smell each hydrosols distinct scent. Because of how they are created, they take on the medicinal properties of the plant the hydrosol was taken from.
According to Suzanne Catty hydrosols can be defined as:
“Hydrosols are the condensate water con-produced during the steam- or hydro-distillation of plant material for aroma-therapeutic purposes.”
In simpler terms, they are the BY-product of essential oils!
During the distillation process, the steam that is forced through the plant material rises through the condenser and turns back into a liquid. This process causes the oils to be extracted from the plant material and since oil and water don't mix, the steam, now turned back to water, naturally separate. That's how it is possible to siphon off the oil. What remains is a true hydrosol. And yes, there is still a very small amount of essential oil that remains suspended in the hydrosol.
Does this mean that you could simply create a hydrosol by adding a couple drops of essential oil with water? Absolutely not. Hydrosols contain the water-soluble constituents of the plant (think more along the lines of vitamins and minerals) whereas an essential oil contains only the fat soluble constituents. (Essential oils contain no vitamins or minerals.)
Also because of the steam distillation process, a very tiny amount of the essential oil is still able to remain suspended in the water.
According to Catty (2001), “Every liter of hydrosol contains between 0.05 and 0.2 milliliter of dissolved essential oil, depending on the water solubility of the plant’s components and the distillation parameters."
Translated, that means about less then 1% of the hydrosol is essential oil, typically closer to 0.01 – 0.04%. So yes, while that is an extremely tiny amount, the beauty of the hydrosol is that it contains ALL parts of the plants constituents, both water-loving, and fat-loving.
They are also much safer to use on babies and young children than essential oils but with similar properties, which is very exciting.
How to store hydrosols
Another large difference between hydrosols and essential oils is their shelf life. While oils can generally be stored indefinitely (but possibly losing some medicinal value) hydrosols have a relatively short shelf life. Between 6-24 months depending on the hydrosol. They should be stored in the refrigerator for maximum life. Like oils, they are best stored in glass jars. I prefer to use clear glass jars so you can monitor them to see if any mold starts to grow. The less you expose them to air, the better, as harmful microbes can be introduced and ruin the entire batch.
You will know a hydrosol is going bad when you notice it smells "off" or you start to see little floaters in the water. Those are bad microbes growing and you will want to discard the batch and start over.
I hope this gets you excited to make your own home version of hydrosols, because that's up next in this series!! No special equipment is needed, just basic kitchen supplies. See you soon!
