Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy

Have you passed by spas and be mesmerized by those nice smelling essential oils that they diffuse in their shops? Well then, you need to try hydrosols, the next Aromatherapy. Hydrosols can be used in culinary, for mental well-being and most often used in skincare to hydrate your skin, used to damp makeup sponges to make your foundation stick well to your skin, without looking patchy. Some hydrosols can used to soothe sun-burn, reduce swelling from insect bites, relieve baby diaper rash, relieve bed sore, or even used to replace the water portion in your cosmetic formulation recipe, and so on.

What is a Hydrosol?

In Suzanne Catty’s book “Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy”, she mentioned that hydrosol is the homeopathic version of aromatherapy, which is ideal for use on children, pets, and those with fragile immunity systems, as they are a lot gentler than essential oils.

During a plant distillation, the volatile molecules of the FRESH plant materials are captured and collected as essential oils. Gnerally speaking, dried plant materials should not be used to produce hydrosols as the cellular water is no longer in existence.

Dried plant materials should not be used to produce hydrosols as the cellular water is no longer in existence.

The water that comes out is known as the distillate (England), hydrolat (France) or hydrosol (America). This water is vibrant, dynamic and contains water-soluble cellular parts of the plant material. its cellular water and micro-drops of essential oil. Organoleptically, it has a strong taste, strong taste, strong scent and a pH of less than 5.5.

Is Hydrosol Always a By-Product?

While most hydrosols are by-products of essential oil distillation, the true hydrosol is distilled for its distillate alone. It takes a longer time, and a lower temperature during the distillation process as compared to that distillation meant to obtain an essential oil. It does not make economic sense for big manufacturers to distill for hydrosol alone as the essential oil is financially more lucrative lot than its hydrosol. It simply takes up too much time and money to only extract true hydrosols. That’s why manufacturers will re-distill its hydrosols to extract even more essential oil from the process.

True hydrosols are distilled for its distillate alone, and not a by-product.

Hydrosol Quality: Metal Still vs Copper Still

In essential oil distillation, manufacturers tend to use huge metal stills, with high pressure, to obtain the essential oils in the shortest time. Most essential oils are obtained within the first 15 to 20 minutes of distillation.

Hydrosol distillation are normally carried out by artisanal distillers. They often distill using copper stills and time taken can range from 30 minutes to 3 hours or even longer, depending on plant materials used.

Other manufacturers distill in glass, or stainless still. Metal stills that big manufacturers use will result in a hydrosol with a still note. It takes many months for such still notes to disappear. By that time, the hydrosol could be closer to end of shelve life. Perhaps that’s the reason why a Thailand distiller I met discard their hydrosols.

However, I know another smaller Indian distiller that distills using stainless steel, yet they do not have that still note that the Thai distiler experienced – because they claimed that they use high quality steel distillation kit.

Those hydrosols distilled using copper still are fresh and ready to be used immediately. Depending on the quality of your hydrosol and how you store them, the scent of hydrosol could change over time.

Volatile Compounds of a Hydrosol

Ann Harman, an organic farmer and hydrosol researcher of Circle H Institute said that essential oils contain 100% volatile compounds; whereas hydrosol only contain maximum 0.05% volatile compounds. So why do we still want to use hydrosols?

With such low volatile compound, you might think hydrosol is nothing by distilled water! In fact, you will greatly appreciate the power of a hydrosol when you have a chance to smell or try one. Very often, they need to be diluted further.

Take note that many hydrosols sold in the market are mostly by-products of essential oil. Middle men or essential oil distributors sell hydrosol but they are often clueless about its processes unless they have been trained as a distiller themselves. In other words, you can get varying quality of hydrosols, some are by-products of essential oil distillation, some are diluted further with distilled water, some are re-distilled again to extract any balance essential oil. You can only differentiate by comparing, smelling, or doing your own GCMS testing. The average consumer is clueless and only judge based on price alone.

Enjoyed reading this post, please share  with a friend, or read our next blog on “Ways to Use Hydrosol”.

Bibliography

Catty, Suzanne. Hydrosols: The Next Aromatherapy. March 2001.

Harman, Ann. Harvest to Hydrosols: Distill Your Own Exquisite Hydrosols at Home. BotaNNicals, 2015.