Hydrosols Aromatherapy's Emerging Star

By Donna Gibbs

Whether hiking in the high sierras or swimming in the ocean, I was always in awe of nature's gifts of beauty and natural resources.

I began my personal journey to become a part of the healing world of aromatherapy while visiting Hawaii 30 years ago.

With a passion to learn about the powers of herbs and flowers, and the desire to share my knowledge, this journey brought me back to build our garden to create and distill the purest of hydrosols to complement our home and skincare products.

My journey continues to walk with nature to learn and educate.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Donna Gibbs
• Release date: Jun 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9780578703756

Book preview

Hydrosols: Nature’s Emerging Star

Aromatherapy still in a field of lavender

Rene Maurice Gattefosse coined the word aromatherapy in 1928. For the last twenty years, the use of hydrosols and essential oils has grown tremendously. They are used in perfumery, cosmetics, beauty products, and medicinal, aromatic and traditional therapies. By 2020, most everyone has heard of aromatherapy and essential oils, seen them listed in beauty and cosmetic products, used them in diffusers and dabbled a little with them on their own. However hydrosols, a byproduct from the steam distillation of certain herbs and flowers to produce essential oils, are still a new concept.

In the early 1970s, one of my teachers Jeannie Rose coined the name hydrosol instead of calling it a hydrolat, which it was referred to up until its new moniker stuck. Europe still calls it a hydrolat.

There is evidence that herbs and flowers have been distilled as early as the first century AD to be used medicinally, for beauty, and spiritual ceremonies. Steam distilling, as it is done today with copper and stainless steel stills, began in the 16th century. The process is much like modern-day production of liquor or 19th century moonshine. 

It is hard to explain what a hydrosol is without explaining where an essential oil comes from. Everyone is familiar with lavender essential oil and lavender floral water.

These two are actually what happens when a bulk of fresh lavender is added to a pot of steaming water, much like when you steam vegetables. The lavender sits in the basket, while the steam passes through it to extract the essence of the plant, which is the essential oils and hydrosols.

The difference between the two products is that the essential oil is highly concentrated and comes with several cautions and warnings, whereas a hydrosol is mild enough to be used on children and pets.

For the last twenty years, the use of hydrosols and essential oils has grown tremendously. They are used in perfumery, cosmetics, beauty products, and medicinal, aromatic and traditional therapies.

All About Hydrosols

Both essential oils and hydrosols have the ability to help with medicinal and emotional well being, mystical and spiritual health and skin problems. 

As a liquid, hydrosols can be used in diffusers and dehumidifiers. As a spray, hydrosols can be used as a facial toner, or hair rinse, room spray, laundry refresher, room purifier, body perfume and in the bath to just mention a few.

In the late 1990s to early 2000s, the cosmetic industry started advertising their aromatherapy lines. Bath and body shops started selling the aromatic soaps, lotions, creams, and shampoos. Even large companies began to advertise their new aromatherapy cosmetic and perfume lines. You could even find essential oils or floral waters listed in the ingredients of culinary recipes in some books.

Most self-care recipes in aromatherapy books listed water, aloe vera, vinegar, or witch hazel instead of a hydrosol for the liquid. The exception was Jeannie Rose in her book The Aromatherapy Book published in 1992.

As I sit down to write this book, I realize most of my training has been learning about essential oils, how to incorporate them into our daily lives and their health benefits. However, I was so fascinated with the art of distillation, that I was determined to learn more. I am amazed that in thirty years, the aromatherapy industry is still lacking in extensive information on hydrosols. This might have been a turning point for me, realizing how much the general public needed to be educated about hydrosols.

In the Recipes and Uses section in the back of the book, there will be a few recipes to share that don’t have hydrosols in the ingredients. This is because some medicinal issues demand more of the concentrated properties of the essential oil, which blend better with a carrier oil like sweet almond oil or jojoba oil. 

My Passion For Aromatherapy

My love for aromatherapy and the world of essential oils began thirty years ago when I ordered a book called Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art by Kathi Keville and Mindy Green by mistake. Looking for some reading material to take on vacation to the Hawaiian Islands, I grabbed the book and threw it in my bag. When we arrived in Hawaii, I set it aside, promptly forgetting about it.

One evening while attending an outdoor barbecue with friends, I received several mosquito bites that were so severe they were interrupting my vacation and I found no relief from over-the-counter remedies. Being miserable and bored, by chance, I picked up this strange book on aromatherapy to discover it actually had some ideas to help me with my mosquito bites. I had to formulate a recipe myself but I was so desperate I decided to try this new natural remedy.

The local health food store in town sold me the essential oils I needed and some aloe vera gel and after a