hydrolates

Hydrosols , also known as plant waters or floral waters, are byproducts of the steam distillation of essential oils from plant material. When plant material is distilled to extract essential oils, the resulting steam condenses into an aqueous distillate called a hydrosol.

This distillate contains the water-soluble components of the plant as well as a small amount of the essential oil, giving the hydrolats a similar but often milder scent than the corresponding essential oil. Due to their gentle properties, hydrolats are widely used in aromatherapy, cosmetics, as face and body sprays, in therapeutic applications and even in food.

Their gentle nature makes them particularly suitable for sensitive skin and applications where essential oils would be too strong, such as in baby care or in facial products. Hydrosols also have specific therapeutic properties depending on the plant source, for example rose water can be appreciated for its soothing and moisturising properties and witch hazel water for its astringent and anti-inflammatory properties.