What is a Hydrosol

What is a Hydrosol? I have been asked this question many times. ForeverGreen does not carry Hydrosols but we do carry plant life concentrates called HYDRessence.  More to come on HYDRessence in another post.  In the mean time here is information on hydrosols.   Here is the link http://www.aromaticplantproject.com/hydrosols.html

Collecting the Artemisia arborescens hydrosol, see the blue oil in the filter

Hydrosols are like a very concentrated extract.  You can consider them about 20-30 times more concentrated in herbal strength than a cup of herb tea. [250 lbs Geranium (16,000 t. herb) = 250 quarts hydrosol (50-60 gallons) or 800-900 cups]  For a 3 week course of treatment, use 1 t. hydrosol/cup of water.  Take 3 cups per day for 3 weeks .  Treat hydrosols with respect and like an essential oil.  If you add a drop of essential oil to the diluted hydrosol you have a powerful herbal/aromatherapy formula.
When plants are distilled in a small still, the hydrosol drips into the receiver (about 1 gallon every 32 minutes) and there will be an actual slick of essential oil on the surface of the water. This essential oil will further collect as the hydrosol cools and it then can be decanted off or removed with an eye dropper.  Or the bottle containing the hydrosol with the collected essential oil can be placed in the freezer.  The hydrosol will freeze and then the essential oil can be poured off into a small vial.  Hydrosols are naturally very acidic.
Many people have been quoted as not recommending hydrosols because of bacterial or mold contamination. But, in my experience when carefully distilled and bottled they will not spoil easily. Recently, author Suzanne Catty said …”Hydrosols are not overly prone to contamination and are in fact, remarkably stable.”1 Every hydrosol is different because of where it is produced and how it is produced, in terroir, distillation technique, chemotype varietal. Not all the water produced from the distillation of essential oils can be considered a valuable hydrosol. The best comes from a distillation where it is the hydrosol that is being produced rather than the essential oil.  Often the best comes from the earliest part of the distillation rather than the body of the distillation. The pH will be low, about 3.5-4.0. This usually smells bright and pleasantly fragrant. Although, some of the therapeutic part of the hydrosol is also produced at the very end of the distillation and usually has a rather grassy or vegetative note. As the plants are being distilled, micro-particles of essential oil are in suspension, they give the aromatic distillate its scent and will separate out as the hydrosol cools. There is approximately .02% essential oil in hydrosol.  Hydrosols have a strong taste, strong smell and will normally be clear like water and acidic.

To your good health!
Andrea Brothers
Secrets of pH Balancing
http://8475167.myforevergreen.org
An all around therapeutic essential oil enthusiast!

Popularity: 4% [?]