Hydrosols are living relics of ancient wisdom, cherished by our ancestors for their vibrant, beneficial properties. Early insights into these mysterious waters are still drawn upon today as we rediscover their skin-healing power.
What are Hydrosols?
hī-drə-ˌsäl | noun: a colloidal suspension (sol) in water
In the context of herbalism, hydrosol refers to distilled, aromatic essences of plants that benefit the mind, body, and skin.
When plant materials are steam or water-distilled, the resulting substances include an essential oil and a hydrosol.¹ While hydrosols are often deemphasized as a by-product of essential oils, these ancient herbal waters carry a full spectrum of unique benefits.
The mild concentration of hydrosols makes them suitable for direct application to the skin without contraindications. In contrast, essential oils are often too harsh to be applied “neat”. Gentle yet potent, richly hydrating, and wonderfully aromatic, hydrosols are sought after in skincare, perfumery, and herbal medicine—proving to be far more than an afterthought!
Hydrosols + Your Skin = A Match Made in Heaven
Beyond their divinely therapeautic aromas and sensory benefits, copper-distilled hydrosols capture a holistic picture of each plant and its benefits. pH balancing, deeply hydrating, and soothing by nature, hydrosols carry unique tonifying, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and wound healing benefits to varying degrees depending on the chosen botanical. Hydrosol of Calendula, for example, is particularly useful for soothing wounds, irritation, and sunburns.
Hydrosols are imbued with the same aromatic molecules as essential oils, but these molecules are water-soluble, allowing for absorption to the deepest layers of our skin. As hydration sinks in, the plant’s healing properties follow right along. Beyond facial skin care, hydrosols are wonderful for the full body as well as for scalp and hair care.
A spritz of our quality hydrosols uplifts the spirit, refreshes the skin, and makes a perfect companion to natural oil or water-based skincare. When followed with an oil-based serum, in particular, the rich hydration is further enhanced. Hydrosols are beneficial and healing for all skin types, soothing acne, eczema, chronic dryness, and imbalances.
How to apply hydrosols: Spritz a fine mist or apply with a cotton pad to tone the skin and prepare for a moisturizer. To use as a compress, soak a cloth in a hydrosol and apply it as a compress to soothe irritated skin, sunburn, or minor wounds. Tip: store your hydrosols in the fridge and spritz throughout the day to cool, refresh, and tone.
The History of Floral Waters
Since the dawn of creation, humans have walked in relationship with a sprawling, magical botanic world. The plants that surround us are rich in symbology, medicinal power, and beauty that invite our attention and reverence. The ancients of Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome chronicled a treasure trove of knowledge about the properties and applications of the blooms, roots, bark, and stems that blanket the earth. Today, these natural gifts can still rejuvenate our minds, our bodies, and our skin.
Also called “floral waters” or “herbal waters”, some early hydrosols were created by the ancient Egyptians using clay pots and wet rags. Over time, the extraction of plant essences became more refined, and the Middle Ages brought us closer to the elegant copper alembic stills that Judson Carleton fills with blooms of Lavender, Helichrysum, and a whole tapestry of healing herbs today.
Keeping Ancient Wisdom Alive
With a wealth of knowledge and passion for his craft, Judson is a third-generation farmer and an expert distiller of fine hydrosols. His father and grandfather were foresters in the foothills of California—in the business of “40-year farming,” as Judson calls it—until corporate logging took the reigns and did away with their patient stewardship. In step with generations before, his life has kept in close touch with the land, growing and tending to the earth every season since his teenage years. Now, Judson, his wife Anne, and their family tend to fields, greenhouses, and steaming copper stills full of aromatic glory.
Nestled on the banks of the Columbia river amongst the pristine mountain ranges of Northern Washington, an impressive array of botanicals are grown organically and regeneratively by a collective of small American farmers, with each hydrosol distilled fresh on the farm. While many hydrosols on the market are made from dried or low-quality materials, our distillers offer the essence of a plant’s vibrant life in a bottle. The precious herbal water is then purified and further enhanced—not by harsh processing, but through the unique properties of copper.
The Myriad Benefits of Copper Distillation
The emergence of the copper alembic still during the Middle Ages marked a significant milestone in distillation history. Far more than an elegant design, copper stills allow for precision in temperature, purification of unwanted bacteria, and a unique reaction with sulphur compounds present in plant material.
Copper, however, is not ubiquitous—many commerical hydrosols are distilled in stainless steel. “Distillates from stainless steel or glass stills often need to sit for three to six months before they even smell nice,” Judson explains, describing the initial aroma of stainless steel-distilled hydrosols as harsh and unpleasant due to volatile sulphur compounds that haven’t been neutralized. “If it takes three to six months before you can say, ‘wow, that’s beautiful!’, then you’ve just lost a third of your timeframe of freshness.”
Not so with the hydrosols we offer: our distiller utilizes gorgeous copper alembic stills to expertly coax aromatics and healing compounds into a water-state. A testament to the intricacy of Creation, copper-distilled hydrosols uncover the inner life of each botanical, inviting us into the mysteries of cellular water and the energetic signatures carried within each plant. Copper’s aesthetic beauty extends to its suitability as a vessel; copper-distilled hydrosols are immediately sweet in aroma and taste. The shelf-life, efficacy, and bacterial makeup of hydrosols are known to benefit immensely from the purifying, anti-microbial, sulphur-neutralizing nature of this remarkable metal.
Supporting American Farmers
Every bottle of hydrosol on our shelves is brimming with botanicals grown by small American farms with the utmost care. Using organic and regenerative practices, our line of botanical offerings are second to none in quality, freshness, and sourcing, so you can trust each spritz and the amazing healing benefits held within.
¹ Some plants, such as Cornflower, produce hydrosols but not essential oils.