We use the same steam-distilling equipment today, that was first used by the Persian alchemist Avicenna, over a thousand years ago. He developed it to capture the delicate essential oils from fresh rose petals.

The ancient Chinese and Egyptian civilisations practised distillation of both herbs and alcohol before this. This method gradually spread across the world and by the 12th century, most monasteries in Southern Europe produced a distillate of herbs. These were prescribed for various maladies, from toothache to plague. Their recipes were a closely guarded secret. People bathed in them, wore them as scent and drank them - known as ‘Taking The Waters’.

Why Have People Returned To Hydrosols For Skincare?

To Avoid Harsh Cleansing Chemicals

The demand for hydrosols increased in 2008 with the ‘clean beauty’ movement, when consumers became better aware of harsh chemicals used in cleansing products.

After Gaining A Better Understanding of Cleansing

In 2014 Korean Beauty introduced Western consumers to a considered, ‘double-cleansing’ concept. A traditional oil-based cleanser was applied to melt sebum and makeup, followed by a water-based cleaning product.

 

Hydrosols naturally contain both - a small amount of oil from the plant is suspended in the distilled water. This attracts the same sebum and makeup as the oil and the distilled water attracts dirt and debris dissolvable in water. Demonstrating the principle that "like attracts like." Skin is thoroughly cleaned without stripping its natural oils, altering its pH balance or damaging the skin barrier.

To Revisit “Natural Beauty”

COVID-19 lockdowns, in 2020 drew people to intensive self-care. However, over-layering complex 10-step routines backfired, leaving millions with disrupted skin barriers, acne and irritation. This led to a mainstream wave of revisiting traditional, ‘all natural’ remedies and ‘Skin-Minimalism” from 2021.

Repairing the Skin Barrier, Free From Synthetics

By 2024 consumers had embraced traditional hydrosols to calm over-cleansed skin and desired minimalist, eco-friendly routines. The small amount of botanical oils in hydrosols, contain significantly fewer synthetic additives, parabens, and sulphates than conventional commercial liquid cleansers.

Hydrosols and herbs have been part of first aid relief for centuries, even on battlefields, as most contain anti-septic, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

The individual plant constituents vary across species and there can even be disparity between the chemical structure of one sub-species and another. For this reason, we have taken our time whittling down our hydrosols to just those with the best evidence of being beneficial to skin.

Hydrosols V Essential Oils

Hydrosols differ from essential oils in that they are much less concentrated. The distilled water contains the hydrophilic (water loving) properties that are not in essential oils. But the hydrosol has only a small amount of constituents that are lipophilic (oil loving). When the water is saturated, full with all the oil it can dissolve, the oil then begins to separate out and sit on the surface. This is the part collected for essential oils.

When Is A Hydrosol Not A Hydrosol?

• A true hydrosol, but with all the oil removed.

Some hydrosols have all the oil removed as this is precious and commands a much higher price than hydrosols.

• Distilled water with a little essential oil added with a surfactant.

Some sell distilled water with a drop of essential oil, or aroma chemicals added, a surfactant is necessary to keep the oil from floating on the surface of the water.. These tend to foam or bubble when shaken.

* True hydrosols will make a small amount of bubbles when shaken but they quickly disperse. 

Hydrosols are well-tolerated by skin and their potent, but gentle properties work well, especially on sensitive skin, with a tendency to react to both oily and alkaline products.

 Our Hydrosols:

 

Keeping Hydrosols Fresh.

It would be hard to bottle fresher than we do - we pick our plants at the optimum time, when the plant contains the maximum levels of useful constituents. Drying depends on individual plants: some, like borage, dry in an hour, some take a week.

As soon as they are ready, they are weighted, prepared, steamed and bottled on the same day. There is a careful balance between ensuring they are thoroughly dried (to eliminate moulds) and retaining the precious constituents. 

After bottling, we keep them at between 5-10ºC, out of sunlight, well sealed. Once opened, they are effective for six to nine months if kept well. We keep a few litres from every batch and continue to test it.

We have some ten year olds that have the same pH as the new batch, they haven’t clouded and still smell fresh.

 Nevertheless, we recommend using a hydrosol within 3 months of opening. If there is a change in the smell or a cloudiness (bloom) in the appearance, it should be discarded.

People with plant allergies or sensitivities should check that the distilled plant in the hydrosol is not from the same plant family as the problematic one. For instance: anyone with an allergy to calendula, should also avoid German chamomile.

Not all are recommended for use during pregnancy.

(Warnings tend to be for people drinking hydrosols or infusions, not using them as a cleanser.)

All of our crops are grown pesticides-free, GMC-free, GMO-free. 

Vegan: Yes    Animal Testing: No    Country of Origin: Isle of Man

We produce hydrosols for use on the skin, not for drinking. Before consuming any hydrosol for any therapeutic purpose, please be sure it is prepared for consumption and you have no allergies to similar or related plants. It is not generally advised to consume certain hydrosols during various stages of pregnancy. Please be sure you know what you are taking.