When plant matter is steam distilled, both essential oils (oil-soluble constituents), and hydrosols (water-soluble constituents) are produced.
When you should choose Hydrosols over Essential Oils
You might consider hydrosols in cases where you’re concerned about essential oil safety:
some essential oils are unsafe for children
some EO’s are unsafe for pregnant moms
most EO’s require that you dilute the oil with another essential oil
a few are phototoxic
Hydrosols, can be used more freely on pets, children, for consumption, as a linen spray, and on many skin issues. If your homemade skin care recipes contain water, you can replace the water with a hydrosol. Another perk is that if you drink an herbal tea for medicinal purposes, use a hydrosol instead (a couple teaspoons added to a bland tea), as they are more concentrated. Some hydrosols can relieve a headache, calm nerves, etc.
How I’ll be using it.
Know what I’m excited about? The teething solution that Lea suggests: Apply German or Roman Chamomile hydrosol directly to your baby’s gums to relieve teething pain. Sophie just turned 8 months old, eats dirt, and drools like a St. Bernard. Not one tooth has poked through yet but it must be coming soon. I’m be picking up some hydrosol to try out on her. (This might be a good time to tell you that hydrosol is not a DIY project.) I will probably check out Mountain Rose Herbs as a source, if I can’t find it at my natural food store.
Source: The Hydrosol Quick Start Guide by Lea Harris. You might be interested in reading the chapter entitled: A Glimpse at the Therapeutic Properties of 16 Hydrosols. She’ll give you suggestions on what hydrosols relieve sunburns, which stimulate hair growth, what works as a nasal rinse, and more.
