Hydrosols - A Multitude of
Uses
The beauty and pleasure of simply spritzing yourself - face, hair, body, and
clothes - with the gentle fragrance
Cool a hot flash.
Soothe a sunburn.
Soothe a pet's hot spots.
Clean the air.
Freshen the bathroom.
Keep in the entryway to freshen the air before guests arrive.
Hygiene
Disinfect your hands.
Make your own wet wipes - spray on a tissue or damp cloth and use. Great for
you, your pets, your baby. Good for dirty faces, hands, and bottoms.
Use for a healing sitz bath.
Travel
Refresh the air during travel - car, hotel room, airplane. Cleanse that
recycled air.
Hydrosols act as air-borne viricides.
Beverages
Add 1 teaspoon in 6 to 8 oz. water - distilled, mineral, or otherwise. Ice
cubes and sweetener optional.
Add a splash to a glass of white wine or champagne.
Laundry
Spray in the dryer before adding clothes and then directly on the clothes.
Spray on clothes during ironing.
Fine dining
Spray on cloth napkins and tablecloth to refresh the scent already used in the
dryer and while ironing.
Place bowls of hydrosol with flowers floating in them in the centerpiece to
scent the room.
Serve smaller finger bowls of the same on silver trays at the end of the meal
for guests to clean their hands.
Beauty and skin care
Spritz on fingernails to encourage healthy growth of nails.
Spritz on face to set makeup.
Spritz on hair and scrunch to refresh and scent hairdo.
Add to cream and lotion products to increase their efficacy.
Add a few cups to the bath
Note: Fresh hydrosol, that has been cleanly distilled is pure and free of
bacteria. It should be stored in the refrigerator, used within the year it is
distilled, and thrown out at the next distillation, which will be when the plants
are mature again. Old hydrosol can also be used in the bath. Put old hydrosols
in your room fountains or anything that circulates water. Fresh, pure hydrosols
do not need preservation, if care is taken during the distillation. Do not let
people run their fingers through the distillate as it comes from the still. It
should be dripped directly into a sterile container, then sealed and
refrigerated.
Information and Recipes by Jeanne Rose