[Aromatic hydrolates] to take care of your skin

If essential oils have taken up residence in many bathrooms, the same is not the case for the lesser known hydrolats. Discover their sweetness and their exceptional benefits!

Do you know the hydrolats? Aromatic hydrolates are actually obtained during the steam distillation of plants, flowers (also called floral waters for this reason) or leaves. The water thus recovered is loaded with aromatic compounds and active molecules.

Put some notes of softness in her cosmetics with hydrolats

Hydrolats, if they are obtained at the same time as essential oils, are much less powerful. In fact, the distillation of vegetables separates the water on one side and the essential oil on the other.

What is a hydrosol?

The hydrolate is in fact a residue of this operation and contains in this way the same active molecules as the essential oils, but in the form of traces.

There are as many hydrosols as essential oils. Both will have the same virtues as well: purifying, clarifying, anti-inflammatory, astringent, antiseptic, regenerative ... It also speaks of hydrolathérapie in parallel aromatherapy.

If they are by nature less effective than essential oils because they do not have the intensity, hydrolats are at the same time much softer! The advantage is that unlike HE, they can be used very easily, without any particular contraindication.

Hydrolats: unequal qualities

As for many products, cosmetics or others, differences in quality and price sometimes make the big difference. Hydrolats do not escape the rule. Those of poor quality and low cost will often be impure, diluted or even polluted.

Read the labels well and avoid the hydrolates that contain alcohol or preservatives that are not only useless, but also denature the product. The organic label protects you from any disappointment at this level.

Check the concentration of active ingredients

The floral waters richest in active ingredients and which are therefore of good quality were produced with an extraction ratio of 1/1. This means that to obtain 1 liter of hydrosol, 1 kilo of plant will have been necessary.

For a hydrolate to be highly concentrated in active ingredients, only the first liters of distillation water will be recovered. In general, the first 8 liters are rich, the following liters much less. A satisfactory concentration is assessed by a powerful odor of the hydrosol.

Beware of polluted hydrosols

As seen above, some hydrolats are likely to contain unsavory substances. This is because it is possible to use any water to obtain a hydrosol.

Thus, if the water used contains sulphates and other pollutants, these same elements will be found in the solution. Similarly, if the plants and flowers used have been treated with pesticides, they will inevitably land in the hydrosol. So prefer them bio.

The conditions of conservation of hydrolats

Hydrolats and floral waters are extremely fragile substances. They are altered in the presence of light and when stored in the heat.

These are products that are very sensitive to microbial pollution. It is therefore essential, before purchase, to know their storage conditions and the date on which the reseller entered them in his stocks.

After purchase, make sure you meet the optimal storage conditions: cool or even in the refrigerator and away from light. Better to consume them within 6 months after opening.

Read next page: how to use them?