What is a hydrosol and how is it produced?
The most common manufacturing method of high-grade, qualitative essential oils is steam distillation. The plant parts are put on a grate under which is a heated water container. The rising steam releases the essential oils from the plant and carries them upwards. After condensation in a cooling coil, the oil can be separated from the water, as neither is mixable. The three steps are steam, cool and separate. Thus so-called distilled water is created (known as herbal water or hydrosol) which contains all the water-soluble ingredients of the plant as well as varying amounts of essential oils. Our fragrant hydrosols originate in France, Iran (an organic rose project that supports orphanages in Iran) and Turkey made from plants from controlled organic farming. They are stabilised and preserved with 10% purely organic ethyl alcohol, as otherwise they would very quickly decay and do the skin more harm than good. The proportion of organic alcohol does not harm the skin as when either applied
