Hydro+sol

Hydro meaning water and sol meaning solution, the term hydrosol is the aromatic water that carries over the essential oil during the process of distillation. In some instances the end product is the hydrosol, the condensate water produced during a plant distillation, while in others the hydrosol is a by-product of the distillation of plant matter to obtain essential oil. This fragrant water is bursting with similar aromatherapeutic affects as the essential oil counterpart but in a water soluble format that is much more subtle.

Hydrosols have many names including distillate water, floral water, plant water and hydrolat, lat referring to the transparent milky color of the water as it initially comes out of the still. In some instances words such as floral or plant water may not be a hydrosol but a water with added scent material.

During the distillation process plant matter gently imprints the water with its molecular trace particles resulting in a fragrant water. Referred to as "waters of life" in the past, hydrosols are considered a lost art that are now circling back as a revolutionary new form of aromatherapy. The distillates have been termed as “the soul of the plant”, with the ability to transmit non-verbal messages, bypassing the thinking mind.

I distill hydrosols with a heart-fulness that begins when harvesting the material throughout the entire process to bottling. I use both a cooper and glass still, depending on the time of year and availability of plant matter.

Hydrosols contain essential oil molecules which help preserve them and in turn offers many of the benefits of the essential oil. I use them for skin care as toners, room & body misters, perfume,  deodorant and combining with other ingredients to make eco friendly cleaners, facial masks, drinks or for flavoring. Since hydrosols have a cooling quality and are said to reduce inflammation, they are especially useful in hot weather, when someone has a fever and when heat rises in the body, such as a hot flash.

In stock at the moment, click here to my website.

Santa Fe Pinon & Santa Monica Mountain White Sage, the word Santa means Holy in Spanish, these are indeed holy, actually “divine” is a better word.

Related posts: Elixir of Heaven, Jasmine sambac Hydrosol

Chamisa distillation

Last week, during a filming session at the perfumery for an upcoming feature, I distilled the beautiful golden flowers of Chamisa with my small glass still. The result is an enchanting, mellow yellow hydrosol that smells of liquid sunshine.

The main notes are from monoterpenes like d-limonene, which contributes to the warm, sunny scent. There is a darker yellow rim of the hydrosol which indicates a tiny amount of essential oil. I’m going to do a run in Spiritus, my cooper still, to see if we can capture more of the essential oil.

Chamisa, a perennial shrub native here in New Mexico is a member of the Aster family (Asteraceae) and goes by many names including: Rabbitbrush, Rubber Rabbitbrush and the latin Ericameria nauseosa.

The scent of the hydrosol has very little in common with flowering plant, which is quite fascinating. Although many are allergic to the pollens found on the flowers, the hydrosol does not carry that encoded message and may actually work as a type of homeopathic remedy.

Alchemy Panel Discussion, Distill your Own Hydrosols & Hydrosol Encounter

As part of the Alchemy & Medicine of the Soul workshop we have three other happenings taking place all within the Santa Monica Mountain area. Please note there is limited space available for some of these events, be mindful to grab your seat while they are available!

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Alchemy Panel Discussion

with Cathy Skipper, Dr. Florian Birkmayer, John Steele and Roxana Villa

April 20th, Thursday evening

The word alchemy is often associated with essential oils due to the transformation of physical matter through the process of distillation. Historical origins of alchemy point back in time suggesting that Hermes Trismegistus, which in Egypt was called Thoth was the father of the art.

Learn more about the different points of view on alchemy and its relationship to essential oils, aromatherapy, botanical perfume, psychology and altered states in this unique panel discussion.

Free to attend with RSVP

Location: Canoga Ave., Woodland Hills, CA

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Distill Your Own Hydrosols

with Cathy Skipper and Dr. Florian Birkmayer
April 21st, Friday 3pm-6pm

The process of obtaining the essence of a plant through the process of distillation goes back in History to the early alchemists in Egypt. In this afternoon workshop we will distill native plants personally selected and harvested with Cathy and Florian.

The word hydrosol, ‘hydro’ water and ‘sol’ solution means water solution and refers to the fact that a hydrosol is water that contains plant molecules and is produced alongside essential oil in the process of steam distillation, it is sometimes referred to as flower water.

With a small, portable, inexpensive, copper still, Hydrosols are easy to make, much safer and easier to use than essential oils and have great potential for use both in physical ailments and when working on a subtle, emotional level.

Mankind has distilled plants in order to extract their aromatic core for thousands of years and there is evidence that all the major civilizations used this form of extraction.

Making one’s own hydrosols and being a part of the process from the harvesting to the final product is not only easy with a small home still but also extremely revealing. The plant seems to open up on another level allowing us to come into contact with its healing vibration with ease and clarity, thus deepening our knowledge and intuitive information about it. There is a time for everything and although there are herbalists that have been distilling and using hydrosols regularly for years, I believe that now is the time to integrate their use into regular practice, they do not replace other forms of plant preparation but add a precious element to the medicinal plant tool box.

The one-day introduction to Hydrosols will include:

• Practical distillations
• Learning what constituents a hydrosol
• How to use hydrosols

DATE and TIME: Friday, April 21st in Topanga Canyon, CA from 3pm - 6pm

LOCATION: Details provided upon registration.

Please arrive unscented. Be mindful of laundry, cosmetic and bath & beauty products on this special day. We need to keep our palettes clear and free of odorants and be respectful of the flora and fauna we will be working with.
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Hydrosol Encounter

with Cathy Skipper and Dr. Florian Birkmayer

April 24th, Monday evening 7pm - 9pm, Blue Table, Agoura Hills, CA

As part of the Alchemy & Medicine of the Soul weekend workshop we are offering an evening encounter with hydrosols, led by Cathy Skipper & Dr Florian Birkmayer MD.

During the distillation process plant matter gently imprints the water with its molecular trace particles resulting in an aromatic water that is useful in skin care, therapeutic applications, refreshing sprays and in cooking. Although these "waters of life" are part of daily life in our recent past, hydrosols are one of the lost arts that is now circling back and finding a home as a new form of aromatherapy. The waters that result from distillation have been described as “the soul of the plant”, able to transmit non-verbal messages, bypassing the thinking mind

In this informal gathering at Blue Table in Agoura Hills, we will explore the transformative subtle frequencies of several hydro distilled elixirs. Our focus will be the emotional and spiritual "properties found in the barely detectable aromatic trace molecules which exist in concentrations of parts per billion, bringing the worlds of matter and spirit."

"Drinking exotic plant hydrosols such as Jasmine Sambac, Blue Lotus, Golden Champa and Frankincense is an immersive experience which is exquisite, both in smell and taste. These plant teachers invite us to participate in a subtle, yet often euphoric, aromatic conversation with the natural wisdom of botanical intelligence."

Join us in this profound inquiry into the relationship between smell and higher consciousness — and feel it spark into your own work. Celebrate the extra-ordinary in the moment as you feel yourself elevated by botanical intelligence.

DATE & TIME: Monday, April 24, 2017, 7pm-9pm

LOCATION: Blue Table at  Whizin Market Hall, 28914 Roadside Dr, unit #219, Agoura Hills, CA 91301, find a map here.

Please arrive unscented. Be mindful of laundry, cosmetic and bath & beauty products on this special day. We need to keep our palettes clear and free of odorants.

“With an increased floral consciousness, 

humans will begin to make full use of their ‘light brain’ 

and make more refined and sophisticated use of their ‘smell brain.’ 

The two are portentously linked. 

In fact, they overlap to such an extent that they may be considered inseparable.”

~ Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume 

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FEES

The panel discussion is free and open to everyone who RSVP's in advance. If you are registered for the Alchemy & Medicine of the Soul workshop the class on distillation is included in your tuition. If you would like to attend the Hydrosol Encounter, the fee is $40 which covers all the expenses, including the very special and unique hydrosols we will be sipping.

Spiritus

I am excited to share that a beautiful, cooper alembic has been sent to me. I have chosen to name the still "Spiritus", since the word was one of the names given to the first distillates which were made with wine, herbs and citrus.

Now that the course is finished I have been getting my ducks in a row to dive into this very ancient and alchemical art.

Auspiciously, my local friend Monika Peters began her own journey in distillation last Autumn, thus I have a "distillation" buddy! On Friday Monika and I decided to distill, thus Sunday I headed out to her home high up in the Santa Monica Mountains overlooking the Pacific ocean to do some with my still. We had planned to do a distillation and also "prepare"my still that day. Unfortunately Monikas hoses were too small for my still, so that task is set for another day...perhaps this week.

For the distillation I had Greg purchase some fresh picked, organic lavender from Fillmore at the Farmers Market on Saturday, which came with a few sprigs of mint and lemon verbena. During twilight I went out into my garden hunting for something to pair the lavender with, I was considering white sage, when the Artemesia californica caught my attention with her new shoots gently waving at me. I asked, "Oh, would you like to offer your new shoots to be converted to spirit?" I felt that the plant indeed wanted to be part of the endeavor. Thus, very early on Sunday morning, amidst the gentle song of the birds I harvested a bundle of the artemesia and gave the plant a small carnelian crystal in return for the new shoots. One thing that I find interesting about this particular plant on my front slope is that it came up on its own, most likely thanks to a bird or coyote droppings.

I then put the lavender bundles and artemesia into a bucket of filtered water while I loaded Spiritus into the car and all my other gear for the day. As I placed the bucket with the plant material into the car I decided to add a quartz crystal in with the plants to help maintain their vitality.

After determining that we would not be using my still we set up Monikas, which she named Grace. We then decided to gather some rosemary from her garden to pair with the lavender and artemesia. Thus we had a trinity of local plants from the Lamiaceae family.

We assembled all the apparatus and then weighed our plant material. Next we covered the plants with water, keeping track of how much water we used. Meanwhile Monika noted all these details and more on a paper in her notebook, including other items like the date, time, location, temperature of the day, if there was wind, etc. It was a perfect day, sunny, 79 degrees with light wind.

Next, at 1:58pm we fired up the stove! Although we could smell the beautiful aromatics as everything began to heat up it was at approximately 2:10pm we saw the first drip of our hydrosol. An incredibly exciting moment!

During the process we tested the ph and noted the aroma and taste of the water. At 3:11 we decided to turn off the heat and end the process, although later on we realized we could have let it go a bit longer.

Hydrosols, also referred to as floral or herbal waters, were originally called "hydro-lats" lat meaning milk, because of the whitish color of the water as it comes out of the still. The yellow colored liquid floating on top of the water is the essential oil.

The process gave us 16 ounces of a beautiful fragrant water with notes of pinene, camphor, lavender and lemon. Once the herbal water sets for a bit and we separate out the essential oil I will go on a little tasting/smelling journey with the hydrosol and see what she shares with me. Meanwhile, the quartz crystal that I added to the herbs ended up going into the distillation with the plants and seems to have disappeared.

All photos Roxana Villa.

Hydro Sol

I believe that water is the only drink for a wise man.

~Henry David Thoreau

The steam, or in some cases water and steam, that passes through the plant material during the distillation process is referred to as a hydrosol or hydrolat. These healing waters are rich in hydrophilic components not found in essential oils. These elements are referrred to as “weak acids” and occur in trace amounts, similar to the energetic blueprint in homeopathic and flower remedies.

Uses of hydrosols are similar to those of essential oils such as applying them to the skin and through inhalation. Hydrosols have been found to work on all the systems of the body from strengthening immunity, calming the spirit and focusing the mind. Here are some suggestions:

• Drinking: Add approximately one teaspoon per 4oz glass of chilled, purified water. Before drinking give thanks to the plant spirit and ask for its guidance. Close your eyes and receive the blessing. This is terrific for group gatherings where intention or spirit is invoked, and for celebrations.
  

• Add to the bath water and/or inhalations.

• Spritz on the face and or body: Use as a toner on the face. Spritz before applying moisturizer, after shaving or to cool down in the hot summer months. Can also be applied just after applying make-up. Hydrosols are soothing to the skin and can alleviate itching. Use on the delicate skin of both babies and the elderly, as well as animals.
  

• Add to your lotions and potions.

• Add to food preparation. A common practice in the East where the waters are utilized in both food and drink.

• Excellent as a compress for the eyes and or skin applied locally.

• For magical purposes use hydrolats when you want to bring in elemental water. The different hydrosols can be aligned with the vibrational aspects of different plants, for example Jasmine for invoking the feminine and the moon.

• For the perfumer, especially those interested in the healing aspect of botanical perfume, hydrosols can be added drop by drop to perfume formulas and colognes.

Dr. Emoto has some interesting thoughts on water. Watch the extended version of the film “What the Bleep” to see his experiments and hear his theory.

“Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success. Always be on the lookout for ways to turn a problem into an opportunity for success. Always be on the lookout for ways to nurture your dream.”

~ Lao Tzu

Inspiration for this post come from the Jan Kusmerik article titled “Exploring Floral Waters” in the Aromatherapy Journal from Spring 2000, Volume 10, No. 1. Thank you Jan for sharing your immense wisdom and inspiring my path!

Suzanne Catty has an excellent book out titled “The Next Aromatherapy” where you can read more about the healing aspects of hydrosols. Take a look at the list on her website where you can view the therapeutic action of the different available hydrosols.

The Fragrant Earth Company
Suzanne Catty
Dr. Masaru Emoto
What the Bleep

Images © Greg Spalenka, see them and more at his website here.

Roxana Illuminated Perfume™