How to Use Hydrolates to Cool Off the Most Natural Way

It is a good idea to have different hydrolates available to you throughout the day, especially when you need to refresh your skin or clear the mind. After a long day of work, the delicate spraying of these aromatic waters on the skin can definitely help you to relax.

These magnificent waters serve to improve the mood and refresh the skin. They are so versatile in their use and so simple to prepare, that without a doubt, it is one of the star products in the world of natural cosmetics.

The refreshing tonic

The hydrolates or floral waters are the result of the steam distillation of infused water of aromatic or medicinal plants, either of the whole plant, of the flowers or of the root. They are not infusions or macerations, nor are they floral or herbal decoctions. These delicate waters are the by-product of essential oils and, although at a much lower power and concentration than these, they have the beneficial effects of the plant or flower from which it was extracted.

Personally, they are essential to complete daily beauty rituals, as they can be used as toners to tone the skin and thoroughly clean the remains of makeup and dirt. But they also serve to moisturize the skin throughout the day, in the form of a sprayer. They can even be used as aqueous bases for preparations of homemade masks and for soaking cloths to soothe burns or pitting on the skin, among other things.

Suitable for all

Hydrolates are very soft with sensitive skin and, therefore, are recommended for children and the elderly, as well as for people with topical skin problems such as psoriasis, dermatitis, etc.

Unlike essential oils, pregnant women and people with medical treatments can use them without any problem.

Keep them fresh

We recommend keeping the hydrolates in the fridge to keep them cooler. Hydrolates have a much shorter shelf life than essential oils. Avoiding direct contact with the sun or high temperatures makes them last longer. Therefore, amber or dark glass containers are recommended to keep them in better condition.

Hydrolates vs. Essential oils

It is extremely important to differentiate between an essential oil and a hydrolate. Essential oils are very potent concentrations of the essence of the plant, flower or root and contain volatile particles that immediately enter the bloodstream.

The vast majority of essential oils can not be placed directly on the skin, as they can have a very negative effect on it, unlike hydrolates, which can normally be used on the skin unless preparations are made that indicate otherwise.

The floral water or hydrolate, in its pure state, has a very low concentration of the active principles of the plant, flower or root.

How to choose them

The elaboration of homemade hydrolates requires knowledge in natural cosmetics, but we can make recipes with mixtures of different elaborated hydrolates, which can be purchased in herbalists or stores specializing in natural cosmetics.

As we know, every plant, flower or root has its qualities and its determined effects in our body and also in our emotions.

To be able to select the hydrolates that best suit our needs, here is a small list that can be used to select you for one in particular, according to what you are looking for, as well as a very fresh recipe for this summer.

• Hydrolates for oily skin: rose water, neroli water or thyme water.
• Hydrolate for acne skin: lavender water, chamomile water, neroli water or thyme water
• Hydrolate for sensitive skin: jasmine or rose water

Remember that they can be used as facial toners instead of synthetic tonics, as natural mists for the skin or to refresh a room or as therapeutic treatments for burns or itchy skin.

But they are also ideal for improving the emotional or physiological state, such as sleep, and they are also excellent natural colonies. For example, the jasmine.

The water of lavender hydrolate is ideal, among other things, to help us fall asleep. Spraying it on the pillow before sleeping, in addition to naturally perfuming our room, induces us to sleep.

Here is an amazing recipe for a fresh and ideal hydrolate for these summer months, which in addition to freshening up, helps us to have better clarity and concentration.

Mojito Hydrolate Recipe

This recipe is for 270 ml of hydrolate.

Ingredients:

• 90ml aloe vera gel (Aloe barbadensis)
• 90ml mint hydrolate (Mentha piperita)
• 90ml lime hydroxide (Citrus latifolia)
• 10 drops of peppermint essential oil (Mentha piperita)

You will need:

• 1 container with sprayer
• 1 funnel
• 1 label

Preparation:

• Place the container with the funnel in the workplace.
• Add the lime hydroxide.
• Add the mint hydrolate.
• Add the aloe vera gel.
• Add drops of essential oil
• Close the container and shake.
• Place in the refrigerator and use as many times as necessary.

It can be used as a facial tonic with a cotton to remove makeup, to spray (closing the eyes) when we want to refresh the skin or to spray in some space to improve our concentration and performance.