All about herbal water

What is herbal water?

Herbal water, also known as hydrosol, is a common ingredient in skincare, perfume, alternative medicine, and aromatherapy products. In addition, you can use it to add flavour and fragrance to food and drink.

You make herbal water by distilling plant materials – such as flowers, bark, leaves, and roots – with either water or steam. The result is a water-based product infused with the scent and taste of the plant it was created from.

Herbal water tends to be gentle, with a subtle aroma. This means it’s possible to utilise it in a wide variety of ways. That includes both consuming it and applying it directly to the skin.

How is herbal water different from essential oil?

Both herbal water and essential oils are crafted by distilling plant matter, so they share lots of the same properties. In fact, herbal water often contains a small amount of essential oil within it. They also offer many similar benefits, however there are important differences between the two types of product.

Firstly, as the names imply, herbal water is water-based, whereas essential oils are oil-based. The result of this is that herbal water is less concentrated than essential oil. Consequently, it’s safe to use herbal water topically, but you need to dilute essential oils with a carrier oil before putting them on your skin. Similarly, you can be more generous when using herbal water in food and drink compared to an essential oil.

It also means that herbal water has a softer scent than essential oils do. In some instances, the aroma of herbal water may not only be more delicate than an essential oil made from the same plant, but noticeably different.

The benefits of herbal water

There are a wealth of potential benefits you can gain by harnessing the power of herbal water. From boosting your mood to cleansing your skin, it’s able to enhance both your physical and mental wellbeing. The exact effects that you can expect will vary depending on which specific herbal water you use.

With that in mind, let’s look at four common varieties of herbal water and how they could benefit you. After that, we’ll go into more detail about the different ways in which you can utilise herbal water.

The delicate delight of rose water

Our organic rose water is crafted by distilling petals from the finest Damask roses, ethically grown in Bulgaria. This gives it a beautifully soft floral fragrance and flavour.

Its delicate scent makes rose water a fantastic way to soothe the mind and body, for example by adding a few tablespoons to sparkling water. Studies indicate that rose water could help to alleviate feelings of both anxiety and depression.(1) Similarly, it may work to ease headaches, possibly due to these stress-relieving effects.

On top of this,