How to Make a Hydrosol With Essential Oils
Both essential oils are hydrosols are made from steam distillation. The essential oils are oil based, and the water is a hydrosol. Hydrosols are mainly water, but they do have 1-2 percent plant material. They are less concentrated than essential oils, and they are gentler for hair and skin. They can be used to make DIY cleaning products, hair and skin care, and even as an air freshener.
Hydrosols are about $10 per bottle plus shipping. To save money, make your own hydrosol from essential oils. Note that this not a true hydrosol, but it will act like one for most recipes.
You'll need distilled water and essential oils. I used frankincense and rosemary because I want to use them in other recipes. You can use any essential oil to make this faux hydrosol. I get my essential oils from Simply Earth. They have great quality oils at a decent price. And you get free shipping on orders over $29.
You will need 1 cup of boiled distilled water and 6 to 10 drops of essential oils. You'll also need a heat proof bowl and a coffee filter. I used a funnel to strain my mixture through with the coffee filter inside of it.
Boil a cup of water and pour into a heat proof container. Then add your essential oils. Cover the container with a lid to prevent evaporation and let sit for an hour.
Then strain the mixture through a coffee filter. The water will pass, but the oil will not.
Since these are mainly water, you will need to store them in the fridge. They will last about 6 months, so only make what you'll use in recipes.
For more information about hydrosols and how to use them, visit my how to make hydrosols from essential oils blog post. While these copycat hydrosols are great in DIY recipes, you should never ingest them like you would a true hydrosol.
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