Hi there! Our second of four blogs in our Products series deals with lavender oils and hydrosols. I’ll just be skimming the surface here – there are so many articles, blogs, pages, and even books written about these two products, it’s mind-boggling! I believe the reason for the plethora of information is because there are so very many benefits to these products, including antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, as well as soothing and calming benefits, to name a few.
We have known for centuries about lavender oils. The earliest recorded use of lavender oil was in ancient Egypt! Here on our farm in the 21st century, we use a stainless-steel distiller to capture the oils and hydrosols from our fresh lavender harvests. Currently we are selling our oils by lavender variety in 10 milliliter cobalt-blue bottles. Essential oils should always be stored in dark containers, away from heat and light, so as not to break down their chemical compositions and reduce their beneficial properties. In our opinion, the variety of essential
oil you choose to use is strictly personal preference. We offer samples of all the varieties we have distilled on our farm at our sales booth at the Farmers Markets. Use it in a diffuser, drizzle it on earthenware, or pour a few drops onto a cotton ball or tissue. You can tuck a bit of lavender oil anywhere you like, to enjoy not only
the scent, but the healing, calming and soothing properties as well. For a more in-depth look at the properties of lavender essential oil, we recommend this link from Sage Creations Farm:
https://sagecreationsfarm.com/lavender-essential-oil-quality-scientific/
Hydrosol is a product that is just coming into its own in the world today. Hydrosols, or hydrolats, as they are also called, are distilled botanical extracts derived from the same distillation process used to extract essential oils. They are the water-soluble components of the plant’s volatile organic compounds (also referred to as
VOCs.) They are not to be confused with floral water, which is often just water infused with essential oil. Unlike essential oils, which are highly concentrated, hydrosols are a more gentle way of using the benefits of the entire plant. Hydrosols can be used as skin toners, cleansers and soothing sprays. They can be used to freshen rooms and linens. Hydrosols can also take the place of harsh chemicals when used as a cleaning product. Because hydrosols have only miniscule amounts of essential oils in them, they can be used without
fear of staining, as an oil might do. We currently sell our hydrosol in two different types of bottles: the first, a larger size for cleaning and deodorizing, and the second, a pretty bottle you can display on your vanity and use
on the skin as mentioned above. We describe our hydrosol as having an earthier scent with a floral undertone. For more information on hydrosols, you can’t go wrong reading “Harvest to Hydrosol” by Ann Harman,
available here: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/123380797-harvest-to-hydrosol-second-edition